French Billionaire Olivier Dassault Dies in Helicopter Crash

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Olivier Dassault, a French lawmaker and son of deceased aviation billionaire Serge Dassault, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter, calling it a “great loss” to the country.

“Olivier Dassault loved France. Captain of industry, deputy, local elected official, reserve commander in the air force: during his life, he never ceased to serve our country,” Macron said.

The 69-year-old was the 12th richest person in France with a net worth of $7.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His grandfather, Marcel Dassault, was a World War I aircraft-designer who founded an aviation empire. Olivier worked within the family firm before becoming a lawmaker for the conservative Les Republicains party in 2002.

The helicopter crashed near Deauville on the northwestern coast of France, the AFP reported.

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