Ubisoft co-founder Claude Guillemot dies in plane crash

PARIS: Claude Guillemot, one of the founding figures behind French video game publisher Ubisoft, has died at the age of 69 after a plane crash in western France, the company said on Saturday.

In a statement, Ubisoft said it was mourning the loss of its co-founder, who also served as chairman of Guillemot Corporation. The company said the death occurred in an accident and offered condolences to his family.

“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp, in an accident,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time,” the statement read.

French newspaper Ouest-France reported that Guillemot was killed on Friday when a twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed in La Baule, a resort town on the Atlantic coast that was due to host an air show this weekend. There were two people on board the aircraft and both died.

Claude Guillemot helped build Ubisoft after founding the company with his brothers in 1986. The business grew from a mail-order software operation into one of the world’s biggest video game publishers. While his brother Yves Guillemot became the best-known public figure at the company as its long-serving chief executive, Claude Guillemot was described as playing a key operational role in the family’s wider entertainment business before chairing its hardware arm.