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Claude Guillemot, one of the five Guillemot brothers who co-founded French publisher Ubisoft, has died in a plane crash.
Reported by Oest-France (via Kotaku), a Cessna 421 light aircraft crashed in the French commune of La Baule-Escoublac, within the Northwestern department of Loire-Atlantique, on Friday afternoon.
According to reports from Loire-Atlantique's SDIS 44 fire and rescue service, Guillemot was one of two people killed after the aircraft crashed near the La-Baule aerodrome, alongside the aircraft's owner and operator.
The mayor of La Baule, Franck Louvrier, issued a statement following the crash. "It was a Cessna 421, a twin-engine propeller, with eight seats," Louvrier said. "The plane was on approach for the landing phase, when, according to witnesses, it made a turn and crashed."
Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 along with his brothers, Michel, Christian, Gerard, and the publisher's current chairman CEO Yves. From its origins as a software distribution business, Ubisoft grew into one of the biggest videogame publishers, and has developed numerous world-renowned series including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
Claude Guillemot sat on Ubisoft's board and was executive vice president in charge of operations. Since 1997, he was also chairman and CEO of the Guillemot Corporation, which owns the Hercules digital audio brand and the Thrustmaster accessories label, and through which the Guillemot brothers maintain their stake in Ubisoft.
Ubisoft confirmed Guillemot's death in a press release, stating that it had learned "with deep sadness of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the Group and President of Guillemot Corporation, in an accident. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time"
Claude Guillemot was 69. The cause of the crash is not currently known, but French aviation authorities are expected to open a formal investigation.
