One of the founding members of the video game developer Ubisoft, Claude Guillemot, died in a plane crash on Friday. He was 69.
The private plane crashed as it tried to land in the town of La Baule, France. The country’s ICI news network confirmed that the Ubisoft co-founder was on board with a flight instructor. Ubisoft issued a statement to Bloomberg:
“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. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.”
Ubisoft was founded in 1986 by five brothers, Yves, Claude, Gerard, Christian and Michel. The public face of the company has been Yves Guillemot, who serves as Ubisoft’s CEO and chairman.
While there have been many ups and downs at the video-game company, including past talk of sales and privatization, the company remains owned and controlled by the Guillemots. Claude Guillemot was the chairman and CEO of Guillemot Corporation, focused on gaming accessories among a network of brands.
Ubisoft has faced enormous challenges in the market, attempting to juggle IP including Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, and it has seen its value drop precipitously from $23 a share in 2018 to $1.12 a share now. Its market cap is $741 million, though there are no plans to slow down its release slate.
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It remains to be seen whether Yves Guillemot himself may make a statement about his brother’s death.