Claude Guillemot, one of the five brothers who founded Ubisoft, has died in a plane crash in western France. He was 69 years old.
The crash took place on Friday, June 19, in La Baule, a town in western France. Guillemot was flying in a Cessna 421, a twin-engine propeller aircraft, when it went down in a field near the La Baule aerodrome.
The plane had taken off from Rennes earlier that day. French news outlet Ouest-France first reported the crash, with the report later confirmed by Le Figaro. A flight instructor was also on board. Both men died.
Local fire services in Loire-Atlantique said the wreckage was on fire when emergency crews arrived at the scene, with flames spreading to nearby vegetation. That delayed formal identification of the victims. Guillemot’s family learned of his death on the evening of June 19, just hours after the crash.
Guillemot owned the aircraft and was a member of the local La Baule flying club. According to French broadcaster France Info, he had planned to attend a weekend gathering of aviation enthusiasts in the area, an event expected to draw more than 100 aircraft. French aviation authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Who Was Claude Guillemot
Claude Guillemot was one of five brothers, alongside Christian, Gérard, Michel, and Yves, who founded Ubisoft in 1986. The Guillemot family had run an agricultural supply business in Brittany before moving into electronics and computer hardware, a venture that eventually led to the creation of Ubisoft.
At the time of his death, Guillemot held a seat on Ubisoft’s board and served as Executive Vice-President in charge of operations. In company materials, Ubisoft credited him with bringing entrepreneurial experience to the board, along with knowledge gained from living in Asia and a deep understanding of gaming hardware across PC, console, and accessory markets.
While his brother Yves became the public face of Ubisoft as its CEO, Claude worked largely behind the scenes on the operational side of the business. The company he helped build went on to publish major franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s.
