The shock was the magnitude of his fortune and his media power. On Monday, March 29, almost all the media in Central Europe covered the news of the sudden death of Petr Kellner, the first Czech fortune, boss of the conglomerate PPF, which is active from banking to real estate, in front page. through pharmaceuticals, insurance, telecommunications and, more recently, the media. At the head of a fortune estimated by the magazine Forbes at $ 17.5 billion (€ 14.9 billion), Mr Kellner, 56, was considered the 66e richest man in the world, and the first fortune in Central Europe.
The billionaire died in a helicopter crash on Saturday, March 27, in Alaska, while on a heli-skiing excursion around the Knik Glacier, 80 kilometers from Anchorage, the largest city in the US state. This sporting discipline consists of being dropped off by helicopter at the top of slopes devoid of any other trace of skiers. According to US authorities, four other passengers died in the accident: the pilot, two guides and a French freestyle snowboard coach.
Only one passenger survived: it would be the photographer of Mr. Kellner, according to the Czech press. The lodge that organized this excursion, and charges stays at $ 15,000 a week, was unable to explain the reasons for the crash. An investigation has been opened. The death comes at a time when Mr. Kellner was at the height of his power, with a group present in 24 countries, on three continents.
Wave of privatizations
“Her professional life has been known for her incredible work ethic and creativity”, greeted, in a brief press release, the company PPF, of which Mr. Kellner held nearly 99% of the shares. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, himself the fourth largest Czech fortune, spoke of a “Incredible tragedy”. President Milos Zeman said “Deeply regret the tragic disappearance” of a man he held “In high esteem for his success”.
Despite his fortune, Mr Kellner was known to shun the media, and only a few photos showing a man willingly wearing a beard and maintaining a sporty appearance are available. Born in 1964 to Ceska Lipa, graduated in 1986 from the Prague School of Economics, he made his first business thanks to the wave of privatizations that followed the fall of communism. Founded in 1991, its group PPF, acronym in Czech for “First privatization fund”, acquired in 1996 the first Czech insurer, Ceska pojistovna.
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