Claude Guillemot, Ubisoft Co-Founder, Dies in a Plane Crash
Claude Guillemot, one of the five brothers who built Ubisoft into one of the world’s largest video game publishers, died on Friday when a Cessna 421 twin-engine aircraft he owned crashed in a field near La Baule aerodrome in western France.
The plane was on fire when emergency services arrived, with flames spreading into surrounding vegetation. Guillemot was en route to a weekend aviation gathering of more than 100 aircraft in the region when the accident happened. The Cessna had departed Rennes. According to the mayor of La Baule, witnesses reported the aircraft made a turn during its landing approach before crashing.
Claude Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 with his brothers Yves, Michel, Christian, and Gérard.
They started in Brittany with a family agricultural supply business. They later spotted a new opportunity in tech. Computer software and hardware from the UK and the US were much cheaper at source than in France. The brothers launched Guillemot Informatique as a mail-order business to bridge this price gap.
The company grew from a regional startup into a national business. It later moved into video game development. The brothers cut out middlemen and built direct links with distributors. This approach helped shape Ubisoft into a global game company behind titles like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Rayman, and Prince of Persia.
Ubisoft issued a formal statement, saying the company 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 company added: “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.” The cause of the crash has not been officially confirmed. Formal identification of the victims was delayed due to the condition of the wreckage. The Guillemot family was notified on Friday evening.
