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Jean-Luc Lagardère | |
|---|---|
 Lagardère in 1972 | |
| Born | (1928-02-10)10 February 1928 |
| Died | 14 March 2003(2003-03-14) (aged 75) Paris, France |
| Resting place | Pont-d'Ouilly, France[1] |
| Education | Supélec |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Arnaud Lagardère |
Jean-Luc Lagardère (French pronunciation:[ʒɑ̃lyklaɡaʁdɛʁ]; 10 February 1928 – 14 March 2003) was a French businessman, CEO of theLagardère Group, one of the largest Frenchconglomerates.[2][3]
Jean-Luc Lagardère was aSupélec engineer. He began his career inDassault Aviation. As CEO ofMatra in the 1960s, he became famous with success inFormula One andLe Mans. He later built a large media and defense conglomerate that bears his name. He was a member of theSaint-Simon Foundation think-tank.
In 1981, with his friendDaniel Filipacchi, he purchased Hachette magazines, which included the FrenchTV Guide (Tele 7 Jours), and the then-strugglingElle magazine.Elle was then launched in the U.S., followed by 25 foreign editions. Filipacchi and Lagardère then expanded Hachette Filipacchi Magazines in the U.S. with the purchase of Diamandis Communications Inc. (formerly CBS magazines), includingWoman's Day,Car and Driver,Road and Track,Flying,Boating, and many others.
Despite setbacks, such as the costly failure of La Cinq TV channel, he led significant mergers that establishedEADS, today major globalaerospace contractorAirbus. He handed over control of his businesses to his sonArnaud in 2001, under whom the Lagardère Group continued to thrive. Jean-Luc Lagardère's contributions were praised by PresidentJacques Chirac, highlighting his visionary leadership and commitment to European integration.[2]
Lagardère was a prominent figure in Frenchhorse racing.[4] In 1981, he purchased the renownedHaras d'Ouillystud inPont-d'Ouilly,Calvados that had been owned byFrançois Dupré and raced under their famous colors of gray with a pink cap. At one time, his operation had as many as 220 horses. He won the French owners' championship in 1998 and between 1995 and 2001 was the leading breeder in France. His most important racing win came withSagamix who won the 1998Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Upon its formation in 1995, Jean-Luc Lagardère served as the first president ofFrance-Galop. On his death in 2003, the business was taken over by his sonArnaud who sold Haras d'Ouilly and its entire bloodstock in 2005 to theAga Khan IV.
In 2002, the Group OneGrand Critérium race for two-year-olds atLongchamp Racecourse was renamed in his honor.
He first married Corinne Lagardère. They had one son, Arnaud. After his divorce, he married Betty Lagardère, whose birth name is Elisabeth Pimenta Lucas, a socialite and former Brazilian model who settled in France.[2]
Lagardere died on March 14, 2003, from a rare neurological condition.[5][2]
In honor of his contribution toAirbus, the company has chosen to name theAirbus A380 assembly plant inToulouse after him.[6] With production ending in 2022, the plant was then converted into the final assembly line for theAirbus A320 family.[7]
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