HNA Group chairman Wang Jian falls to his death in southern France
HNA Group chairman Wang Jian falls to his death in southern France
The chairman and co-founder of China’s HNA Group Wang Jian has died after falling off a cliff in southern France.
HNA Group’s business aviation assets include Asia’s largest business-jet operator Deer Jet.
A report on the BBC website confirms that Mr Wang had died after accidentally falling whilst on a business trip in Provence, southern France.
A local police chief told Reuters that Mr Wang had apparently stood on the edge of a sharp drop for a picture and fell.
HNA confirmed the death on Wednesday July 4, saying that Mr Wang had been injured in a fall and had died later.
“HNA Group extends deepest condolences to Mr Wang’s family and many friends. Together, we mourn the loss of an exceptionally gifted leader and role model, whose vision and values will continue to be a beacon for all who had the good fortune to know him, as well as for the many others whose lives he touched through his work and philanthropy” the company said.
HNA Group can trace its roots back to 1993 when Hainan Airlines was formed in Sanya, China. The airline was restructured in 1997, with its founder, Chen Feng alongside Wang, creating the HNA Group three years later.
The group now has a diversified asset base that also includes real estate and logistics. In 2016 it acquired a 26.1% stake in the Hilton Hotels group, although reports earlier in 2018 suggest it is looking to offload them.
French police are not treating Mr Wang’s death as suspicious.
