Serge Dassault: The aircraft industry lost a great man

Big boss, man of press and politician, Serge Dassault died at the 93 years age following a mild heart attack which has occurred Monday after midday.

Son of the airframe manufacturer and industrial Marcel Dassault, Serge Dassault, from his true name Serge Bloch was born in Paris in April 1925 in a family of Jewish origin originating in the Ottoman Empire and also from the Moselle. The family Bloch takes the name of Dassault in 1946 and converts with Catholicism in 1950.

After secondary studies in Paris and Cannes, the family is stopped then sent in 1944 to Drancy. His/her father Marcel Dassault is sent to Buchenwald to have refused to bring his know–how to the Nazis.
Of return to Paris in 1945, it prepares Spé Maths then between at the Central School. In 1947, it makes a success of its competition with Polytechnic then chooses the body of the armament and follows in school of application the École Nationale Supérieure of aeronautics and the space (Supaero), of which it is graduate in 1951. It is also graduate HEC Paris (Executive MBA, promotion 1963).

It Marie in 1950 and has 4 children, Olivier, deputy of Oise; Laurent, in charge of the investments of the Dassault group in particular in the viticulture and joint manager of Artcurial Development; Thierry, specialized in the economic intelligence; Marie–Helene, person in charge of the patronage.

In 1951, to its exit of SUPAERO, it enters to “General Aeronautics Marcel Dassault”, as engineer, at the research department of the production aircraft. In 1955, it is named director of the six year and in–flight tests (first flight of Mirage I) afterwards, export manager and, in 1962, launches Mystery 20 to the exposure of the National Business Aviation Association to Pittsburgh.

It is only at the 61 years age, with the death of his/her father Marcel Dassault, at 94 years, that its professional life as an industrialist starts by taking again the reindeers of the group which his/her father had created in 1929 and making bear fruit his heritage, going until becoming the 5th French fortune. There will remain chairman of the company until 2000 during 13 years.

It makes its political beginnings in 1973 and in spite of its defeats with the local elections of 1977 and with legislative of 1978, it obtains its first municipal mandate in 1983 and is elected regional advisor in 1986 in 1995 and becomes mayor of the Corbeil–Essonne. He supports thereafter Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy then François Fillon. In 2017, it leaves the senate after having sat there during 13 years.

Man of press, in 2004, following the example of his father, editor of “Days of France” it takes again the Barber. Man of polemic, Serge Dassault was a follower of the skids. He knows some vexations with justice. In 2014 it is put in examination in an investigation into suspicions of purchase of votes at the Corbeil–Essonne.

Principal shareholder of Football Club of Nantes until the summer 2007 and the relegation of the club Leagues 2 of them, it resells the club with the businessman free–Polish Waldemar Kita for a sum estimated from 8 to 10 million euros.

With the disappearance of Serge Dassault, France and French industry lost a great man. Many tributes were paid to him to the announcement of its death starting with that of the President of the Republic   Emmanuel Macron for whom: “France loses a man who devoted his life to develop a floret of industry “, It is of m^me for Manuel Valls, Nicolas Sarkosy Marine Le Pen and Jean–Pierre Raffarin.

Funerals of Serge Dassault will take Friday, June 1 place, with the Saint–Louis cathedral of the Invalids, Paris in the seventh district. The religious ceremony will start at 14:30. The military honours will be returned to him at the end of the ceremony. It will be then buried in the intimacy.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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