July 6, 2009
Robert Louis-Dreyfus, scion of trading empire, dies
Robert Louis-Dreyfus, scion of the family that controls the sprawling Louis Dreyfus commodities trading group, died Saturday (July 4), French media reports said.
The impact on the privately-held company isn't yet clear.
Media reports said Louis-Dreyfus, a Swiss national who was previously Louis Dreyfus' chairman, died in a hospital in Zurich after years of poor health at the age of 63.
The Louis Dreyfus trading empire was founded in 1851, trading in wheat, and is now one of the world's largest traders of agricultural commodities. It has branched out into energy trading, biofuels, property and other businesses.
