A list of rich people killed in helicopter crashs

Helicopter riding offers adventurous transportation, ideal for business and leisure. It provides quick access to remote areas, cutting down travel time.

For individuals who possess and can afford to rent it, the 6-seater aircraft appears to have evolved into a riskier option. Over time, one of the deadliest causes of accidents has been helicopter crashes.

The lives of billionaires and businesspeople who possess these kinds of aircraft have been cut short by helicopter crashes.

Here are a some of the latest crashes that claimed billionaires’ lives.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

Aviation related investigations found that four out five passengers survived the initial impact of a collision before an aircraft burst out into flames after a major fuel leak.

“I have no idea what’s going on,” were the final words from the pilot before Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, employees Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, Pilot Eric Swaffer, and his partner and fellow professional pilot Izabela Roza Lechowicz lost their lives in October 2018.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was the former chairperson of Leicester City football club. Ranked as the 5^th richest man in Thailand, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s net worth stood at US$4.9 billion.

Vyacheslav Taran

The renowned Russian financier was reported to have died under bizarre circumstances in November 2022.

Together with a skilled 35-year-old pilot, Taran, 53, had taken off from Lausanne, Switzerland on their way to Monaco when the aircraft went down. In fair weather, the helicopter crashed into a mountain side, according to local accounts.

The president of the Libertex Group trading platform, Forex Club, was the only passenger on a Monacair helicopter that crashed near the French town of Villefranche-sur-Mer, according to the Russian embassy in Paris. But Kremlin’s foreign intelligence was allegedly connected to Vyacheslav’s helicopter crash.

Vyacheslav Taran was believed to have a net worth of around US$20 billion.

Petr Kellner

Petr Kellner was killed in the crash while on a heli-skiing trip in Alaska in March 2021. The crash happened near Knik Glacier northeast of Anchorage.

According to a report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the accident was likely caused by pilot error and inadequate training.

The report, moreover, stated that one person survived the crash but the extent of his injuries—which included “extensive frostbite damage to both hands”— worsened by the delay in alerting search and rescue teams.

In total, five people were killed in the crash.

Prior to his death, 56-year-old Kellner was the richest man in Czech Republic. He was also the founder of investment group PPF. His net worth was estimated at US$17.5 billion

Olivier Dassault

He was a French MP and the son of industrialist Serge Dassault, whose group builds Rafale war planes and owns Le Figaro newspaper.

According to police sources, Dassault’s accident occurred on Sunday, March 7, 2021, in Normandy where he had a holiday home. The Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopter crashed shortly after a take-off from private grounds. The pilot, who was the only other person on board also died.

Olivier Dassault’s fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine to be approximately five billion euros ($6 billion) in 2020, placing him 361st on the planet, roughly equal to his three siblings.

Olivier Dassault was 69 years old when he died.

Sebastian Piñera

About a week ago, billionaire tycoon, Sebastian Piñera died at a popular vacation spot in southern Chile after a helicopter he was reportedly flying crashed into a lake.

The air machine plunged about 40 meters deep into the lake. Sebastian’s body is reported to have been recovered by the Chilean Navy.

He was a Chilean politician and entrepreneur. The 74-year-old Piñera, 74, was a wealthy businessman and investor before becoming involved in Chilean politics in the 1990s.

Pinera is said to have ended his administration creating an estimate of one million jobs.

He worked in a variety of industries including real estate.

At the time of his death, Pinera’s net worth was pegged at US$2.7 billion. According to Forbes, this made him the third richest person in Chile and the 1177^th richest person in the world.

Herbert Wigwe

The co-founder of Nigeria’s largest bank, Access Bank is the most recent fatality that occurred 3 days ago. He was among six others killed in a helicopter crash including his wife and son.

Wigwe and his family and friends were flying to watch the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. He was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who made giant strides in his community and Africa’s financial sector.

He was set officially open his own university located in Lagos, Nigeria the Wigwe University later in September this year.

Chris Cline

The coal magnate passed away in a helicopter crash off the coast of the Bahamas on July 4, 2019. He was among seven people killed in the chopper crash;  his daughter Kameron 22, three other women and two men.

The helicopter took off from Big Grand Cay, a tourist hotspot in the Bahamas, enroute to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, because one of the passengers was seriously sick.

Records indicate that the helicopter crashed into the ocean approximately 60 seconds after takeoff. Witnesses on the island reported hearing an odd noise, similar to a thud, right before the helicopter took off.

After taking off at around two in the morning ET, the aircraft overturned in sixteen feet of water, which was spotted by Grand Cay police and locals. Its wreckage was found on the ocean floor.

He was well known as a philanthropist and donated to many charities.

Mr Cline started his mining career in the mines of West Virginia. He founded the Cline Group which became one of America’s top coal producers. The “King of Coal” was a major supporter of the Republican Party. He died a day before his 61^st birthday and had a net worth of US$1.8 billion at the time of his death.