Fatal Crash in Western France
Claude Guillemot, one of the five brothers who founded Ubisoft, died in a plane crash in western France on Friday, June 19, 2025. He was 69. The Cessna 421 twin-engine propeller plane he was flying came down in a field near La Baule aerodrome, killing both people on board.
Guillemot owned the aircraft and was a member of the La Baule flying club. The plane had departed from Rennes and was on its landing approach when, according to witnesses cited by La Baule mayor Franck Louvrier, it made a sudden turn and crashed. The second victim, a flight instructor from Rennes, has not been named. The plane burst into flames on impact, igniting surrounding vegetation, and approximately sixty firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze.
Ubisoft Confirms Death
Ubisoft confirmed the death in a brief statement, saying it had learned "with deep sadness of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the Group and President of Guillemot Corporation, in an accident." The company added that no further comment would be made. Guillemot's family was notified on Friday evening, hours after the crash. He had been expected at a gathering of more than 100 aircraft in the region this weekend.
Behind-the-Scenes Architect of Hardware Empire
While his brother Yves became Ubisoft's public face as CEO, Claude worked behind the scenes. He held a master's degree in economic science and a certificate in industrial computing. He ran Guillemot Corporation, the family's hardware arm known for the Thrustmaster and Hercules brands. He stepped back from day-to-day duties in July 2025, handing the CEO role to his son Valentin, but stayed on as chairman.
The Guillemot brothers founded Ubisoft in 1986 in Brittany, growing it from a mail-order software business into the maker of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rayman. At his death, Claude remained on Ubisoft's board as executive vice-president of operations.
