Chairman of Giant Chinese Conglomerate Dies in Fall

HNA Group chairman Wang Jian was in France on a business trip
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 4, 2018 6:01 AM CDT
Chairman of Giant Chinese Conglomerate Dies in Fall
This undated photo provided on Wednesday, July 4, 2018, by the HNA Group shows HNA Group co-chairman Wang Jian.   (HNA Group via AP)

The chairman of one of China's largest conglomerates died in an accidental fall in Provence, France, Tuesday, the BBC reports. HNA Group co-founder Wang Jian was in the country on a business trip; he was having his photo taken while on a sightseeing jaunt in Bonnieux when the 57-year-old reportedly fell some 50 feet. The New York Times has this quote from local police: "He wanted to have his picture taken by someone in his group," and after climbing onto a low wall "he fell backwards, 10 to 15 meters further below."

Described as "one of the world's biggest companies" and among "China’s most acquisitive conglomerates," HNA Group owns China's fourth-largest airline, Hainan Airlines, among other finance, hotel, and logistics businesses, reports the AP. But Bloomberg also describes it as one of the country's "most indebted companies," a position it was trying to reverse by offloading real estate and its stakes in Deutsche Bank and Hilton. The Times has more on its financial difficulties here. (More fall stories.)

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