Dutch Billionaire Conservationist Dies at 65
Date: 23-Aug-06
Country: NETHERLANDS
Paul Fentener van Vlissingen, who was chief executive of SHV, a Dutch privately-held company active in energy, recycling and retail, died of pancreatic cancer, SHV said in a statement. He was 65.
While he was at the helm of SHV from 1984 to 1997, sales trebled to 15.5 billion euros (US$20 billion) and the firm became one of the Netherlands' biggest employers.
SHV is best known for its Makro superstores, the European branches of which it sold in 1997. It still owns close to 200 superstores in Asia and South America.
Fentener van Vlissingen, who once said would have preferred to study philosophy than enter the family business, was the youngest of three brothers -- heirs to a family fortune amassed since the 17th century.
Fentener van Vlissingen set up the African Parks Foundation after a meeting with former South African President Nelson Mandela, in an attempt to maintain and restore wildlife habitats by running them unsubsidised on a sustainable basis.
Fentener van Vlissingen spent 100 million euros of his own fortune, estimated at roughly 2 billion euros, on the foundation which took over the management of South African Marakele National Park and now runs 10 parks in seven African nations.