Claude Guillemot, co-founder of Ubisoft and chairman of Guillemot Corporation, died in a plane crash on June 19, 2026, near La Baule, France. He was 69 years old at the time of his death [1, 2, 3].
The aircraft was a twin-engine Cessna 421, owned and piloted by Guillemot himself. The plane was carrying two people: Guillemot and a flight instructor accompanying him. Both died in the crash [2, 3, 4].
The accident occurred while the plane was attempting to land at La Baule airport, located on the Atlantic coast of western France. According to the local mayor, Franck Louvrier, witnesses reported the plane made a turn during its approach before crashing. It went down in or near a field close to the runway and caught fire. Emergency responders, including firefighters and rescue teams, were dispatched to the scene [3, 5, 6, 7].
Claude Guillemot co-founded Ubisoft on March 28, 1986, alongside his four brothers: Christian, Gérard, Michel, and Yves Guillemot. Ubisoft has grown into a global video game publisher over the decades. Yves Guillemot remains the company’s CEO as of 2026 [2, 4, 7].
In addition to his work at Ubisoft, Claude served as chairman and CEO of Guillemot Corporation. The company specializes in gaming and audio accessories and owns brands such as Thrustmaster and Hercules. He was deeply involved in building both Ubisoft’s publishing business and Guillemot Corporation’s hardware ecosystem over many years [2, 4, 6].
At the time of the crash, Claude Guillemot was flying to attend an aviation event in La Baule [4, 8]. An Ubisoft spokesperson said the company was "deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp., in an accident." They added, "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time." [1]
On June 20, Ubisoft and local authorities publicly confirmed the details of the crash. Flags were flown at half-mast at La Baule aerodrome as a tribute to Guillemot [3, 7].
