MOSCOW — Christophe de Margerie, the charismatic CEO of Total SA who dedicated his career to the multinational oil company, was killed at a Moscow airport when his private jet collided with a snowplow whose driver was drunk, Russian investigators said Tuesday.
Three French crew members also died when the French-made Dassault Falcon 50 burst into flames after it hit the snowplow during takeoff from Vnukovo airport at 11:57 p.m. Monday local time.
“At the current time, it has been established that the driver of the snowplow was in a state of alcoholic intoxication,” said Tatyana Morozova, an official with the Investigative Committee, Russia’s main investigative agency.
However, the snowplow’s driver denies he was drunk, according to his lawyer.
De Margerie, 63, was a regular fixture at international economic gatherings and one of the French business community’s most outspoken and recognizable figures. His trademark silver handlebar earned him the nickname “Big Mustache.”
A critic of sanctions against Russia, he argued that isolating Russia was bad for the global economy. He traveled regularly to Russia and recently dined in Paris with a Putin ally who is facing EU sanctions over Russia’s involvement in the crisis in Ukraine.
Dow Jones Newswires reported late Tuesday that Total will convene an emergency board meeting Wednesday morning to decide on a succession plan, people familiar with the matter said.
