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Claude Bébéar
Photo: Ecole polytechnique Université Paris-Saclay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons17

Claude Bébéar

French businessman (1935–2025)

Claude Bébéar (29 July 1935 – 4 November 2025) was a French businessman.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Claude Bébéar (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jul 29, 1935, died Nov 1, 2025.1

About

He was a onetime CEO of AXA.

From Wikipedia’s article on Claude Bébéar, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • 1955 to 2025École polytechnique3 4
  • Date not recordedLycée Gay-Lussac3

Early life

Claude Bébéar was born in Issac, France on 29 July 1935. He graduated from the Lycée Saint-Louis and the École Polytechnique. Bébéar was trained at the Armoured Cavalry Branch Training School in Saumur and did his military service in Algeria. He then received a diploma from the Institute of Actuaries of France.

From Wikipedia’s article on Claude Bébéar (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: non-fiction writer, businessperson, entrepreneur.10

  • 2015 to 2025Honorary presidency, Institut Montaigne7
  • Since 2008Honorary presidency, Orchestre à l'école7
  • 2008 to 2025Honorary presidency, AXA7
  • 2001 to 2015President, Institut Montaigne7 9
  • 2000 to 2008Chairman of the supervisory board, AXA7
  • 1989 to 1990Municipal councillor of Rouen7 8
  • 1985 to 2000Président-directeur général, AXA7
  • Date not recordedFounded AXA5
  • Date not recordedFounded Institut Montaigne6

Bébéar started his career at Anciennes Mutuelles, up until he became CEO after André Sahut d'Izarn's death in 1975. In 1985, it became known as AXA.

He helped out Jean-Marie Messier from Vivendi. He was involved in the ousting of the chairmen of Rhodia.

Bébéar was a member of the board of directors of Vivendi, BNP Paribas and Schneider Electric, and was a member of Le Siècle. He was also Chairman of the Institut du mécénat de solidarité and the Institut Montaigne.

From Wikipedia’s article on Claude Bébéar (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornJul 29, 1935, Issac11
  • DiedNov 1, 2025, 14th arrondissement of Paris12
  • CitizenshipFrance13

Personal life and death

Bébéar was a Roman Catholic, widowed with three children, two of whom were adopted from South Korea. In 2007, he was worth €106 million.

Bébéar died in France on 4 November 2025, at the age of 90.

From Wikipedia’s article on Claude Bébéar (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 1988manager de l'année14
  • Date not recordedGrand Officer of the Legion of Honour14
  • Date not recordedOfficer of the National Order of Merit14

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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    WikidataAXA, Founder
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