Billionaire Kok Lam dies in air crash after buying Bordeaux estate

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2013-12-23

A photograph of Kok Lam and his wife Lau Sheng-wan together with James
Gregoire and his wife at the estate mere hours before the fatal accident. (Photo/CFP)

Hong Kong-based mainland Chinese billionaire Kok Lam and his 12-year-old son have died in a helicopter crash in Bordeaux, France while taking a flight to inspect a chateau and vineyard Kok had just bought, reports our sister paper China Times. The chateau's former owner James Gregoire, who was at the controls of the helicopter, also perished, along with an interpreter.

Kok, 46, was president of the Brilliant Group, a company with interests in tea, real estate and hotels in southwestern China's Yunnan province, where he was also a member of the provincial Chinese People's Political Cinsultative Conference. He had bought the 65-hectare Chateau de la Riviere vineyard, the biggest in the wine-producing region, on Dec. 20 for €30 million (US$41 million) from Gregoire.

As the families of the former and new owner celebrated the deal, Gregoire invited Kok and his family to view the estate from the air. Gregoire piloted the helicopter with Kok, his son and an interpreter. Kok's wife decided not to join them as she was afraid.

The helicopter took off but did not return and was later found to have crashed into the Dordogne River. All four on board have now been confirmed dead.

In a macabre coincidence, the owner of the winery before Gregoire died in a plane crash in 2002.

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