Kilian Hennessy (French pronunciation: [kiljɑ̃ ɛnɛsi]; 19 February 1907 – 1 October 2010) was a French business magnate of Irish extraction, and co-patriarch, with his first cousin Maurice, of the Hennessy cognac company.[1]

Kilian Hennessy, the son of Jean Hennessy and Marguerite de Mun, was a direct, fifth-generation descendant of Richard Hennessy, who founded Hennessy in 1765.[1] He became the CEO of Hennessy during the 1970s and spearheaded the 1971 merger with the Moët et Chandon champagne company.[1] The merger resulted in the creation of Moët Hennessy, which in turn became a part of the new LVMH in 1987, becoming Moët-Hennessy • Louis Vuitton. Hennessy remained a member of the luxury group's advisory board until his death in 2010.[1]

Hennessy's grandson, who shares his name, founded a niche perfume line called By Kilian; in 2016, the younger Hennessy sold the line to Estée Lauder rather than LVMH.[2]

Death

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Hennessy died in Switzerland on 1 October 2010, at the age of 103.[1] He was a resident of Saint-Brice, Charente, France.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Cognac magnate Kilian Hennessy dies at 103". Agence France Presse. 3 October 2010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  2. ^ Pometsey, Olivia (30 March 2019). "Meet Kilian Hennessy, the perfumer extraordinaire who will make you smell sexier". British GQ. Retrieved 24 October 2020.