Pierre Falcone
{{distinguish|Pierre Falcon}}
{{short description|French businessman|bot=PearBOT 5}}
Pierre Falcone (born 19 March 1954 in Algiers) is a French serial entrepreneur and businessman. He is the Chairman of Pierson Capital Group.
Early life
Falcone was born the son of Pierre Falcone senior in Algeria, who created Papa Falcone, a "fully integrated operation" in the fish industry in Algeria.{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} Falcone and his parents moved to France when he was eight years old along with other French citizens when the country became independent in 1962.{{cite web|title=Pierre Falcone|url=http://corporate-executives.com/pierre-falcone/|publisher=Corporate-Executives.com|accessdate=12 April 2013}}
Falcone studied law and economics at the University of Aix-en-Provence from 1973 to 1975.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
Career
Falcone moved to Brazil in 1977 at the age of 24; he soon started a business in trading agricultural products.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
He developed a wide portfolio of clients and partners throughout South America in the following years which led him to represent several French and Chinese companies in countries such as Brazil or Mexico.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
File:Pierre Falcone sur le chantier à Kilamba.jpg
Falcone moved in 1988 to China, where he later founded and headquartered his company Pierson Capital Asia.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
He started his Chinese operations with consulting services for leading European companies looking to establish themselves in China.{{cn|date=April 2024}} He negotiated the first insurance authorization granted by China to a Western company for French giant AXA as well as the involvement of Aerospatiale in the making of the first Chinese communication satellite.{{cn|date=April 2024}}
In 1993, Falcone negotiated financing for the MPLA government of Angola during its civil war against UNITA. This financing was achieved in exchange for the future oil production of Angola for French interests. The subsequent delivery of weapons to support José Eduardo dos Santos's Angolan government led to a trial known as Angolagate in France.
In 2011, the charges against Falcone were dropped by an appeals court after he had served time in a French prison.{{Cite web | author=Yves Thréard | date=30 April 2011 | url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2011/04/29/01016-20110429ARTFIG00648-l-honneur-retrouve-de-pierre-falcone.php | title=L'honneur retrouvé de Pierre Falcone |trans-title=| work=Le Figaro | language=French | access-date=11 December 2016}} The appeals court acknowledged that Falcone had been officially mandated by the Angolan government to acquire arms as well as food and medicine.[http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12376545-pierre-falcone-the-man-who-was-wrongly-labeled-as-an-arms-dealer Eric Sessel, "Pierre Falcone: the man who was wrongly labeled as an arms’ dealer", Allvoices.com, 13 June 2012] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324025050/http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/12376545-pierre-falcone-the-man-who-was-wrongly-labeled-as-an-arms-dealer |date=March 24, 2013 }}{{YouTube|kefRd5D2sis|Pierre Falcone on Angola's public television at his visit to President José Eduardo dos Santos}}, May 23, 2011
The company he heads, Pierson Capital Group, invests in hotels, real estate developments, agriculture and agroindustrial projects, oil, gas, and personal authentication systems. Pierson Capital Group{{cite web|url=http://www.piersoncapital.com|title=Pierson Capital Group|author=|date=5 July 2013|work=piersoncapital.com|access-date=11 December 2016}} and has over 2600 employees and three main operations in Beijing,(fr) [http://www.lepoint.fr/archives/article.php/279032 Angolagate : l'autre vie de Pierre Falcone], Le Point, October 2, 2008 Luanda, and Mexico City.
Private life
Pierre Falcone is married to former Miss Bolivia and artist Sonia Falcone. They have three children.
Honors
On June 17, 2013, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conferred him an honorary degree for supporting brain sciences.[http://support.huji.ac.il/news-events/news/convocation-june-2013/ Seventy-sixth Board of Governors meeting commences with Convocation, awarding of honorary degrees] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20131105174437/support.huji.ac.il/news-events/news/convocation-june-2013/ |date=2013-11-05 }}, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, June 2013
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.piersoncapital.com/pierre-falcone/ Chairman Statement by Pierre Falcone]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falcone, Pierre}}
Category:Businesspeople from Algiers
Category:Mitterrand–Pasqua affair
Category:French businesspeople