Roland Duchâtelet

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix =

|name = Roland Duchâtelet

|honorific-suffix =

|image = Roland duchatelet-1556198100 (cropped).jpg

|imagesize =

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|office = Senator

|term_start = {{start date|df=yes|2007|6|28}}

|term_end = June 2010

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1946|11|14}}

|birth_place = Merksem, Antwerp, Belgium

|death_date =

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|nationality = Belgian

|party = Open VLD

|otherparty =

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|alma_mater = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

}}

Roland Duchâtelet ({{IPA|fr|dyʃɑtlɛ|lang}}; born 14 November 1946) is a Belgian businessman and politician. He is owner of various football clubs.{{cite web|url=http://www.adalcorcon.com/index.php/the-news/2326-comunicado-oficial-de-la-ad-alcorcon|title=Official statement AD Alcorcon Jan. 1, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110215553/http://www.adalcorcon.com/index.php/the-news/2326-comunicado-oficial-de-la-ad-alcorcon|archive-date=10 January 2014}} He is the founder of the social-liberal political party Vivant in Belgium.

Business

In 1990, he became involved in micro-electronics. He founded several multinational corporations, of which semi-conductor producer {{Ill|Melexis|nl}} is the best known.{{cite web|url=http://www.melexis.com/|title=Melexis: Semiconductor Sensor Solutions|website=www.melexis.com}} Other corporations include X-Fab,{{cite web|url=http://www.xfab.com/xfab/frontend/|title=X-Fab.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210220240/http://www.xfab.com/xfab/frontend/|archive-date=10 February 2007}} which also produces semi-conductors, Epiq,{{cite web|url=http://www.epiq.com/dutch/about.htm|title=Epiq.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216012716/http://www.epiq.com/dutch/about.htm|archive-date=16 February 2007}} which produces electronic systems, the online-television channel TVLokaal.com, and the holding company Elex. Through his businesses, Duchâtelet became a multimillionaire.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hungarianfootball.com/2018/07/24/the-duchatelet-familys-international-football-empire/|title = The Duchatelet family's international football empire | Hungarian Football|date = 24 July 2018}}

Duchâtelet used to own a group of football clubs, but remains as the main shareholder of only one presently: Carl Zeiss Jena (Germany, D4). He previously owned Standard Liège which he sold in early 2015, Sint-Truidense, which he sold in 2017, Alcorcón, which he sold in 2019, Charlton Athletic, which he sold in 2020,{{cite news |title=East Street Investments complete takeover of Charlton Athletic |url=https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5e0df58fe7650/east-street-investments-complete-takeover-of-charlton-athletic |access-date=2 January 2020 |publisher=Charlton Athletic |date=2 January 2020}} and Újpest, sold in 2024.https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20240209_95422765 He retained ownership of Charlton Athletic's stadium, The Valley, and training ground.{{cite news |last1=Cawley |first1=Richard |title=Global Football Partners spokesman expecting talks with Duchatelet over Valley and Sparrows Lane rental agreement |url=https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/global-football-partners-spokesman-expecting-talks-with-duchatelet-over-valley-and-sparrows-lane-rental-agreement/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |publisher=South London Press |date=28 July 2023}}

In March 2016, Duchâtelet made headlines after a statement appeared on the Charlton Athletic website{{cite web |url=http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/statement-3009419.aspx |title=Statement |access-date=2016-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316130531/http://www.cafc.co.uk/news/article/statement-3009419.aspx |archive-date=16 March 2016}} retrieved 18 March 2016 in which some of the club's fans were accused of wanting the club to fail. In the aftermath of this statement, Charlton's newly appointed head of communications resigned from her position.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/charlton-s-head-of-communications-quits-following-roland-duchatelet-s-car-crash-statement-a3206761.html|title=Charlton's head of comms quits following Duchatelet's statement|date=18 March 2016}} The Championship side was then relegated to League One on 19 April 2016. His ownership was met with widespread protests from Charlton supporters,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35680770|title=Charlton Athletic fans protest against owners in England and Belgium|work=BBC Sport|date=27 February 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/charlton-beach-ball-protest-angry-fans-halt-championship-match-with-brighton-a6998291.html|title=Angry fans forced this football match to be stopped when everyone started throwing beach balls|website=Independent.co.uk|date=24 April 2016}} who formed the Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) and Women Against the Regime (WAR).https://www.facebook.com/CharltonCARD/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}} Similar protests from supporters of Standard Liège resulted in Duchâtelet selling the Belgian side.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityam.com/218722/charlton-owner-roland-duchatelet-sells-standard-liege|title=Charlton owner Duchatelet sells Standard Liege|first=Joe|last=Hall|date=24 June 2015}}

Politics

In 1993, Duchâtelet wrote a book NV België, verslag aan de aandeelhouders (Joint stock company Belgium, a report to the shareholders), published in early 1994. In his book, he pleaded for economic and political transparency. He emphasized the necessity of sustainable development in a globalized world economy. He also proposed to lower Belgium's public expenditure by 30%. A new political party {{Ill|BANAAN|nl|Beter Alternatieven Nastreven Als Apathisch Nietsdoen}} ("Beter Alternatieven Nastreven Als Apathisch Nietsdoen", or "Better seeking for alternatives than doing nothing in apathy") used this book as its political program. This party was committed to a basic income and a green tax shift. After the 1995 elections, in which BANAAN obtained 1% of the votes, Duchâtelet founded the Vivant party/political movement which then entered in federal, regional and communal elections. In 1999, Vivant obtained 2,1% of the national votes. Duchâtelet is party chair and has been a candidate in several elections.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

In the movie La vie politique des Belges (2002) by Jan Bucquoy, Duchâtelet is depicted in Vivant's 1999 election campaign.

In 2004, Vivant entered a political alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) and Duchâtelet published his second book De weg naar meer netto binnenlands geluk (The road to more net domestic happiness).

In 2007, his party merged with the VLD,[http://www.gva.be/vindzoek/archief/Artikel_detail.asp?id={D5244D11-FE32-4DDC-9A86-AE7E3603B8E5}&check=online GVA.be] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021028/http://www.gva.be/vindzoek/archief/Artikel_detail.asp?id=%7BD5244D11-FE32-4DDC-9A86-AE7E3603B8E5%7D&check=online |date=28 September 2007 }} 11 February 2006 which entered in the next elections as Open VLD.[http://www.gva.be/vindzoek/archief/Artikel_detail.asp?id={876160E0-B9CB-40B0-AB26-FE1E540F1781}&check=online GVA.be] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021004/http://www.gva.be/vindzoek/archief/Artikel_detail.asp?id=%7B876160E0-B9CB-40B0-AB26-FE1E540F1781%7D&check=online |date=28 September 2007 }} 11 February 2006 He was elected as a member of the Belgian Senate in 2007.{{cite web |title=Belgische Senaat |url=http://www.senate.be/www/?MIval=/index_senate&MENUID=11200&LANG=nl |publisher=Belgian Senate |language=nl |access-date=10 June 2009}}

Bibliography

R. Duchâtelet, NV België, verslag aan de aandeelhouders (Joint stock company Belgium, a report to the shareholders), 1994
R. Duchâtelet, De weg naar meer netto binnenlands geluk (The road to more net domestic happiness), 2004