Czech billionaire Petr Kellner among five killed in helicopter crash in Alaska

By Hanna Ziady, CNN Business

Petr Kellner, founder and majority shareholder of PPF Group, was killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday.

London (CNN Business) - Czech billionaire Petr Kellner was one of five people killed when their chopper crashed near a glacier in Alaska during a skiing trip on Saturday.

PPF Group, the Czech investment company that Kellner co-founded, confirmed his death in a statement on Monday.

"With great sadness, PPF announces that ... Petr Kellner tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in the Alaskan mountains," the company said. "His professional life was known for his incredible work ethic and creativity, but his private life belonged to his family," it added.

Kellner, 56, helped set up PPF in 1991 to participate in the privatization of the Czech economy after the fall of communism. He owned nearly 99% of the firm, which has stakes in more than two dozen companies around the world, according to its website.

Kellner had a net worth of $15.7 billion and was the only individual from the Czech Republic on the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index, a list of the world's 500 richest people.

According to a statement from the Alaska State Troopers, four other people — including the helicopter pilot — were killed in the crash near Knik Glacier. One passenger was in a serious but stable condition. According to the statement, the chopper was an Airbus AS350 B3, owned by Soloy Helicopters. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

"The group is believed to have been heliskiing in the area," the Alaska State Troopers' statement said, adding that the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct...Click to continue