Czech billionaire Petr Kellner was among the five killed in a helicopter crash in the US state of Alaska, his company said in a statement on Monday.
Kellner and four others were killed when their helicopter crashed near a glacier on Saturday while skiing.
“His professional life was known for his incredible work ethic and creativity, but his private life belonged to his family,” said PPF Group, a Czech investment company.
The incident is being investigated, he added.
Kellner, 56, has been a co-founder and majority shareholder of PPF since 1991.
His fortune was more than 17 billion dollars, and he was the only person from the Czech Republic in the list of billionaires Forbes, which last year took 68th place.
His firm invests in financial services, telecommunications, media, biotechnology, real estate and engineering, and as of June, it has assets of about $ 51.8 billion, according to its website.
Only one person survived and is in critical but stable condition at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska military officials said Sunday.