Christophe De Margerie French businessman, chairman and chief executive officer of the French oil corporation Total Date of Birth: 06.08.1951 Country: France

Biography of Christophe de Margerie

Christophe de Margerie was a French businessman and the chairman and CEO of the French oil corporation Total. He was born on August 6, 1951, in Mareuil-sur-Lay, France, and was raised in a foster family. His biological father was Pierre-Alain Rodocanachi, and his mother was Colette Taittinger. Colette later married Pierre-Alain Jacquinot de Margerie, a member of a diplomatic family, who adopted Christophe. Margerie was the grandson of Pierre Taittinger, the founder of the anti-republican "Jeunesses Patriotes," which copied the stylistics of Italian fascism. His stepbrother, Victoire de Margerie, is currently the CEO of Rondol.

Margerie graduated from the ESCP Europe Business School in Paris in 1974. After completing his studies, he joined Total, where he was initially hired in the finance department and the exploration and production division. He became the president of Total Middle East in 1995 before being appointed as the head of the exploration and production division in May 1999. In 2000, he became the senior vice president and, in January 2002, the president of the newly formed TotalFinaElf. On May 12, 2006, Margerie was appointed to the board of directors and, on February 14, 2007, he became the CEO of Total. Starting from May 21, 2010, Margerie served as the chairman of the corporation.

In 2007, Margerie and the management of Total, including himself, came under investigation for various abuses, including corruption practices related to the lifting of the embargo on Iranian gas and Iraqi oil. Margerie spent some time in custody but was quickly released, although the investigation continued. Margerie developed strong connections with many countries, including Russia. The company was interested in capitalizing and circumventing international sanctions during the pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine in 2014. These sanctions were imposed by the United States due to the Ukrainian crises, but Total decided not to discontinue its cooperation with Russia. Margerie, known as "Mr. Big Mustache," was a charismatic and insightful strategist who believed that anti-Russian sanctions would not lead to anything good. He stated that the crisis in relations between Europe and Russia was not the first and implied that Europe cannot do without Russian gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to Margerie in a telegram sent to the French Prime Minister, calling him a "true friend of our country." Putin further stated that Margerie was a "pioneer of many major joint projects and laid the foundation for fruitful cooperation between France and Russia in the energy sector."

On October 20, 2014, Christophe de Margerie was on board the Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft preparing to take off from Vnukovo to Paris. The plane collided with a snowplow at the intersection of two runways, causing a rapid decrease in speed and the plane to crash. Both pilots, a stewardess, and Margerie were killed. The Investigative Committee put forward four main versions of the accident: pilot error, air traffic controller error, weather conditions, or incorrect actions by the snowplow driver. The driver, Vyacheslav Martynenko, was found to have been working under the influence of alcohol. Martynenko and the female air traffic controller who gave clearance for takeoff were arrested by the Basmanny Court in Moscow. The Vnukovo airport's press service announced that the CEO and deputy CEO of the international airport, as well as several other officials, had left their positions. Some members of the Russian State Duma considered the plane crash in Vnukovo and the death of the Total CEO as a blow to Russia's image. They expressed concerns that Margerie's death could negatively affect the relationship with Total.

Some theories surfaced regarding Margerie's death. Civilian Tatiana V. Volkova, who provides her insights on her blog to break the information blockade, suggested that Margerie was "ordered" by the owners of the American investment corporation Vanguard. Margerie was indeed connected to this financial tycoon. According to Volkova, Margerie knew too much about Vanguard, which manages assets worth two trillion dollars, and could have "cracked" in the near future.

Christophe de Margerie was married to Bernadette Prudhomme and had three children: Fabrice, Letitia, and Diana.