Claude Guillemot

Guillemot grew up in a small village in Brittany. Guillemot's parents owned a farming business, where he and his brothers provided support in accounting, shipping, and delivery.^[1] As the business declined with challenging profit margins, he and his brothers looked for ways to diversify.^[2] Where the family business was selling chemicals and parts to farmers, they also began selling computers, which soon included game software. When they realized that their French supplier^{[clarification needed]} was charging them twice the cost of what they could find in the United Kingdom, they started a mail order video games business in 1984.^[1] The mail order business grew quickly.^[1] In time, they were distributing games to retail stores,^[2] who were eager to acquire games at a more reasonable cost.^[1]

Guillemot and his brothers founded Ubisoft in 1986 to create games, recognizing the opportunity in a growing industry that they were also passionate about.^[2]

On 19 June 2026, Guillemot and a flight instructor died when his Cessna 421 Golden Eagle crashed into a field shortly before 6:00 p.m. while on approach to the La Baule-Escoublac Airfield in La Baule-Escoublac, Pays de la Loire, France.^[3][4] The aircraft was destroyed in the impact.^[5] He was 69.^[6] He was flying to La Baule-Escoublac to participate in an airshow scheduled for the next weekend.^[7]