Petr Kellner dies at 56 in helicopter crash

The 56-year-old Petr Kellner, on record, one of the richest men in the Czech Republic, was one of five people who died in a helicopter crash.

Kellner was the founder of investment group PPF and was among four passengers on a heli-ski tour who died alongside their pilot Saturday near Knik Glacier northeast of Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis said, “An unbelievable tragedy,” offering condolences to Kellner’s wife, Renata, and his four children. “I’m terribly sorry about it,” Babis said.

Kellner by his death was worth $17.4 billion, according to Forbes. He owned a 98.93% stake in the PPF Group, which expressed “deepest grief” at the death of its founder.