Paul-Loup Sulitzer: Death of the Prolific Writer and Businessman at 78

Paul-Loup Sulitzer, the renowned author and former businessman, passed away at the age of 78 on Thursday, February 6, 2025, as announced by his daughter, Olivia Sulitzer. He died in a hospital in Mauritius, where he had been residing for several months, due to complications following a stroke. He had been hospitalized a few days earlier after a fall.

A Flamboyant Career Marked by Success and Controversy

Born in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), Sulitzer rose to fame in the 1980s as a “flamboyant billionaire,” authoring around forty books he described as “financial westerns,” including bestsellers like Money, Cash, and Fortune. His works sold over 60 million copies worldwide. Despite his literary success, he faced accusations of having some of his novels ghostwritten.

During his peak, Sulitzer led an extravagant lifestyle, owning a 450 m² Italian palace in Paris, a villa in Saint-Tropez, a ranch in Arizona, master paintings, and luxury cars like a Ferrari. He also found public acclaim with Le Régime Sulitzer, his weight loss method.

Legal Troubles and Personal Challenges

Sulitzer’s fortunes began to decline in the early 2000s. After suffering a stroke in 2004, he faced a complicated divorce and a prolonged legal battle over his wealth with his third wife, Delphine Jacobson. He was implicated in the notorious Angolagate arms trafficking case from the 1990s and was convicted in 2009 for receiving misappropriated corporate assets. Although acquitted on appeal, the legal ordeal left him significantly weakened. “I spent ten years under judicial supervision, had my passport confiscated, my career as an international financial advisor was discredited, and I endured two comas,” he revealed in 2011, reflecting on his fall from “flamboyant billionaire to ruined man.”

His Final Years

Father of four children from multiple marriages, Sulitzer was once an Officer of the National Order of Merit but was stripped of this honor following the Angolagate affair. In recent years, he lived quietly in Belgium and Nice, grappling with health issues. According to his daughter, he moved to Mauritius “to regain some health.” His passing marks the end of a life filled with remarkable achievements, personal struggles, and lasting literary contributions.