André Bettencourt
André Bettencourt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 April 1919 Saint-Maurice-d'Ételan, Seine-Maritime, France |
| Died | 19 November 2007 (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, businessman |
| Known for | French Resistance member, Minister of Foreign Affairs (acting), president of Haute-Normandie regional council, mayor of Saint-Maurice-d'Etelan |
André Bettencourt (; 21 April 1919 – 19 November 2007) was a notable figure in French politics and business. Early in his life, he was affiliated with La Cagoule, a fascist-leaning, anti-communist organization active before and during the Second World War. Subsequently, he became involved with the French Resistance. His previous connections remained undisclosed while he held ministerial roles during the administrations of presidents Pierre Mendès France and Charles de Gaulle. He earned recognition for his courageous actions opposing Nazi forces.
Biography
Originating from Saint-Maurice-d'Ételan (Seine-Maritime), Bettencourt was born into a Catholic noble family from Normandy. Throughout his career, he occupied various governmental positions, including a brief tenure as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1973 lasting two weeks. Between 1974 and 1981, he presided over the regional council of Haute-Normandie, and from 1965 to 1989, he held the office of mayor in Saint-Maurice-d'Etelan.
Controversy
During his younger years, Bettencourt was connected to La Cagoule, an organization financially supported by Eugène Schueller, the founder of L'Oréal, who also hosted meetings at the company’s headquarters. In the 1990s, Jean Frydman, formerly on L'Oréal's board and holding dual French-Israeli citizenship, accused Bettencourt of writing more than 60 articles for La Terre Française, a weekly publication funded by Nazi interests during the occupation. These writings contained antisemitic remarks, including references to Jews as "hypocritical Pharisees." Bettencourt later described these contributions as youthful mistakes shaped by Vichy propaganda and publicly apologized, requesting forgiveness from the Jewish community.
Honours
In recognition of his participation in the resistance during World War II, Bettencourt was awarded the French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945, received the Resistance Medal, and was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour.
On 23 March 1988, he was inducted as an unattached member into the Académie des beaux-arts, which is part of the Institut de France.
Family
In 1950, Bettencourt wed Liliane Bettencourt, daughter of Eugène Schueller, founder of the global cosmetics company L'Oréal. The couple had one daughter, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, who currently serves on L'Oréal's board of directors. Françoise is married to Jean-Pierre Meyers, whose grandfather was a victim at Auschwitz.
André Bettencourt passed away on 19 November 2007 at the age of 88.