Hélène Pastor
Hélène Pastor | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 March 1937 Monaco |
| Died | 21 May 2014 (aged 77) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, heiress |
| Known for | Wealthiest woman in Monaco, leader of Monaco's "second dynasty" |
Hélène Pastor (31 March 1937 – 21 May 2014) was a prominent Monegasque entrepreneur and heiress, regarded as the wealthiest woman in Monaco and the leader of the principality’s so-called "second dynasty." She was tragically murdered in an attack orchestrated by a criminal group that included her son-in-law, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018.
Early life
Hélène Pastor was born in 1937 as the daughter of businessman and heir Gildo Pastor. Her grandfather on her father's side, Jean-Baptiste Pastor, was an Italian construction worker who settled in Monaco during the 1880s. She was raised in Monaco alongside her brothers, Michel Pastor and Victor Pastor.
Business
Pastor controlled Helene Pastor Pallanca SAM, a real estate firm that managed several prime properties in Monaco. Among these were Le Bahia and Émilie Palace located in the Larvotto area, as well as the apartment complexes Trocadero, Continental, and Le Schuylkill. Additionally, she owned the Gildo Pastor Center in Fontvieille. The total worth of these holdings was estimated at approximately US$3.7 billion.
Her wealth primarily stemmed from rental revenues. The Daily Telegraph referred to her as "the senior surviving member of what is, in effect, Monaco’s second dynasty after the ruling Grimaldis." Locally, she was affectionately called "La Vice Princesse" ("The Vice Princess").
Personal life
Hélène Pastor married twice. From her first marriage, she had a daughter named Sylvia Pastor, born in 1961, who shared a 28-year partnership with Polish-born businessman Wojciech Janowski.
Her second husband was Claude Pallanca, a dental professional. Together they had a son, Gildo Pallanca Pastor, born in 1967.
Assassination
On 6 May 2014, while traveling by car in Nice, France after visiting her son at L'Archet Hospital, Pastor was shot. Both she and her driver, Mohamed Darouich, were wounded; Darouich succumbed to his injuries on 11 May. Pastor fell into a coma but briefly regained consciousness on 16 May before passing away five days later at age 77.
The Prince's Palace of Monaco conveyed heartfelt sympathies to her family. Her funeral saw attendance from Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Meanwhile, Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, offered condolences to her son Gildo and the wider Monégasque community.
In June 2014, Wojciech Janowski, Pastor’s son-in-law, confessed to participating in the murder plot. By 2017, Janowski and nine other individuals—including fitness coach Pascal Dauriac and Abdelkader Belkhatir—were brought to trial. On 17 October 2018, Janowski was sentenced to life imprisonment.