Kilian Hennessy

Who was Kilian Hennessy?

Kilian Hennessy was a French business magnate, of Irish origin, and patriarch of the Hennessy cognac company.

Kilian Hennessy, the son of Jean Hennessy and Marguerite de Mun, was a direct, fifth generation descendent of Richard Hennessy, who founded Hennessy in 1765. He became the CEO of Hennessy during the 1970s and spearheaded the 1971 merger with the Moët et Chandon champagne company. The merger resulted in the creation of Moët Hennessy.

Moët Hennessy, in turn, became a part of the new LVMH in 1987, becoming Moët-Hennessy • Louis Vuitton. Hennessy remained a member of the luxury group's advisory board until his death in 2010.

Hennessy died in Switzerland on 1 October 2010, at the age of 103. He was a resident of Saint-Brice, Charente, France, and his death was reported by the commune's mayor, André Pelletant.