Ferdinand Piech, Creator of Volkswagen Automotive Empire, Dies
- He returned Volkswagen to profitability as CEO in the 1990s
- After abrupt exit, VW diesel scandal stained Piech’s record
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Ferdinand Piech, the Porsche family scion who built Volkswagen AG into a global powerhouse, only to exit abruptly shortly before the German carmaker skidded into the diesel-cheating scandal four years ago, has died. He was 82.
Piech passed away “suddenly and unexpectedly” on Sunday, his wife Ursula said in a statement. German newspaper Bild reported that Piech collapsed after dinner with his wife at a restaurant in Rosenheim, southern Germany, and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died.