Iconic French actor Alain Delon dies at 88

The actor Alain Delon, a symbol of French cinema, died on Sunday at the age of 88. The announcement was made by his three children.

“Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and (his dog) Loubo are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully in his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family. (…) His family asks you to respect his private life during this extremely painful period of mourning”, the statement reads.

Born on November 8, 1935, Delon revolutionized cinema with his devilish angelic beauty in the films of Clément, Melville and Visconti. A symbol of the film industry, Alain Delon starred in more than 80 films under the guidance of the likes of Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Jean-Pierre Melville and Jean-Luc Godard, and alongside actors such as Romy Schneider, Jean Gabin, Yves Montand and Lino Ventura.

Alain Delon made headlines in the summer of 2023 when his three children filed a complaint against his maid of honor, Hiromi Rollin, sometimes described as his companion, for alleged abuse. His three children then waged a fratricidal war through the media and the courts, arguing over the health of the star, who suffered from lymphoma and had a stroke in 2019.

In May 2019, he returned to taste the lights of the red carpet at Cannes to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, amid tears and a speech with testament accents: “It’s a kind of posthumous tribute, but during my lifetime”, reacted the actor of “Plein soleil ” (1960), the film that brought him international recognition, “Rocco et ses frères” (1960) and “Le Guépard” (1963), or “La piscine” (1969).

Delon’s wealth

The French press estimates his wealth between 50 million and 250 million euros. Between 1960 and 1968 the actor was paid one million francs (equivalent to 1 million euros) per film. He invested in art, owning paintings by artists such as Dufy, Millet, Delacroix, Corot, Degas, Dürer, Géricault, Utrillo, Bourdelle, Sérusier, Daumier, Brasilier, Miro, Bugatti. He gave up his watch collection in 2012 for €443,875, part of his gun collection for €200,000 in 2014, and his wines for €250,000 in 2016. Last year, in June, his last sale of paintings brought him more than 8 million euros, double the estimate of Bonhams Cornette auction house in Saint-Cyr.