Billionaire diamond tycoon reportedly dies during penis enlargement procedure
PARIS (KRON) — A 65-year-old billionaire diamond tycoon has died after he reportedly suffered a heart attack during a penis enlargement procedure.
Ehud Arye Laniado died from complications during the surgery at a medical clinic in Paris, according to local Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen.
Laniado, a Belgian-Israeli dual national, owned Omega Diamonds based in Antwerp.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm the news that our founder, Ehud Arye Laniado passed away on Saturday, March 2, 2019. He was 65 years old,” the company said in a statement on Facebook. “After living an exceptional life Ehud will be brought back home to Israel as his final resting place. He will be dearly missed by us all.”
A friend of Laniado who spoke to the publication said that he “always focused on his appearance and how others perceived him,” adding that he allegedly checked his own bank balance “multiple times a day.”
“It turned out that he did have some talents,” another friend said. “Internationally, he was one of the biggest experts in valuing raw diamonds.”
In 2015, he was responsible for the sale of the Blue Moon of Josephine, the world’s most expensive diamond, for $48.4 million.
He was also reportedly the owner of the most expensive penthouse in Monaco, worth approximately $40 million, according to MailOnline.
Most recently, Laniado and a business partner were due to appear in court on March 14 after the pair was reportedly suspected of lying about the origin of diamonds imported from Angola and Congo.
The two also allegedly owed about $5.1 million in unpaid taxes.