A billionaire diamond trader has died during a penis enlargement operation at a posh Parisian clinic, it was reported.
Ehud Arye Laniado died at the age of 65 in the clinic of an unnamed plastic surgeon on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in the French capital. Doctor’s report confirmed he died of a heart attack.
According to local media, complications during surgery proved fatal for the Belgian-Israeli dual national and he suffered a heart attack when a substance was injected into his penis.
His company — Omega Diamonds — confirmed his death.
They said: “Farewell to a visionary businessman. It is with great sadness that we confirm that our founder Ehud Arye Laniado has passed away.
“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.”
The company added: “The Argentinean: That is what we used to call him at Omega Diamonds because he looked like a Tango dancer.”
Ehud began his career as a masseuse in Tel Aviv and then found his fortune in Africa where he developed a keen eye for priceless gems.
The billionaire, whose exact fortune is not publicly known, got in trouble with the authorities in 2013.
He faced claim for 4 billion British pounds (approx. $5.2 billion) from the Belgian authorities for tax evasion on diamonds illegally imported from Congo and Angola, Belgian’s GVA reported.
Laniado reportedly prevented a tax evasion trial by agreeing to pay 137.7 pounds.
However, the Belgian customs office suspected him of lying or giving incomplete information about some of the diamonds imported from Angola and Congo and still claimed 4 billion pounds as well as a 1.7 million pounds (approx. $2.2 billion) fine.
Even though two courts dismissed the Belgian customs office’s claim, an appeals court ordered a new trial with Laniado due to appear in court on March 14.
According to media reports, Laniado suffered from a so-called Napoleon complex due his short stature.
An old friend of Laniado said that he [the deceased] “always focused on his appearance and how others perceived him.”
According to Laniado’s friends, the only time he forgot about his short height was when he asked his accountant to read out his bank statement, something which he did multiple times a day, it was reported.
Laniado owned the most expensive penthouse in Monaco worth over 30 million pounds (approx. $39.4 million) as well as a house in the plush L.A. suburb of Bel Air, where he loved to drink bottles of Chateau Margaux with models and celebrities.
According to local media, Laniado did not go to university and he started off his career as a masseuse at the Hilton hotel in Tel Aviv.
