Kilian Hennessy (in French pronounced as /kiljɑ̃ ɛnɛsi/; 19 February 1907 - 1 October 2010) was a French business magnate of Irish extraction, and co-patriarch, with his first cousin Maurice, of the Hennessy cognac company.[1]
Kilian Hennessy, the son of Jean Hennessy and Marguerite de Mun, was a direct, fifth-generation descendant of Richard Hennessy, who founded Hennessy in 1765.[1] He became the CEO of Hennessy during the 1970s and spearheaded the 1971 merger with the Moët et Chandon champagne company.[1] The merger resulted in the creation of Moët Hennessy, which 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.[1]
Hennessy’s grandson, who shares his name, founded a niche perfume line called By Kilian; in 2016, the younger Hennessy sold the line to Estée Lauder rather than LVMH.[2]
Hennessy died in Switzerland on 1 October 2010, at the age of 103.[1] He was a resident of Saint-Brice, Charente, France.[1]