Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Le baron Guy Ullens has died at the age of 90 (1935–2025), a Belgian businessman and art collector, who founded UCCA in Beijing and supported global charities. His wife, Myriam, was murdered in 2023; stepson Nicolas confessed.
Belgian businessman Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten recently passed away at the age of 90. He was recognised for his activities in business as well as in assisting others. He was born in San Francisco in 1935 and had a family background of diplomats. He spent 40 years developing his family business into a large international investment group named Artal Group.
He invested in Weight Watchers, which made the business successful all over the globe. He retired in 2000 and started spending time helping others and patronizing the arts. He and his wife, Myriam, started enterprises all over the globe, one of which was a school in Nepal, to give the children of the country proper schooling.
What led to the death of Myriam Ullens and Le baron Guy Ullens’ legacy?
Le baron Ullens was one of the first Western people to collect art from China. He gathered a large collection of over 1,500 pieces. This included work by famous artists like Zeng Fanzhi and Huang Yong Ping.
In 2007, he opened the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. This was the first big art museum in China that wasn’t run by the government. He and his wife also gave money to help people through the Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation.
They supported education, healthcare, and the arts in many countries. He is remembered for being good at business, but also for understanding art and helping people from different cultures connect through art and giving to others.
Officials mentioned that Le baron Ullens had a complicated personal life. While still married with 4 children, he met Myriam Lechien in the 1990s. They married in 1999. Together, they started many projects to help people and support the arts, including building schools and art museums.
Myriam became known for her work in health, fashion, and giving to others. But, there were problems with his children from his first marriage, especially about money and what would happen to his wealth after he died.
Myriam Ullens was killed on March 29, 2023, in Belgium. Her stepson, Nicolas Ullens, drove into her car and shot her 6 times. Nicolas, a former government security agent, told the police he did it and was arrested for murder. In October 2023, Nicolas was released from jail while he waits for his trial. Guy Ullens.
