The chairman of one of China's largest conglomerates died in an accidental fall in Provence, France, Tuesday, the BBC reports. HNA Group co-founder Wang Jian was in the country on a business trip; he was having his photo taken while on a sightseeing jaunt in Bonnieux when the 57-year-old reportedly fell some 50 feet. The New York Times has this quote from local police: "He wanted to have his picture taken by someone in his group," and after climbing onto a low wall "he fell backwards, 10 to 15 meters further below."
Described as "one of the world's biggest companies" and among "China’s most acquisitive conglomerates," HNA Group owns China's fourth-largest airline, Hainan Airlines, among other finance, hotel, and logistics businesses, reports the AP. But Bloomberg also describes it as one of the country's "most indebted companies," a position it was trying to reverse by offloading real estate and its stakes in Deutsche Bank and Hilton. The Times has more on its financial difficulties here. (More fall stories.)