Worked for Elf Aquitaine and was involved in a scandal which involved politicians Dumas, Kohl and Mitterand. This earned Guelfi a 3 year suspended jail sentence and cost him a 1 million Euro fine. After other controversial dealings, he decided to retire. He wrote a book on his life in the late 90's, called Original, which as well as the above, recalled his army and real estate days, his money laundering and his friendship with IOC chief Juan Antonio Samaranch. After spending many years in retirement in Madliena, Malta after a long spell in Switzerland, Andre died in Saint Barthelemy, where he lived towards the end of his life. Guelfi became a debt collector at the age of just sixteen before establishing a fishing company. He pioneered ways of freezing sardines but his business was badly hit by an earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, where he lived, in 1960. Guelfi then moved to France after marrying the niece of French President Georges Pompidou and got involved with Elf. He had a long-time liasion with Russia and he was seen as influential towards Moscow getting the 1980 Olympic Games.

Biography last updated 29 Jun 2016