OTHERÉtienne Davignon has died at the age of 93. As a diplomat and executive, he had been active since the 1950s at the highest levels of Belgium's political and financial scene. He owned 1.9 percent of Anderlecht's shares and sat on the club's board of directors. Listing Davignon's résumé would quickly amount to writing a book.
He was one of the most powerful figures in postwar Belgium and amassed numerous honorary titles, such as Count and Minister of State. In recent years he attracted controversy over allegations that, as a young diplomat, he played a role in the assassination of Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba in January 1961. When Anderlecht was converted from a non-profit association (vzw) into a public limited company (NV) in 2010, Davignon acquired 7.5 percent of the shares and a seat on the board. After the club was sold to Marc Coucke he initially retained 5 percent. Subsequent capital increases later diluted his stake to 1.9 percent, but he kept his seat on the board throughout.
Source: © Internal source
