Ex-Nazi Romanian billionaire Iosif Constantin Dragan dead at 91

Published Sunday August 24th, 2008

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUCHAREST, Romania - Iosif Constantin Dragan, a billionaire businessman who supported Romania's pro-Nazi movement during the Second World War, died Thursday.

He was 91.

Dragan died in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where he lived, Romanian news agency Agerpres reported, citing a family statement. No cause of death was given.

Dragan was banned from Romania after the war by the communist government because of his support for the Nazi Iron Guard movement. He moved to Italy and in 1948 founded petroleum products company Butan Gas.

He had an estimated wealth of $1.6 billion in 2006 making him Romania's wealthiest man, Romanian Capital magazine reported.

After the communist government was overthrown in 1989, he backed far-right politicians and newspapers in Romania.

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