18 Facts About Dinu Patriciu

At the time of his death, Patriciu was the richest man in Romania.

Dinu Patriciu's wealth was based on the Rompetrol company, which he took over from the Romanian state and later sold to Kazakhstan's state-owned KazMunayGas.

Dinu Patriciu was born in Bucharest in 1950, the son of Valeriu Dinu Patriciu, a mining engineer and chief geologist for Astra Romana oil company during the interwar period.

Dinu Patriciu graduated the Bucharest Institute of Architecture in 1975 and worked as an architect.

Dinu Patriciu won several architecture awards and he was involved in building projects in Romania and in the United Arab Emirates, including a palace in Abu Dhabi.

Dinu Patriciu was part of the Partidul Liberal '93 which split from PNL.

Dinu Patriciu was re-elected a member of the parliament on the list of Democratic Convention of Romania in Dambovita County.

Dinu Patriciu was the leader of the parliamentary group of PL '93 and Partidul Alianta Civica.

Dinu Patriciu was an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of Bucharest in the 1996 Romanian local election.

Dinu Patriciu resigned on June 18,2003 due to incompatibility between public office and his private business interests.

Together with former Georgian prime minister Lado Gurgenidze, Dinu Patriciu bought the Liberty Bank.

Dinu Patriciu attempted to build a convenience store chain named mic.

In May 2006, following an interrogation, Dinu Patriciu was arrested for 24 hours, being accused of tax evasion, money laundering and fraud.

Dinu Patriciu was freed at the end of the 24 hours, as the judges refused to extend the warrant requested by the prosecutors.

Dinu Patriciu accused the prosecutors of "serving a reactionary interest group represented by General Ioan Talpes and former president Ion Iliescu".

Dinu Patriciu was diagnosed with cirrhosis and he underwent a liver transplant in Milan in 2012.

Dinu Patriciu died on 19 August 2014, aged 64, at the Royal Free Hospital in London due to a lung infection after spending several days in hospital.

Dinu Patriciu was buried in the Bucharest Bellu Cemetery, in a private ceremony.