Wilhelmsen Wilhelm

Norwegian shipowner, the fourth generation manager (in descending line) of the shipping company Wilh. Wilhelmsen. His father was shipowner Tom Wilhelmsen and his mother was sculptress Valborg Cecilie Dedekam. In September 1989 he gained nationwide fame through the state media when 50 of his employees died in the Partnair Flight 394 crash, and again in August 2001 when the roll-on/roll-off container ship MV Tampa rescued 438 Afghans from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Australia, Norway, and Indonesia. In 2007 King Harald awarded him Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav. Wilhelmsen died by suicide on 22 February 2020 aged 82. https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wilhelmsen_%28f._1937%29 Read less