Germany playboy Gunter Sachs kills himself aged 78

[Gerald]

Gunter Sachs - the German-born billionaire, art collector and former husband of Brigitte Bardot - has killed himself at the age of 78.

Sachs's family said he shot himself at his chalet in the Swiss resort of Gstaad on Saturday.

A grandson of car manufacturer Adam Opel, Sachs' wealth helped him to become him a prominent member of the glamorous 1960s "jet set".

In total, Sachs was married three times and had three children.

He also had a relationship with Iranian queen Soraya Esfandiary in the early 1960s.

Sachs was born in southern Germany and trained in maths and economics. He became a Swiss citizen in 1976.

He was a noted photographer and won several awards for his documentary films. He was also an avid art collector and had a keen interest in astrology.

Sachs and Bardot married in Las Vegas in 1966, a few weeks after they first met. The marriage lasted just over three years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13327822


Note: 8 May 2011 Last updated at 17:40 GMT