(voa) – Freddy Heineken, the former head of the world-renowned Dutch brewing company, has died at age 78. A Heineken brewery statement Thursday said Mr. Heineken passed away at his home in the Dutch seaside town of Noordwijk. The cause of death was not revealed.
Mr. Heineken began his career at the family firm in 1942, as an 18-year-old. From 1971 to 1989, he headed the company his grandfather had created a century earlier.
Mr. Heineken made headlines in 1983 when he was abducted for three weeks before being released unharmed. The company says Mr. Heineken will be buried in a private ceremony.
