He has cheated death countless times in recent years. The last time, in November 2024. This time, it's official: Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front, is dead.
He was 96 years old. It was his family, in particular his daughter Marine Le Pen, but also his granddaughter, Marion Maréchal, who made the announcement on January 7, 2025.
Jean-Marie Le Pen was still in hospital
“Jean-Marie Le Pen, surrounded by his family, was called back to God this Tuesday at noon” indicates their press release. And to add that he had passed away in an establishment in Garches (Hauts-de-Seine) where he had been admitted several weeks ago. The cause was not revealed, and nothing had leaked about this new hospitalization at Menhir.
Born in 1928 in La Trinité-sur-Mer, in Brittany, of a father, a fisherman by profession, Jean-Marie Le Pen was a deputy and regional councilor. His greatest feat of arms, it was his breakthrough in 2002 in the second round of the presidential election, against Jacques Chirac.
Jean-Marie Le Pen was also on the DeathList2025. The site predicted that he could be one of the first to get the ball rolling. He wasn't wrong.
Co-founder of the FN, with a former Waffen SS, (transformed into RN in 2018)the career of Jean-Marie Le Pen will have been marked by numerous slip-ups.
Convicted around ten times for inciting hatred, discrimination, or contesting crimes against humanity, he notably described the gas chambers as “detail of the history of the Second World War” in 1987.
On an emotional level, the historic face of the far right has been married twice. The first time was with Pierrette Lalanne (1960-1987)who gave him three daughters. Marie-Caroline Le Pen, Yann Le Pen and Marine Le Pen. He lived since 1991 with Jany Paschos whom he married religiously in January
2021.
Jean-Marie Le Pen resided at the Château de Montretout, a property located in Saint-Cloud (Île-de-France). It is Hubert Lambert who left him his large mansion in 1976. When he died, following cirrhosis, he also left her a fortune of around 30 million francs. Enough to make this politician a rich man.
Marine Le Pen in great difficulty
This is a very difficult time for the Le Pen clan. As we write these lines, we learn that Marine Le Pen, president of the RN group in the National Assembly, had an accident. While traveling in Mayotte, the barge that was transporting her from Petite Terre to Grande Terre collided with another. There are reportedly around ten injured, but the politician is safe and sound.
However, she risks much worse in court. In the case of parliamentary assistants, the prosecution requested five years in prison, including two years, and five years of ineligibility against her.
