Gilbert Bigio, the founder of GB Group and one of the most powerful figures in Haiti's private sector, died on Tuesday, September 29, in the United States. He was 91. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday, October 1, in Hollywood, Florida.

Born into a family of Syrian origin, Bigio started his first major venture in 1972 with Haiti's first steel mill. He built GB Group into a conglomerate spanning energy, construction, telecommunications, real estate and logistics.

His holdings included Port Lafito, Haiti's first port able to handle deepwater vessels, GB Energy, the Huileries Haïtiennes oil refinery and Telecom Solutions. GB Energy expanded into the Caribbean, buying 67 Texaco service stations in Jamaica in 2015.

His career was also marked by controversy. Canada sanctioned him in 2022, alleging he provided illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs, which he denied. The United States sanctioned him in the early 1990s over alleged support for a military coup. A 2023 UN report linked Port Lafito to firearms smuggling, and he was named in the Pandora Papers investigation of offshore companies.

He was often described as possibly Haiti's only billionaire, though there is no verified estimate of his wealth.