STA, March 19, 2018 – Matjaž Gantar, chairman and founder of KD Group, one of the largest financial groups in Slovenia, died on Sunday, aged 54, following a severe illness, several media have reported.
One of the wealthiest Slovenians, Gantar was one of the first stockbrokers in the country as the present Ljubljana Stock Exchange was established in the late 1980s.
With the help of Zadružni Sistem, a system of cooperatives, he founded in 1994 Kmečka Družba, the country's first asset management company, which under his guidance developed into KD Group.
As an avid arts collector, he was behind the establishment of an arts collection known today as AS Galerija. He headed AS Fundacija, a foundation helping talented schoolchildren.
He was also a co-founder of GEA College, and a lecturer there since 2000.
Most recently Matjaž Gantar worked as a pilot, having realised his childhood dream.
In the 1980s he was a bass player in Slovenia's legendary punk bands Lublanski Psi and Pankrti.
