Billionaire Ehud Laniado Dies During Penis Enlargement Procedure in Paris

Belgian-Israeli billionaire Ehud Arye Laniado, founder of global diamond firm Omega Diamonds, died after suffering a heart attack during a penis enlargement procedure at a private clinic in Paris, French media has reported.

Laniado, who was 65 years old, collapsed while undergoing cosmetic injections intended to enlarge his penis in March 2019 at the Saint-Honoré-Ponthieu clinic. According to Le Parisien, the businessman suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during the procedure.

French judicial authorities later ruled that the injections themselves were not the direct cause of Laniado’s death. An autopsy confirmed he died from cardiac hypertrophy, a condition involving an enlarged heart.

Emergency services were first contacted around 8 p.m. while Laniado was still conscious. Court testimony revealed that the call was made at the patient’s request after he complained of abdominal pain. Despite the discomfort, Laniado chose to continue the treatment. Emergency responders were called again roughly two hours later after he suffered cardiac arrest and died.

Investigators later discovered that Laniado had been taking multiple substances banned in France, alongside vasodilators commonly prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Judicial sources said these substances likely contributed to his death.

Surgeons Found Guilty of Professional Irregularities

The lead surgeon, identified only as Guy H., was initially investigated for manslaughter. Prosecutors later downgraded the charges to failure to assist a person in danger, drug-related offences, and illegal medical practice.

The investigation also revealed that the assistant surgeon present during the procedure was not registered with the French Medical Association, despite having worked in France for more than 20 years. Her medical qualifications, obtained in Algeria, were not recognised by French authorities.

A Paris court handed Guy H. a 15-month suspended prison sentence, while the assistant surgeon received a 12-month suspended sentence. Both doctors, now in their 70s, were banned from practising plastic surgery and fined €50,000 and €20,000, respectively.

Reacting to the ruling, the lead surgeon’s attorney described the decision as “sober and calming,” adding that the death was accidental and that assigning blame years later was “futile and sad.”