What was Rene Angelil's net worth?
Rene Angelil was a Canadian manager, director, and former singer who had a net worth of $400 million at the time of his death. Rene Angélil is probably best known for being the late husband of the massively successful singer Celine Dion. In addition to being her husband, Rene also served as Celine's manager and producer.
After experiencing a number of health issues as a middle-aged man, he ultimately passed away from cancer at the age of 74 on January 14, 2016. After Angélil's death, Dion became the sole owner and president of the various management and production companies that the couple had operated together, including CDA Productions and Les Productions Feeling.
Early Life
René Angélil was born on January 16th of 1942 in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. He was raised by parents of Middle Eastern origin, as his father was Syrian and his mother was Lebanese. Both of his parents had been born in Canada from Middle Eastern parents, making him a third-generation Canadian. René grew up alongside one younger brother and attended the Melkite Greek Catholic Church as a small boy. After graduating from high school, Angélil attended Collège André-Grasset in Montreal.
Career
Before his transition to music management and production, Angélil had a successful career as a musician in Montreal. He began as a pop singer during the early 60s and was part of the pop-rock group Les Baronets. The group, formed with childhood friends, released a series of hits, mainly French translations of popular songs by bands like the Beatles. The band disbanded in 1972, leading Angélil to start his management career with best friend Guy Cloutier.
The duo initially managed artists like René Simard and Ginette Reno, major entertainers in Quebec at the time. They expanded their roster significantly before going their separate ways in the early 80s after both were fired by Ginette.
On the verge of quitting the music business to go to law school, René's life took a turn when he discovered Céline Dion's demo tape. Enchanted by her voice, he mortgaged his house to finance her first album and became her agent and manager, a role he maintained until 2014 due to health reasons.
Other Business Ventures
Beyond his role as Céline Dion's manager, Angélil engaged in several businesses. Notably, in 2012, he became a co-owner of Schwartz's Deli, one of Montreal's most renowned delis.
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Relationships
Angélil's first marriage was to Denyse Duquette in 1966, with whom he had one son. They divorced in 1972. His second marriage was to Anne Renée, a well-known Canadian pop singer, in 1974. They had two children before divorcing in 1986.
René met Céline Dion when she was 12, after she sent him her demo tape. They worked closely together for years, eventually starting a romantic relationship when Céline was 20. They married in 1994, with the event broadcast live on Canadian television. After René's cancer diagnosis in the late 90s, they used in-vitro fertilization to conceive, welcoming their first child in 2001. Despite a miscarriage in 2009, Dion gave birth to twins in 2010.
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Health Issues
Angélil faced numerous health problems, starting with a heart attack at 49. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1999 but recovered after treatment. In 2009, he treated arterial blockages, and in 2013, he had surgery for throat cancer again. This time the cancer was more serious, prompting him to step down as Dion's manager in 2014. By 2015, the cancer was terminal, and he passed away in January 2016, just before his 74th birthday.
Real Estate
In 2010, René and Celine built a home in Palm Beach County, Florida. They purchased the property in 2008 for $7 million and constructed a new mansion on the five acres of land. The oceanfront home boasts its own water park, 20,000 square feet of living space, 13 bedrooms, a guest house, a golf simulator, a treehouse, and more. The luxurious mansion is located in the affluent Jupiter Island area, featuring over 400 feet of ocean frontage.
