Mexican bakery magnate Lorenzo Servitje has died at the age of 98 after building his Grupo Bimbo into an international snack and baked-goods empire.
The head of Mexico's Business Coordinating Council said Friday that Servitje had died, but did not state a cause of death.
Juan Pablo Castañon called his death "a great loss for Mexico."
Servitje was born in Mexico on Nov. 20, 1918, the son of a Spanish immigrant who started a bakery.
Servitje started Grupo Bimbo in 1945 with other partners. The company now operates in 22 countries, with 100 brands and over US$10.7 billion in sales in 2015.
Starting with bread, the company branched into snacks, tortillas and other bakery products. The company is known for its mascot, a small white bear.
