James Sherwood, who recreated the luxury Orient-Express train, has died aged 86.
The US entrepreneur’s wide-ranging career included Sea Containers and ferry company Sealink, which he acquired for £50 million in 1984.
The Orient-Express group was built up from the iconic London-Venice train service to include more than 40 hotels such as the Cipriani in Venice, the Splendido in Portofino and the Mount Nelson in Cape Town.
The company was renamed Belmond in 2014 after Sherwood’s retirement and was acquired last year by French luxury goods company LVMH for $3.2 billion.
Sherwood died of complications after abdominal surgery on Monday, The Times reported.