Joost Ritman: key obituary facts
Is Joost Ritman dead? Yes. Joost Ritman died on June 5, 2026, at age 85.
Cause of death: Joost Ritman's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Joost Ritman known for?
He was a Dutch businessman and collector of books.
More about Joost Ritman
Born: 10 March 1941.
Place of birth: Amsterdam.
Place of death: Maó.
Gender: male.
Occupation: collector, entrepreneur, art collector.
Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Notable work: Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica.
Awards: Akademiepenning, Laurens Janszoon Costerprijs, Order of the Netherlands Lion.
Also known as: Joost R. Ritman.
Joost Ritman, the Dutch businessman behind the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, died on June 5, 2026, at age 85.
Born in Amsterdam in 1941, he made his fortune through the family company De Ster, which sold plastic tableware to airlines. Ritman later founded the Amsterdam library that became his best-known project and received the Laurens Janszoon Costerprijs in 1995.
He was knighted in the Order of the Dutch Lion in 2002.