Patrick Zelnik: key obituary facts
Is Patrick Zelnik dead? Yes. Patrick Zelnik died on September 17, 2026, at age 79.
Cause of death: Patrick Zelnik's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Patrick Zelnik known for?
He was a French publisher.
More about Patrick Zelnik
Patrick Zelnik, the French music publisher who helped shape the country’s recording industry, died on September 17, 2026, at age 79 in Paris.
Born on November 10, 1946, he began his career at Polydor in 1973, where he rose to become international marketing director. In 1980, Richard Branson recruited him to join the launch of Virgin France, and in 1988 he took charge of that company.
A decade later, he co-founded the label Naïve, which later went into liquidation and was sold in 2016. He was regarded as a major figure in French music publishing.