François André

François André, an entrepreneur from the Ardèche, founded in 1912 the casino and palace group that would become the Barrière group. Partnering with Eugène Cornuché, he developed Deauville with the Hôtel Normandy and its casino. Having no direct heir, in 1962 he chose his nephew Lucien Barrière (1923-1990) to succeed him, giving his name to a French leisure-hospitality dynasty.