John du Pont, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

John du Pont

American heir to the Du Pont family fortune, ornothologist, conchologist, murderer

Date of Birth: 22-Nov-1938

Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Date of Death: 09-Dec-2010

Profession: ornithologist, amateur wrestler

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

John Eleuthère du Pont (November 22, 1938 – December 9, 2010) was an heir to the Du Pont family fortune, a convicted murderer, and an American philanthropist.
He had been a published ornithologist, philatelist, conchologist, sports enthusiast, and self-styled wrestling coach.
He died in prison while serving a sentence of 30 years for the murder of Dave Schultz. In 1972, du Pont founded and directed the Delaware Museum of Natural History and contributed to Villanova University and other institutions.
In the 1980s, he established a wrestling facility at his Foxcatcher Farm after becoming interested in the sport and the pentathlon events.
He became a prominent supporter of amateur sports in the United States and a sponsor of USA Wrestling. In the 1990s, friends and acquaintances were concerned about his erratic and paranoid behavior, but his wealth shielded him.
On February 25, 1997, he was convicted of murder in the third degree for the January 26, 1996, shooting death of Dave Schultz, an Olympic champion freestyle wrestler living and working on du Pont's estate.
He was ruled to have been mentally ill but not insane and was sentenced to prison for 13 to 30 years.
He died in prison at age 72 on December 9, 2010.
He was the only member of the Forbes 400 richest Americans ever to be convicted of murder.