Philips Electronics founder dies aged 100

Frits Philips, who turned Dutch company Philips Electronics into a multinational business, died last night, aged 100.

Philips, referred to by employees as Mr Frits, was the company’s top executive from 1961 to 1971, but his influence began in the 1930s and lasted beyond his formal departure.

He began his career with the company aged 25, when he started working at his father’s light-bulb factory in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven.

Philips is now Europe’s leading electronics manufacturer, with annual sales of more than €30bn last year.