Overview
- His office said he died on Jan. 10 after a short hospital stay in Unterseen, Switzerland, and his daughter confirmed the news to Swiss media.
- He rose to fame with the 1968 bestseller Chariots of the Gods, which argued that extraterrestrials guided early human civilizations.
- Across more than two dozen titles, his works sold about 60 million copies in 32 languages and helped shape a enduring niche in books and documentaries.
- Scientists criticized his methods and conclusions, he received the Ig Nobel prize for literature in 1991, and a TV documentary exposed fabricated evidence he had cited.
- His career included recurring legal and financial troubles, and a later theme park venture, Mystery Park near Interlaken, closed after only a few years.