Article: Robert Louis-Dreyfus, 63, master of the turnaround

Robert Louis-Dreyfus, a scion of great wealth who made his own fortune by applying a keen business sense to rescuing troubled companies, including Adidas, the sportswear maker, and Saatchi & Saatchi, the sprawling advertising agency, died on July 4 in Zurich. He was 63.

His death was announced by Olympique Marseille, a professional soccer club he owned in France. European press reports said the cause was leukemia.

His rumpled appearance and love of sports and playing poker did little to disguise his hard-driving - some said brutal - style of beating flagging companies into shape. Once they were healthy, he left quickly, a characteristic some praised and some deplored.

"I'm a gambler, and I ...

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