Savas Beatie Author Ben Weider Passes Away

It is with tremendous sadness that we pass along to our readers that bodybuilding legend, entrepreneur, philanthropist, Napoleonic scholar, and a tremendously good man, Ben Weider, passed away suddenly Saturday night in Montreal, Canada. The cause of his death was not immediately known.


Weider was a businessman of world-wide stature. He built an industrial empire at the head of the International Federation of Body Building, which he founded and over which he presided for decades. Dr. Weider is the author of many published works translated into forty languages, including the global bestseller The Murder of Napoleon and our own The Wars Against Napoleon. He founded in 1995 The International Napoleonic Society (INS), a non-profit association based in Montreal. France awarded Dr. Weider the distinction of chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 2002. Weider "was instrumental in launching Arnold Schwarzenegger's career in the United States."

For more information on Ben and his extraordinary life, see this article.

Weider recently purchased the core of American history magazine publishing with Civil War Times, America's Civil War, Vietnam, and many others, all published now under the Weider History Group imprint and overseen by his son Eric.

I regularly spoke with Ben, who had a wonderful sense of humor, a caring heart, and was always a man of his word. I will miss him very much.

Savas Beatie extends its deepest condolences to the Weider family.

--Ted Savas