Regional French media outlet France Bleu said Wang fell a dozen or so meters (yards) while taking photos on a high wall in Bonnieux, a town in a region famed for its panoramic views.

Launched in 1993 on the southern island of Hainan, HNA expanded into finance, hotels, logistics and other businesses in a multibillion-dollar global acquisition spree.

Its holdings include stakes in Deutsche Bank and China's fourth-largest airline, Hainan Airlines.

HNA has been selling some assets as Chinese regulators tighten lending controls and press companies to rein in debt.

In April, HNA disclosed plans to sell at least some of its more than $6.5 billion stake in hotel operator Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., according to a US regulatory filing. It already has sold a more than $1 billion stake in an affiliated timeshare company, Hilton Grand Vacations Inc.

It agreed to sell its large stake in Spanish hotel operator NH Hotels to Thailand-based Minor International last month.

Wang graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China and received an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, according to his company.

HNA agreed last year to acquire a hedge fund operated by Anthony Scaramucci, an aide to US President Donald Trump. That never received regulatory approval and the two sides called off the deal in April. (AP)