David Fraser, founder of the eponymous brokerage firm that he built into a global business, died Jan. 6. He was 99.

Fraser launched the firm in 1947, and the company became an major international player, with full-service chartering, marketing, and crew and build management. MarineMax acquired it in 2019 from the Azimut-Benetti Group.

“David was a titan in the world of yachting and brokerage who touched the lives of many over his long career.” Fraser CEO Raphael Sauleau said in a statement. “A passionate yachtsman with a vision, a drive and a set of principles that not only built the company that today proudly continues to carry his name, but equally continues to apply the values, thoroughness and ambition he was personally renowned for.”

Now based in Monaco, Fraser has 20 locations and more than 160 staff worldwide, including Australia, Fort Lauderdale, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Spain and Thailand.