Lesseps, Ferdinand, viscount de

Lesseps, Ferdinand (-Marie), viscount de

Lesseps

(credit: Culver Pictures)

(born Nov. 19, 1805, Versailles, France—died Dec. 7, 1894, La Chenaie, near Guilly) French diplomat, builder of the Suez Canal. A career diplomat, he held posts in Egypt and elsewhere until 1849. In 1854 he was authorized by the viceroy of Egypt to build a canal across the isthmus of the Suez. He organized a company in 1858, with half its capital from French people, and construction began at Port Said in 1859. The Suez Canal was officially inaugurated in 1869. In 1879 Lesseps organized another company to build a Panama canal, but he gave up the project because of political and economic difficulties. He was prosecuted but cleared of charges of misappropriating funds, though French government members were accused of bribe taking.