A diamond-dealing billionaire, Ehdu Arye Laniado, 65, died of a heart attack during a penis enlargement procedure at a Paris cosmetic clinic, leading to the permanent banning of the surgeons involved.

Laniado, a Belgian-Israeli entrepreneur and founder of Omega Diamonds, was a regular at the luxury Saint-Hondre-Ponthieu clinic, often spending tens of thousands of euros on cosmetic procedures each year. On the night of his death, he was receiving penile injections when he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Investigations revealed the clinic’s questionable practices. The lead surgeon, Guy H, was practicing without proper medical registration, while the procedure involved banned substances and drugs used by Laniado to treat erectile dysfunction, which are known to strain the heart. Emergency services were called twice that evening, but the billionaire chose to continue with the operation. An autopsy confirmed that cardiac hypertrophy, compounded by the substances Laniado had been taking, was the cause of death.

Guy H received a 15-month suspended prison sentence, while his assistant was handed a 12-month suspended sentence. Both doctors, in their 70s, were permanently banned from practicing medicine and fined €50,000 (£43,000) and €20,000 (£17,000), respectively. They were cleared of direct responsibility for Laniado’s death.

Laniado was also the owner of Mercury Diamond, a diamond consultancy, and previously sold the world’s most expensive diamond, the Blue Moon of Josephine, to a Hong Kong billionaire. His family has not received compensation.

Authorities say the case has highlighted dangerous practices in private cosmetic clinics and the risks associated with combining medical procedures with performance-enhancing substances.