PARIS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Eves Rocher, founder of the namesake worldwide cosmetics and beauty brand, died on Saturday in Paris at the age of 79, a company spokesman announced without releasing the cause of death.

    Founded in 1958, the company is present in 88 countries across five continents with some 13,500 employees worldwide.

    It has an annual turnover of around 2 billion euros, according to local media figures.

    French President Nicolas Sarkozy issued a statement on Saturday to pay homage to Yves Rocher, describing the entrepreneur as "a French industrialist, inventor of plant-based cosmetics and pioneer of mail order retail."

    The Yves Rocher company maintains a botanical garden at its research and development base at the La Gacilly in northwestern France. The garden opens to the public without charge. It also has a foundation providing financial and educational aid to women and children in poor African countries.