Marcel de Sade

Marcel de Sade was the assumed name of Jørgen Vase Larsen, a Danish criminal who passed himself off as a marquis during the 1960s.

Biography

Sade was born in Aalborg, Denmark on 30 March 1934. He was sentenced to jail for embezzlement from the oil company he worked for. After his jailtime he worked as a caretaker. He was a piano player and known for his use of extravagant clothing.
Gabriel Axel's role in the 1967 Danish-Swedish comedy film The Reluctant Sadist is loosely based on his life.
De Sade died on 16 December 2025, at the age of 91.