Édouard Louis Joseph, 1st Baron Empain

Empain was born at Belœil, Belgium, and was the son of schoolteacher François Julien Empain and his wife Catherine (née Lolivier). He went into business with his brother, Baron François Empain and other family members, and amassed a great fortune.

Empain began his career a draughtsman at a metallurgical company, Société métallurgique, in 1878, and became involved in railway construction when he noticed that transport infrastructure in the countryside was inadequate. After success in Belgium with the Liège-Jemeppe line, his companies developed several railway lines in France, including the creation of the Paris Métro.

Because he felt that he depended too much on the banks for his industrial plans, in 1881 he founded his own bank, Banque Empain (which in 1919 would be renamed the Banque Industrielle Belge). The Empain group of companies expanded greatly throughout the 1890s, constructing electric urban tramlines in Europe as well as railways in Russia, China, the Belgian Congo, and in Cairo, Egypt. Desiring to also be independent of electricity producers, Empain also was involved in forming a number of electricity companies to power his projects. In 1901, Empain became a close friend of the then-ruling King Leopold II, who was the sole owner of the Congo Free State. Empain created a railway network in the Congo, based out of Stanleyville.

During World War I, he was given the rank of general and directed armaments production at Paris and Le Havre for the Belgian army.

He died in Woluwe, Belgium, and was buried in Our Lady of Heliopolis Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame d'Héliopolis). In Egypt.

He was succeeded as baron by his son, Jean Empain, who married American burlesque performer Rozell Rowland (sometimes Rozelle Rowland). They entertained frequently at the Heliopolis. Jean, 2nd Baron Empain, was succeeded by their son, Édouard-Jean Empain.