Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner has died aged 83, the conservative thinktank confirmed in a statement on Friday evening.

Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, paid tribute to Feulner, who was also the longest-serving president of The Heritage Foundation.

“Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order. His unwavering love of country and his determination to safeguard the principles that made America the freest, most prosperous nation in human history shaped every fiber of the conservative movement—and still do,” they said in a joint statement.

This is breaking news, updates to follow.