The 84-year-old former chairman and chief executive of Chevron, George Keller, died Friday in Palo Alto.

A spokeswoman for the New York Times, Diane McNulty, has confirmed the news of Keller’s death.

Keller’s daughter-in-law, Emma Gilbey Keller - wife of his son Bill who is executive editor of the Times - said he died from complications of orthopedic surgery.

Keller was one of the key players in the 1980s era of deregulation, globalization, and the emergence of junk bond financing, when it seemed like no company was immune from hostile takeovers.