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​Billionaire Matthew Mellon Dies In Rehab At 53

​Billionaire Matthew Mellon Dies In Rehab At 53

The banking heir died 'suddenly' in Mexico, where he was in rehab

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Billionaire Matthew Mellon has died in rehab at the age of 53, a representative has confirmed.

The banking heir - who was also the ex-husband of Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon - died 'suddenly' in Mexico, where he was in rehab.

The representative said in a statement: "Billionaire Matthew Mellon, 53, died suddenly in Cancun, Mexico, where he was attending a drug rehabilitation facility.

"Mellon made his fortune in cryptocurrency, turning a $2 million (£1.4m) investment into $1 billion (£698m).

"He is survived by his three children, Force, Olympia and Minty.

"The family asks that their privacy be respected at this very painful time."

PA

Mellon had openly spoken about his problems with addiction in the past.

After checking into the Passages Malibu rehab centre in 2016 to try and kick his OxyContin habit, he revealed that he had been spending $100,000 (£69,700) a month and taking around 80 pills a day.

"[Using that much] is the death zone," Mellon told Page Six.

"The doctors kept writing prescriptions like they were Smarties. It's very irresponsible," he added.

"OxyContin is like legal heroin. And it needs to be addressed."

Mellon is survived by his three children - two of whom, Force and Olympia, are from his marriage to ex-wife Nicole Hanley Mellon.

His eldest daughter, Minty, is from his former marriage to Tamara Mellon, who reportedly remained close to him after they divorced.

PA

"Matthew had so many talents and admirable qualities - it's unfortunate that emotional stability was not among them," Tamara once wrote in her autobiography, In My Shoes.

"Once we were back in London, life did not become any easier. I was in the office every day, working hard, and Matthew had nothing but free time on his hands - and I'd come home and find him freebasing cocaine in the kitchen.

"Then his addiction would take over and he might step out to buy a paper and not come back for days.

"I was constantly trying to track him down, calling family members, calling car services, knowing that he was capable of turning up anywhere in the world.

"He would check into hotels, start getting the paranoid delusions of cocaine psychosis, then leave without paying his bill.

"And then, of course, the hotel managers would call me to clean up after him and settle his accounts."

Although Mellon was a banking heir, he also began to dabble in cryptocurrencies a while back. However, he eventually sold his Bitcoin.

In February, Mellon told Forbes that he had been instead turned on to XRP, which is used by currency exchange network Ripple and apparently works within the banking system - one of the few cryptocurrencies to do so.

"Crypto is scary and dark. It's anti-America," Mellon said.

"I am pro-America, pro-business and pro-bank. That's why I went with Ripple."

R.I.P.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Celebrity, News, UK