Millionaire founder of ASOS 'plunges to his death' in Thailand
A British business mogul who co-founded popular online retailer ASOS has died after mysteriously falling from a 17th floor balcony in Thailand, according to reports.
Quentin Griffiths, who originally hails from London, co-founded the company in 2000 before exiting in 2005. He later moved to Thailand in 2007.
The 58-year-old is said to have plunged from the balcony of his condominium apartment in Pattaya on the eastern coast of Thailand.
His body was found by emergency services. Police have said that while there were no signs of a disturbance in his apartment, they are yet to rule out foul play until further forensic testing has taken place.
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A post-mortem examination will need to be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. However, this can often be a long, drawn-out process which can take several months.
A police source told the BBC Griffiths was by himself in his apartment and the door was locked from the inside.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The businessman’s death comes in the midst of a legal dispute, as his Thai ex-wife accused him of stealing half a million pounds from a company that they had operated together.
She claims Griffiths had forged documents to sell land and shares in their business without her knowledge, prompting detectives to arrest him and bring him in for questioning.
He denied all the allegations against him and was released after questioning, however the investigation was believed to be ongoing at the time of the businessman’s death.
“It's a real mystery. The phrase ‘suspicious circumstances’ has been used, but we just don't know yet,” a friend of Griffith’s family told The Sun.
The dad-of-three made millions from ASOS, quitting as marketing director after four years. Some of his other ventures were less successful, however.
In 2005, he co-founded EBTM (which stands for Everything But The Music), which was another online fashion firm, this time inspired by rock bands like the Arctic Monkeys and their fans.
Griffiths quit in 2008 and the company went into administration the following year.
In 2006, he co-founded Adili, an ethical online fashion brand whose name means 'ethical and just' in Swahili. The business later changed its name to Ascension to avoid people confusing it with Aldi.
Griffiths left in 2009, and the following year the brand was sold for just £1 and the company was dissolved two years later.
The businessman was still making millions from ASOS during this period, including an eye-watering £15 million from share sales in 2010, and another hefty windfall just three years later.
However, he went on to sue his accountants at BDO, claiming he'd been given incorrect advice on the sale, which ended up costing him more than £4 million in tax, which is nearly half of the amount of the sale.
After divorcing his first wife, Griffiths married a Thai woman, going on to have a son and a daughter with her before they eventually separated.
Investigations into the death of the British-born mogul are ongoing.
Topics: World News
Emma Rosemurgey