Asos founder Quentin Griffiths dies after fall from 17th floor of Thailand home

Quentin Griffiths, who co-founded British fast-fashion retailer Asos, has died after falling from the 17th floor of an apartment building in Thailand, police said on Friday. He was 58. Police also said no evidence of foul play was found, although they believed the death was suicide.

Thai police said Griffiths fell from the balcony of the 18-storey building in the seaside resort city of Pattaya on February 9. His body was found on the ground directly below the balcony. Investigators said the victim, a British passport holder, had been alone in the apartment, which was locked from the inside, with no signs of forced entry.

CCTV footage showed no one entering the room and an autopsy found no evidence of foul play. Police said initial findings pointed to suicide.

VICTIM WAS ENTANGLED IN LEGAL DISPUTES WITH EX-WIFE

A police investigator told the BBC that documents related to ongoing lawsuits were found in the apartment. A Thai friend told police that Griffiths had been worried about legal disputes involving his former wife, a Thai national.

Griffiths was separated from his second wife, a Thai national, who accused him of stealing more than USD 673,000 from a business they ran together, The Sun reported. He was arrested last year and questioned by police after she alleged he forged documents to sell land shares without her knowledge.

He was later released, but the investigation was ongoing at the time of his death, according to The Sun report. The BBC said Griffiths had been involved in a legal dispute with his wife over the venture.

An Asos spokesperson said the company was “saddened to hear about the passing of Quentin, one of our original co-founders,” adding that he played an important role in the firm’s early success.

British authorities said they were assisting the family. “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

WHO WAS QUENTIN GRIFFITHS?

Griffiths co-founded ASOS in London with Nick Robertson, Andrew Regan and Deborah Thorpe.

Launched in 2000 as - As Seen On Screen - the business sold fashion inspired by outfits worn by film and TV stars before adopting the ASOS name in 2002.

It grew into a global online fashion marketplace carrying hundreds of brands alongside its own labels and was at one point valued at more than 6 billion euros.

ASOS’s rapid rise saw its designs worn by figures such as Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama, with the company’s valuation peaking at over USD 8 billion.

Griffiths served as ASOS’s marketing director before leaving the company in 2004, though he remained a major shareholder for several years.

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(with inputs from Reuters)