Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer Asos, died after falling from an apartment building in the Thai seaside resort city of Pattaya.
The 58-year-old man fell from the 17th floor of an 18-story condominium on February 9, police told Reuters.
Police said initial investigations indicated suicide and there was no indication of foul play. CCTV did not show anyone entering his apartment, where he lived alone, but his body has been sent for an autopsy.
Police were also quoted as saying that a Thai friend of Griffiths was concerned about lawsuits from his ex-wife, a Thai national. Police said documents related to those lawsuits were found in his apartment.
The retail entrepreneur, a British passport holder, co-founded Asos in London in 2000, Nick Robertson, the great-grandson of suit retailer Austin Reid’s eponymous founder. The business launched as As Seen on Screen before changing to the acronym Asos in 2002. It floated on London’s alternative investment market in 2001 and grew to become one of the world’s largest online fashion retailers, with its designs worn by Rihanna and Michelle Obama. Griffiths left the company in 2005 but remained a major shareholder for nearly another decade.
He later pursued several other ventures, co-founding online furniture store Achika, music-focused fashion retailer EBTM and ethical clothing website Adili. EBTM then went into administration, selling Adili for a nominal £1.
Asked about Griffiths, the UK Foreign Office said it was supporting “the family of a British national who died in Thailand” and was in touch with local authorities.
