Asos co-founder dies in fall from 18-storey building in Thailand | Thailand
Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer Asos, died after falling from an apartment building in Thailand’s coastal city of Pattaya.
Police told Reuters that the 58-year-old fell from the 17th floor of an 18-storey apartment building on February 9.
Police said initial investigations pointed to suicide and there were no signs of foul play. They added that security cameras showed no sign of anyone entering his apartment, where he lived alone, but his body was sent for autopsy.
Police also said a Thai friend of Griffith’s told him he was worried about lawsuits from his ex-wife, who is a Thai citizen. Police said documents related to these cases were found in his apartment.
The retail entrepreneur, who holds a British passport, founded Asos in London in 2000 with Nick Robertson, the grandson of the founder of suit retailer Austin Reed. The business started out as As Seen on Screen and switched to the acronym Asos in 2002. The company, which was launched on the London Alternative Investment Market in 2001, has grown to become one of the world’s largest online fashion retailers, with designs worn by Rihanna and Michelle Obama. Griffiths left the company in 2005 but remained a major shareholder for almost a decade.
He later made other attempts; He founded online furniture store Achica, music-focused fashion retailer EBTM, and ethical clothing site Adili. EBTM was later placed into administration, while Adili was sold for £1.
Asked about Griffiths, the British Foreign Office said it was supporting “the family of a British national who died in Thailand” and was in contact with local authorities.
