Quentin Griffiths, the co-founder of online fashion retailer Asos, has died after falling from an apartment building in the Thai seaside resort city of Pattaya. Police told Reuters that the 58-year-old fell from the 17th floor of an 18-storey condominium on 9 February.
Initial investigations suggest suicide, police said, with no indications of foul play. CCTV footage showed no sign of anyone entering his apartment, where he lived alone. His body has been sent for an autopsy.
A Thai friend of Griffiths told police he had been worried about lawsuits from his former wife, a Thai national. Documents related to those lawsuits were found in his apartment, police added.
Griffiths, a British passport holder, co-founded Asos in London in 2000 with Nick Robertson. The company grew to become one of the world's largest online fashion retailers. Griffiths left Asos in 2005 but remained a major shareholder for nearly another decade.
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. Asos said in a statement: 'We’re saddened to hear about the passing of Quentin, one of our original co-founders. He played an important role in Asos’ earliest days and we’re forever grateful for his contribution. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.'
