ASOS co-founder Quentin Griffiths died after a fall from a 17th-floor balcony in Thailand, with police investigating the incident as a suspected suicide.
BANGKOK: Quentin Griffiths, the co-founder of British online fashion giant ASOS, has died after a fall from a balcony in Thailand. Thai police confirmed the 58-year-old Briton fell from the 17th floor of a Pattaya apartment block on February 9.
Police said initial investigations suggested suicide, with no indications of foul play. They added that CCTV showed no one else entering his apartment, where he lived alone, before the incident.
A Thai friend of Griffiths told police the businessman had been worried about lawsuits from his former wife, a Thai national. Documents related to those lawsuits were found inside his apartment.
The police discovered the body of a British national, identified as Quentin John Griffiths, on the ground directly below the balcony. His body has been sent for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Britain’s Foreign Office said it was supporting “the family of a British national who has died in Thailand”. Officials confirmed they are in touch with local authorities regarding the case.
Griffiths co-founded ASOS, originally named ‘As Seen on Screen’, with Nick Robertson in 2000. The company was floated on London’s Alternative Investment Market the following year, defying the post-dotcom bubble downturn to become a retail success story.
He served as marketing director before leaving the firm in 2004. Griffiths remained a large shareholder in ASOS for nearly another decade after his departure.
The company expanded rapidly by capitalising on the rise of social media and broadening its product range. In recent years, however, ASOS has struggled with profitability amid rising costs and stiff competition from cheaper rivals.
Its shares have fallen around 96% from their peak value. The case gained media attention after being reported by The Sun newspaper in Britain on Thursday.
