US Billionaire Financier Thomas Lee Found Dead at 78
According to his family, an American billionaire financier who helped pioneer the debt-fueled corporate acquisition known as a leveraged buyout has been discovered dead.
In a statement, Thomas H. Lee’s family expressed “extreme sadness” over his passing at age 78.
According to the New York Post, he committed suicide by shooting himself in his Manhattan office.
The NYPD informed Gossip A-Z that an unidentified 78-year-old man was discovered dead at 767 Fifth Avenue on Thursday morning.
The address is where Thomas H Lee Capital LLC’s offices are located.
At the time of his death, Mr. Lee was worth $2 billion (£1.6 billion) according to Forbes.
The police spokesman did not confirm that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, noting that a medical examiner would determine the cause of death.
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In a statement to Gossip A-Z news, police said they responded to a 911 call from a Fifth Avenue office shortly after 11:00 (16:00 GMT) on Thursday morning.
“EMS [Emergency Medical Services] responded upon arrival and pronounced the male deceased at the scene,” they explained.
We knew him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, sibling, friend, and philanthropist who always put the needs of others before his own, according to a statement released by a family friend and spokesman Michael Sitrick.
Mr. Lee was also known for acquiring the beverage company Snapple in 1992 and selling it to Quaker Oats two years later for $1.7bn, 32 times the purchase price.
Mr. Lee was also renowned for his generosity, having served as a trustee for prominent New York City art institutions such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Modern Art.
In 1996, he gave $22 million to his alma mater, Harvard University, a portion of which was used for student aid.
“I have been fortunate to earn some money. I am delighted to give some of it back “he commented at the time.
His wife, Ann Tenenbaum, and his five children survive him.
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