Additional Coverage:
PATTAYA, Thailand – Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of the British online retail giant ASOS, has died after a fall from a luxury hotel in Pattaya, Thailand. Police confirmed Friday that the 58-year-old Briton’s body was discovered at the base of the high-rise building on February 9th.
Authorities withheld Griffiths’ identity until a post-mortem examination ruled out foul play. A police detective informed the BBC that Griffiths’ 17th-floor suite, where he was a long-term resident, was locked from the inside, with no indications of forced entry or any disturbance within the room.
Investigators are suggesting that stress from two ongoing legal battles may have contributed to his death. One of these disputes involved his estranged second wife, a Thai woman, concerning a jointly owned business.
Griffiths co-founded As Seen On Screen in London in 2000 with Nick Robertson and two other partners. The company quickly grew into a global online clothing phenomenon, selling apparel inspired by celebrity fashion. ASOS, at its peak, was valued at over $8 billion and gained popularity with figures such as Rihanna and Michelle Obama.
Griffiths departed ASOS in 2005 to pursue other business ventures, though none achieved the same level of success. He maintained a significant equity stake in ASOS, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Major shareholders in ASOS include Mike Ashley, owner of Britain’s Frasers Group, and Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen of Bestseller.