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Asos co-founder Quentin Griffiths dies after balcony fall at Thailand condo

British retail entrepreneur plunges from 17th floor in Pattaya as police investigate suspicious circumstances and do not rule out foul play

Quentin Griffiths ASOS

Griffiths made his fortune after helping launch Asos in 2000, which grew into a £3 bn global phenomenon

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Highlights

  • Quentin Griffiths, 58, was found dead below his 17th-floor balcony in Pattaya, Thailand.
  • Police found no sign of disturbance inside the apartment but have not ruled out foul play.
  • Griffiths had been embroiled in a legal dispute with his Thai ex-wife over alleged fraud.
Quentin Griffiths, 58, co-founder of British online fashion giant Asos, has died after plunging from the 17th floor of his condominium in Pattaya, Thailand, in circumstances described as mysterious by those close to his family.

Police and paramedics discovered Griffiths on the ground below his balcony. Officers found no sign of a disturbance inside the apartment but have not ruled out foul play pending further tests on his body.

His exact cause of death will not be established until a full post-mortem, which could take months.


A source close to his family told The Sun "It's a real mystery. The phrase 'suspicious circumstances' has been used but we just don't know yet."

Legal troubles preceded

The tragedy follows a bitter dispute with his Thai ex-wife, who accused Griffiths of stealing £500,000 from the company they ran together.

He was arrested last year and questioned by detectives after she alleged he had forged documents to sell land and shares without her knowledge. Griffiths maintained his innocence and was released after questioning, though the investigation remained ongoing at the time of his death.

Griffiths made his fortune after helping launch Asos in 2000, which grew into a £3 bn global phenomenon. The Princess of Wales and Michelle Obama both wore its own-label designs.

He served as marketing director for four years before stepping down, later making £15 m from share sales in 2010 with a further stock windfall in 2013.

The father of three moved to Thailand around 2007. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed: "We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities."

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