A US billionaire financier who helped finance a debt-fueled corporate acquisition has been found dead, his family says.
In a statement, the family of Thomas H. Lee said they were “deeply saddened” by the 78-year-old’s death.
The New York Post reported that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Manhattan office.
The NYPD told JEE News that an unidentified 78-year-old man was found dead at 767 Fifth Avenue on Thursday morning.
The address is where the offices of Thomas H Lee Capital LLC are listed.
According to JEE News, Mr Lee was worth $2bn (£1.6bn) at the time of his death.
A police spokesman did not confirm that the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
Police said they responded to a 911 call from inside an office on Fifth Avenue shortly after 11:00 a.m. (16:00 GMT) on Thursday.
“Upon arrival EMS [Emergency Medical Services] responded and pronounced the male dead at the scene,” he said.
A statement from family friend and spokesman Michael Sitrick said: “While the world knew him as a private equity pioneer and successful businessman, we know him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and Known as a philanthropist. Always put the needs of others before your own.”
As well as his pioneering of leveraged buyouts, Mr Lee is also known for acquiring drinks company Snapple in 1992 and selling it to Quaker Oats two years later for $1.7bn – 32 times what he bought it for. .
Mr. Lee was also known for his philanthropy, and served as a trustee for prominent New York City art organizations such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Modern Art.
In 1996, he donated $22 million to his alma mater Harvard University, part of which was used to provide financial aid for students.
“I’ve been lucky to make some money. I’m more than happy to give some of it back,” he said at the time.
He is survived by his wife, Ann Tenenbaum, and their five children.
