American billionaire financier Thomas H Lee, considered a pioneer of private equity investment and debt-fuelled corporate acquisition known as leveraged buyouts, has been found dead, according to his family.
Mr Lee, 78, was discovered dead on Thursday morning at his Manhattan office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the New York Post reported.
According to the Post, he was found after police responded to an emergency 911 call around 11.10am local time.
Police gave no further details, and said the city medical examiner’s office would determine the cause and manner of death.
“The family is extremely saddened by Tom’s death,” Mr Lee’s family said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken. We ask that our privacy be respected and that we be allowed to grieve.”
Mr Lee was the founder and chairman of Lee Equity, which he formed in 2006, and previously served as chairman and CEO of Thomas H. Lee Partners, which he founded in 1974, according to a biographical statement released by his family.
Over more than four decades, Mr Lee invested more than $15 billion of capital in hundreds of transactions, including the acquisition and subsequent sales of such brand names such as Warner Music and Snapple Beverages.
He was also known as a philanthropist and trustee who served on the boards of many organisations, including the Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art, Brandeis University, Harvard University and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
