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美國億萬富翁辦公室內開槍自殺 係行業先驅
紐約華人資訊網 Friday 2023/02/24 01:34 AM
綜合foxbusiness和紐約郵報2月23日報道 警方消息稱，億萬富翁、金融家和投資者托馬斯·H·李（Thomas H. Lee）周四上午被發現在其位於曼哈頓的辦公室內開槍自殺。
據消息人士稱，警方於上午11點10分左右趕到了第五大道767號（767 Fifth Avenue），Thomas H. Lee Capital在該辦公大樓的6樓。急救人員隨後宣布這名78歲的商人當場死亡。首席法醫辦公室將確定其官方死因。
托馬斯的家族朋友兼發言人Michael Sitrick在一份聲明中表示，家人對托馬斯的去世感到非常悲痛。眾所周知，他是私募股權行業的先驅之一，也是一位成功的商人，與此同時，他還是一位盡職的丈夫、父親、祖父、兄弟姐妹、朋友和慈善家，他總是把別人的需求放在第一位。
據介紹，托馬斯被認為是第一批用被收購企業的貸款來收購公司的金融家之一，也就是現在所說的杠杆收購（a leveraged buyout）。這位哈佛大學畢業生於1974年創立了Thomas H. Lee Partners，並擔任該公司的董事長兼首席執行官。
1992年，這位私募股權先驅收購了Snapple，並在兩年後以17億美元的價格將其出售，他在這筆交易中賺了32倍的錢。據《福布斯》報道，托馬斯去世時的淨資產估計為20億美元。
據悉，托馬斯還是一位著名的慈善家，特別是在藝術和教育方麵。他是紐約幾個藝術機構的受托人，包括林肯表演藝術中心（the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts）、現代藝術博物館（the Museum of Modern Art）和惠特尼美國藝術博物館（the Whitney Museum of American Art）。
1996年，托馬斯向母校哈佛大學捐贈了2,200萬美元，這是該校迄今為止在世校友捐贈的最大一筆資金。他一生熱愛慈善，並在2014年獲得了UJA聯合會的獎項。
報道稱，托馬斯與妻子Ann Tennenbaum結婚27年，兩人共育有5個孩子。
Statement from Family of Thomas H. Lee
NEWS PROVIDED BY
family friend and spokesperson, Michael Sitrick
Feb 23, 2023, 18:30 ET
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --
"The family is extremely saddened by Tom's death. While the world knew him as one of the pioneers in the private equity business and a successful businessman, we knew him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, sibling, friend and philanthropist who always put others' needs before his own. Our hearts are broken. We ask that our privacy be respected and that we be allowed to grieve."
From family friend and spokesperson, Michael Sitrick
SOURCE family friend and spokesperson, Michael Sitrick
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/statement-from-family-of-thomas-h-lee-301755027.html
Billionaire financier Thomas H. Lee found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound in NYC office: sources
By Joe Marino, Tina Moore and Steven Vago Feb 23, 2023 6:42pm
Penthouse tied to Chinese exile Guo Wengui cuts price to $32.5M
Billionaire financier and investor Thomas H. Lee was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Manhattan office on Thursday morning, police sources said.
Cops responded to a 911 call at 767 Fifth Avenue — where Thomas H. Lee Capital, LLC is located on the sixth floor — at around 11:10 a.m., the sources said.
EMTs pronounced the 78-year-old businessman dead at the scene.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.
“The family is extremely saddened by Tom’s death. While the world knew him as one of the pioneers in the private equity business and a successful businessman, we knew him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, sibling, friend and philanthropist who always put others’ needs before his own,” Lee family friend and spokesperson Michael Sitrick said in a statement.
Thomas H. Lee, 78, was found dead at his Manhattan office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Lee is credited with developing the leveraged buyout.
“Our hearts are broken. We ask that our privacy be respected and that we be allowed to grieve.”
A front desk worker at Lee’s office building was told there was an “emergency,” on the sixth floor, but was unaware of Lee’s death.
“They don’t want anyone going to that space right now, not even the building staff,” the man said.
Lee is credited with being one of the first financiers to purchase companies with money borrowed against the business being bought — what is now called a leveraged buyout.
The Harvard graduate founded Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. in 1974, serving as the chairman and CEO of the company and its predecessors.
In 1992, the private equity pioneer bought Snapple and sold it two years later for $1.7 billion, making 32 times his money.
But not everything always went according to plan.
Michael Milken, Thomas Lee, Peter Thoren and Cliff Robbins attend Dinner At Daniel Benefitting The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) at Daniel in Nov. 2022.
In 1999, Lee led a deal for what was renamed Vertis Communications, the fifth-largest North American printer. By 2006, when many peers had expanded to offer other services, such as marketing, it dropped to ninth since it did not have the money to do the same. Vertis filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
Lee and his longtime partners split in 2005 with Thomas H. Lee Partners being run by Scott Sperling, and Lee left to form Lee Equity Partners in 2006, where he served as chairman until his death Thursday.
At the time of his death, Lee’s net worth was estimated to be $2 billion, according to Forbes.
Lee was a known philanthropist, particularly for the arts and education. He sat as a trustee for several Big Apple art organizations, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Lee with his his wife of 27 years, Ann Tennenbaum.
An oceanfront mansion in the Hamptons owned by Lee in 2008.
“I’ve been lucky to make some money. I’m more than happy to give some of it back,” Lee said in 1996 after donating $22 million to his alma mater Harvard University, one of the school’s largest gifts ever from a living alumnus.
For his lifetime of philanthropy, he received the UJA-Federation’s award — named after Jack Nash, a financier who helped create the modern hedge fund business — in 2014.
Lee leaves behind his wife of 27 years, Ann Tennenbaum. He is survived by his children Jesse, Zach, Nathan, Robbie, and Rosalie, as well as two grandchildren.
A woman who answered the phone at Lee Equity Partners declined to comment Thursday afternoon.
What do you think? Post a comment.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
Additional reporting by Josh Kosman
