British businessman Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of ASOS, died falling from a balcony in Thailand, the cause remains 不明

AnhQuentin Griffiths, co-founder of ASOS, died after falling from a 17th-floor balcony in Thailand, February 9. After more than half a year, a series of unusual circumstances have left the cause still unclear.

The day before his death, the 58-year-old businessman is said to have sent his eldest son Joel a mysterious text message with the content: "Don't trust anyone." The family said the text message made Joel suspicious about what really happened to his father.

Just a few hours after the death, two strange men were discovered breaking into and ransacking the Griffiths family villa a few kilometers from where he lived. The house continued to be disturbed the next day.

Notably, around £2.6 million of cryptocurrency in Griffiths' online wallet was transferred in three tranches in the days after his death. His son later reported to the police, claiming that the loss of property could be related to his father's death.

Some other details make the case even more difficult to explain. Griffiths had a phone call lasting more than 10 minutes shortly before his death. A witness who lives near the apartment said he heard him constantly screaming and swearing, but did not hear anyone else's voice.

Access card data shows that Griffiths returned to the £380,000 penthouse in Pattaya at 3:02 p.m. on February 9 and did not leave again before falling from the balcony at about 8:00 p.m. An autopsy did not detect drugs or poison, but his blood alcohol level was determined to be high.

Thai police seized at least three phones and one tablet from the apartment. However, according to published information, these devices were not examined before being returned to the family, meaning that the mysterious text message and Griffiths' last call were not investigated further.

Police later closed the investigation, claiming that Griffiths was under great pressure due to legal issues and may have run out of options.

However, at the preliminary hearing into Griffiths' death in England, investigator Rachael Griffin admitted that it was still impossible to determine whether Mr. Griffiths "intentionally jumped down or accidentally fell."

According to her, available evidence shows that Griffiths was the only person in the apartment at the time of the incident. But determining exactly what led to the fall may never be solved.

Griffiths, 58, co-founded online fashion retailer ASOS in 2000 and resigned as marketing director in 2005. Before his death, he was involved in a custody dispute with his Thai second wife and a criminal investigation into fraud. He was convicted in October 2025 and sentenced to 18 months in prison but was released on bail pending appeal.

The death of the British businessman still leaves many unanswered questions. The next hearing is scheduled for March 2027, when authorities may decide to conduct a full investigation into his death.