Private Equity Giant Thomas H. Lee Found Dead in His Office
Posted on 02/24/2023
Billionaire financier and investor Thomas H. Lee (aged 78) was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Manhattan office. Lee was found in his office bathroom with a single gunshot wound to his head and his Smith & Wesson revolver next to him. The revolver found at his side was registered and licensed to Lee in New York City. Police officers responded to a 911 call at 767 Fifth Avenue at around 11:10 a.m. EMTs pronounced him dead at the scene on the morning of February 23, 2023.
“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 was a pioneer in private equity. He was involved in leveraged buyouts. Thomas H. Lee founded Thomas H. Lee Partners in 1974. He later left that firm in 2006 and created Lee Equity Partners. He served as chairman until his death.
Thomas H. Lee Partners acquired beverage company Snapple for US$ 135 million and sold it for US$ 1.7 billion in 1992.
Thomas H. Lee was born on March 27, 1944 to a Jewish family, the son of Herbert C. Lee (formerly Leibowitz) and Mildred “Micki” Schiff Lee. Thomas H. Lee has been married twice – first to Barbara Fish Lee, in 1968. They had two children, Zach and Robbie, before divorcing in 1995. He married his second wife Ann Tenenbaum of Savannah, Georgia in 1997 and they had three children: Jesse, Nathan, and Rosalie. He also has two grandchildren. Thomas H. Lee was worth around US$ 2 billion and was friends with Hillary and Bill Clinton.
