American Billionaire Financier, Thomas Lee Allegedly Commits Suicide At 78

American billionaire financier, Thomas H. Lee, considered a pioneer of private equity investment and leveraged buyouts, has been found dead.

According to New York Post, the 78-year-old financier was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday morning at his Fifth Avenue Manhattan office, headquarters of his investment firm.

The New York Police Department said emergency medical service personnel responding to a 911 call on Fifth Avenue at about that time found a “male who was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Police gave no further details about his death, adding that the city medical examiner’s office would determine the cause and manner of death.

Lee’s family in a statement said, “The family is extremely saddened by Tom’s death. Our hearts are broken. We ask that our privacy be respected and that we be allowed to grieve.”

According to Forbes, Mr Lee was worth $2bn (£1.6bn) at his time of death.

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 the past 46 years, Lee was responsible for investing more than $15 billion of capital in hundreds of transactions, including the acquisition and subsequent sales of such brand names as Snapple Beverages and Warner Music.

Unlike most of his competitors, Mr Lee was not ruthless about how he made his fortune, eschewing corporate raider tactics such as radical cost-cutting to hit profit targets.

He was also known as a philanthropist and trustee who served on the boards of many organizations, including the Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art, Brandeis University, Harvard University and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.