Billionaire financier and investor Thomas H. Lee has been found dead with self-inflicted injuries at his Manhattan office, police sources said. Police officers responded to a 911 call at 767 Fifth Avenue — where Thomas H. Lee Capital, LLC is located on the sixth floor — at around 11:10a.m on Thursday, the sources told the New York Post. The 78-year-old businessman was found dead at the scene. He left behind a legacy that includes success and philanthropy. Lee, a prominent figure within the private equity industry, was best known for founding Thomas H. Lee Partners in 1974. Lee was a billionaire with a net worth of approximately $2.5 billion at his time of death The industry peers and colleagues offered condolences and paid tributes to Lee’s passing. “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 spokesman Michael Sitrick said in a statement. “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.
