Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha perished in chopper crash
It has been confirmed that Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the owner of Leicester City FC, perished in the helicopter crash outside King Power Stadium on Saturday night. The 60-year-old billionaire, who was married and had four children, bought Leicester City FC in 2010 for £39mn, and was widely loved and respected by fans, players, and staff alike. Here's more.
A bit about Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Srivaddhanaprabha was worth $3.3bn. Most of Srivaddhanaprabha's wealth derived from the King Power Group, which he had developed into Thailand's biggest duty-free company. The billionaire also owned a 4% stake in Air Asia, the region's biggest budget airline.
Srivaddhanaprabha was among five people who were killed
Srivaddhanaprabha's chopper, which routinely takes off from the King Power Stadium, reportedly encountered a technical problem and crashed just outside the stadium shortly after Leicester City's home draw with West Ham United on Saturday night. Leicester Police confirmed that Srivaddhanaprabha, staff members Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer, and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz perished in the crash.
Under Srivaddhanaprabha's ownership, Leicester City FC made history
Srivaddhanaprabha became an integral part of Leicester City FC history when the club, under his ownership, won the Premier League in 2016, having started the season with 5000/1 odds. Commemorating the billionaire, the club described him as "a man of kindness, of generosity and a man whose life was defined by the love he devoted to his family and those he so successfully led."
Leicester City FC commemorates Srivaddhanaprabha
The footballing world was left devastated by Srivaddhanaprabha's death
Srivaddhanaprabha's death also left the footballing world shattered, and many Leicester City FC players were at a loss for words. Club goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said that Srivaddhanaprabha had "changed football forever", while club captain Wes Morgan tweeted that he was "absolutely heartbroken and devastated". Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest and Swansea City passed on their condolences.
