Quentin Griffiths, the 58-year-old London-born co-founder of online retail giant ASOS, died after falling from his 17th-floor apartment balcony in Pattaya, Thailand, on February 9. Since his death, nearly $4 million (approximately £2.7 million) worth of bitcoin has reportedly been transferred out of his cryptocurrency wallet in three separate transactions.
Background of the Case
Griffiths had been living in Thailand and was under investigation by Thai police for an alleged fraud of £500,000 at a company he ran with his ex-wife, Ploy Kringsinthanakun, 43. He was convicted of fraud in October and sentenced to 18 months in prison but appealed to remain free under Thai law. He was scheduled to meet with his ex-wife's lawyers in February to discuss his appeal, but he died two days before the meeting.
Missing Bitcoin
Griffiths' eldest son, Joel, 29, reported the missing bitcoin six weeks after his father's death. The funds were allegedly transferred in three separate transactions shortly after Griffiths died. Thai police are investigating the theft. Ploy's lawyer, Mona Mankong, stated, "The funds were transferred to a mystery location. Nobody knows where they went or who did it. With everything that has happened, it's very suspicious." She questioned how Joel could know the exact amount taken if he did not have access to the wallet.
Family Disputes
Griffiths' family is also involved in a custody battle over the children he had with his second wife, Ploy. Joel has applied for custody to raise them in the UK, but Ploy seeks full custody in Thailand. Joel was questioned in a court hearing on Monday as part of this custody case. The children will remain in Thailand pending a hearing.
Griffiths' body has been repatriated to Dorset, where his family is believed to reside. An inquest into his death concluded that the cause was multiple injuries from the fall. Thai authorities found no suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement in his death.
