Thai businessman ( 1958–2018 )

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha ( Thai : วิชัย ศรีวัฒนประภา ; [ a ] yield Vichai Raksriaksorn, Thai : วิชัย รักศรีอักษร ; [ b ] [ c ] 4 April 1958 – 27 October 2018 ) was a Thai billionaire businessman and the founder, owner and chair of King Power Duty Free. He was besides the owner of the Premier League football club, Leicester City from 2010 until his death in a helicopter crash at the King Power Stadium in Leicester .

career [edit ]

Vichai was the founder and CEO of King Power Duty Free, an operator of duty-free shops. [ 7 ] In December 2009, King Power received the royal guarantee from King Bhumibol of Thailand in a ceremony attended by Vichai. [ 8 ] In October 2018, he was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 5th richest man in Thailand, reportedly worth US $ 4.9 billion. [ 6 ]

The first base football equal Vichai watched in England was the 1997 League Cup Final between Leicester City and Middlesbrough, which may have attracted him to the club. [ 9 ] In August 2010, the Asia Football Investments consortium including Vichai and his son Aiyawatt purchased English Football League Championship club Leicester City. [ 10 ] He succeeded Milan Mandarić as chair of the club in February 2011 while continuing as owner, and Aiyawatt became the frailty president. [ 10 ] In July 2011, the club ‘s once named Walkers Stadium was renamed the King Power Stadium. [ 11 ] Leicester City went on to win the 2015–16 Premier League deed after starting the season as 5000/1 crying outsiders. soon before the 2016–17 season, Vichai gifted 19 players a BMW i8 —at £100,000 each—as a giving for winning the title. [ 12 ] In May 2017, he bought his second football club, OH Leuven in Belgium. [ 13 ]

personal life [edit ]

Vichai was born into a Thai Chinese kin. [ 14 ] [ 15 ] His founder, Wiwat Raksriaksorn ( chinese : 徐利明 ) traces his roots to Zhao’an, Fujian, China. [ 14 ] Vichai was married to Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha, with whom he had four children : Voramas, Apichet, Aroonroong, and Aiyawatt. [ 16 ] In 2012, the King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej bestowed the family the new surname of Srivaddhanaprabha, [ 17 ] [ 18 ] which means “ light of progressive glory ”. [ 16 ] He was awarded an honorary doctor’s degree as a Doctor of Laws by the University of Leicester in 2016. [ 19 ] As a young serviceman, Vichai studied in Taiwan and the United States. [ 20 ] In his spare part time, Vichai was an avid polo player, and owned the VR Polo Club in Bangkok. He was the president of Ham Polo Club in London from 2008 to 2012. [ 21 ] Vichai believed that Leicester City F.C. ‘s achiever or failure was affected by karma, and he therefore endeavored to build Buddhist temples and patronize Buddhist monks to accumulate commodity karma. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Vichai had a thoroughly relationship with the Thai monk Phra Prommangkalachan [ thorium ] and his mate monks, who often blessed the team players, either in England or at the monks ‘ home synagogue in Thailand, Wat Traimit. The monks flying in to see the players of the team became a common sight. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] [ 26 ] In 2015, Aiyawatt became ordained as a Buddhist monk for a month. [ 27 ] [ 28 ]

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In April 2019, The asian Awards honoured him with the Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award. [ 29 ]

death [edit ]

On 27 October 2018, Vichai ‘s AgustaWestland AW169 helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium shortly after taking off from the lurch. Eyewitnesses described seeing the helicopter spinning before crashing and creating a powerhouse. [ 30 ] The following day, it was confirmed that Vichai, along with the other two passengers and the pilots, had died in the barge in. [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Numerous tributes were laid to Vichai outside the King Power Stadium by players along with fans of Leicester City and early football clubs. [ 33 ] In accord with Thai burial customs, Vichai ‘s funeral lasted for eight days, beginning on 3 November. [ 34 ]

Notes [edit ]

  1. ^RTGS:  Wichai Siwatthanaprapha} pronounced [wí.tɕʰāj sǐː.wát.tʰā.ná.prā.pʰāː]
  2. ^RTGS:  Wichai Raksi-akson, pronounced [rák.sǐːʔàk.sɔ̌ːn]
  3. ^[5] thai people are referred to by given identify ; the subject was by and large known as Khun Vichai.

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References [edit ]

Media related to Vichai Raksriaksorn at Wikimedia Commons