
BANGKOK -- The owner of the Leicester City Football Club, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday after seeing his team draw 1-1 with West Ham, was one of the five richest men in Thailand. All are Thai-Chinese tycoons who have prospered greatly under the current military government, which seized power in 2014.
According to Forbes magazine in May, the top four tycoons added $25 billion to their combined wealth in 2017. The magazine put Vichai's personal worth at a relatively modest $5.2 billion, but that had increased by $2 billion over the past two years.