Japan's richest man, Yasuo Takei, dies
Japan’s richest man, Yasuo Takei, who rose to fame as founder of consumer credit company Takefuji Corporation but retired in shame after a wiretapping scandal, has died.
Spokesman Hiroshi Kaneko gave no other details, saying the company planned to release a statement later in the day.
Kyodo News agency said Takei died of liver failure, while public broadcaster NHK said he died yesterday.
Takei, 76, was listed as Japan’s richest man, along with his family, in this year’s Forbes magazine listing of the world’s billionaires, with assets of €4.3bn. But Takei’s reputation was tarnished in 2004 by his conviction on charges of ordering the wiretapping of a journalist who had written articles criticising his company.
Takei turned to illegal snooping after the critical articles triggered a decline in his company’s share price, making him suspect someone was working behind the scenes to discredit the company, the Tokyo District Court ruled.
Takei was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years, and his company, one of Japan’s biggest consumer loan corporations, was fined 1 million yen (€6,700).
After the ruling, Takefuji issued a statement apologising for the trouble it caused to customers and shareholders. The company promised to prevent a recurrence.
