Ukraine-born tycoon found hanged at his UK mansion
A UKRAINIAN millionaire found dead at his luxury British home was deeply disturbed by the carnage in his homeland, friends say.
Oil and property tycoon Mikhail Watford was discovered hanged in a garage by a gardener on Monday.
The 66-year-old father of three was believed to be upset at Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last week.
One friend said: “His state of mind might have been affected by the situation in Ukraine. The timing of his death and the invasion of Ukraine was surely not coincidental.”
Police say there are “no suspicious circumstances at this time”.
Mr Watford lived at Dormy House on the exclusive Wentworth Estate in Surrey, famous for celebrity residents who have included Sir Elton John and the Sultan of Brunei. He moved into the former stately home, now divided into grand apartments, after selling his £18million mansion on the estate.
It is believed he was born Mikhail Tolstosheya in Ukraine in 1955 and made a fortune from oil after the fall of the Soviet Union. He changed his name after moving to Britain in the 2000s and built a fortune in property.
Mr Watford lived with his second wife Jane, their two children and an older son from a previous marriage.
His Estonian-born wife was reportedly at home when her husband was found dead. She later shared a photograph of her kissing him on Facebook.
Beautiful
A friend commented: “Mikhail had everything to live for. He had a beautiful wife, children and a dream home. It makes no sense at all.”
Mrs Watford’s friend Gazolina Di Pitim wrote on Facebook: “He had such a beautiful life because he met you. To me, your story is one of the greatest love stories.”
Surrey Police said: “An investigation is under way but it is not believed there are any suspicious circumstances at this time.”