Billionaire creator of energy drink dies in native Thailand

Chaleo Yoovidhya, who rose from poverty to become one of the world’s richest men thanks to astute marketing of the Red Bull energy drink, has died in his native Thailand.

Local media said he had died of natural causes in hospital in Bangkok on Saturday. His age was variously put at 89 or 90, although some sources gave his date of birth as Aug 17, 1923, making him 88.

Chaleo was ranked 205th on the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people, with an estimated fortune of $5bn (€3.8bn).