British billionaire found dead,husband arrested

The tale — entwining ultrarich philanthropists,a history of drug abuse and many unanswered questions — has seized British headlines since Monday. That was when Hans Kristian Rausing,49,an heir to Tetra Pak,a multibillion dollar global food-packaging empire,was arrested on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs. Rausing had apparently been driving erratically in south London.

But when the police went on to search the couple’s luxurious,five-storey mansion in Cadogan Square,in the tony Chelsea district of London,they discovered the body of Rausing,48. It was not clear how long she had been dead.

The Daily Mail tabloid and other British newspapers said on Wednesday that the body may have been undiscovered in a bedroom for several days. Newspapers published what they said were recent photographs of the couple looking “drawn and disheveled.” An initial post-mortem examination on Tuesday failed to establish a formal cause for the death.

The Rausings met while they were in rehab 25 years ago,and came to support many causes,including some associated with addiction. Four years ago,they gained notoriety when Eva Rausing was caught with crack cocaine and heroin in her purse as she entered the US Embassy here to attend a reception. According to court records quoted by A police search of their home unearthed further stashes of crack cocaine,heroin and cocaine. The prosecution was later dropped and the Rausings were released with conditional cautions.

Her in-laws,Hans and Marit Rausing,said they were shocked. A Forbes Magazine profile in March 2012 listed Hans Rausing Sr. as No. 88 on a list of the world’s billionaires,with a fortune of some $10 billion.