Entrepreneur Sir David Tang has died at the age of 63, it was announced today.
The founder of the China Tang restaurant at the Dorchester Hotel, died at the Royal Marsden Hospital on Tuesday evening.
Tang, a friend of the royals and celebrities including Kate Moss and Russell Crowe, split his time between the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong and London.
He founded the Shanghai Tang fashion chain, was well known for his satirical sense of humour as a weekly columnist in the Financial Times weekend edition.
Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times, tweeted: “RIP Sir David Tang, businessman, philanthropist, networker supreme. He will be sorely missed as a friend and FT columnist.”
It has been reported he had battled liver cancer for some time.
Tang, the father of two children and husband of British-born Lucy Tang, moved to England at the age of 13 where he said he began boarding school without speaking a word of English.
He set up his high-end tailor in 1994 and turned it into a global brand before Richemont took a controlling stake in 1998.
Speaking to the Press Association, Ewan Venters, chief executive of Fortnum & Mason, said the “world is a little duller” after Sir David’s death.
“He was one of life’s unique people who had an extraordinary network of people from all walks of life. He was a very generous, kind-hearted, spirited individual,” Mr Venters said.
“Personally, I think the world is a little duller for the loss of David and at such a relatively young age.”
Sir David announced earlier this month that he was throwing a farewell to life party at The Dorchester in London after receiving the news he had a couple of months to live.
Mr Venters said the memorial was due to take place in the ballroom at the luxury Mayfair hotel on September 6, but that “sadly he didn’t quite make it”.
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