Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Wife of Tetra-Pak heir found dead in London home

Updated at 8:53 pm on 11 July 2012

Eva Rausing, one of the richest women in Britain, has been found dead at her London home, police have confirmed.

However, they are refusing to comment on reports that a 49-year-old man arrested on Tuesday in connection with the death and on suspicion of possession of drugs is her husband, Tetra-Pak heir Hans Kristian Rausing.

The body was found at the couple's home in Cadogan Place in Belgravia.

Eva, an American, and Hans Kristian, 49, met at a rehabilitation centre in the United States and since then their lives together have been blighted by drugs, the BBC reports.

The couple, who have four children, were cautioned by police in 2008 after Ms Rausing was caught trying to smuggle crack cocaine and heroin into the United States embassy in London.

Her death is being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination has failed to confirm how she died.

The couple have donated millions of pounds to charities, including organisations to promote drugs awareness and to help addicts.

In a statement, Eva Rausing's parents, Tom and Nancy Kemeny from South Carolina, described her as a devoted wife and mother who had bravely fought her health issues for many years.

Ms Rausing's father-in-law, Hans Rausing, 86, is one of the world's wealthiest men, ranked 88th in the Forbes rich list with a fortune estimated at $US10 billion.

His father, Ruben Rausing, founded Tetra-Pak in Sweden in 1951 which quickly grew into a global packing company.

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