A billionaire philanthropist has been given one of Britain’s highest honors—years after he his his dead wife’s body in their home while he went on a two month drug binge.
Hans Rausing, 62, received the title of Knight Bachelor from King Charles III during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. The honor caps more than a decade of charitable giving by the London-based philanthropist, who is the grandson of Ruben Rausing, founder of the food-packaging giant, Tetrapak.
Rausing told police he had been so devastated by his wife Eva Louise Kemeny‘s death—caused by suspected heart failure and drug use at age 48 in 2012—that he could not “confront the reality” of what happened.
Her body, wrapped in trash sacks and bed linen, lay on their bed under duvets and furniture in their six-floor mansion in one of London’s wealthiest enclaves.
Officers said the room resembled a squat, with “TV screens and drawers strewn on the floor” and syringes and drug paraphernalia nearby. The horrific discovery was only made when Rausing was arrested for driving erratically.
Drug paraphernalia was found in the car, and he tested positive for cocaine, morphine, diazepam, and temazepam.
The billionaire had first tried heroin on a beach in Goa, India, while traveling and spent years cycling between addiction and rehab. He was sentenced to a suspended ten-month jail term for preventing the lawful burial of his wife, along with an additional two-month suspended term for driving under the influence.
According to his sister Sigrid’s memoir Mayhem, by 2007, he and Eva had become “virtual recluses” in their home in Belgravia, a billionaire-favored area of London, amid severe heroin and crack addiction. Their four children—the youngest just six—were eventually placed in Sigrid’s care after social workers deemed them at risk.
Rausing’s supporters say his life began to stabilize after he married his second wife, Julia, who friends said “brought Hans back from appalling grief” and “helped him find joy in life again.”
Together they became major philanthropic donors, funneling roughly £100 million a year to British charities through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust.
The fund delivered an £18 million “lifeline” to small and medium-sized organizations during the pandemic and a £16.5 million emergency package for other Covid-related efforts.
Julia died of cancer last April at age 63. When Rausing was named in the King’s Birthday Honours List in June, he said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this prestigious honor. It is as much a tribute to her work and legacy as it is to me.”
