Current:Home > reviewsAngela Chao Case: Untangling the Mystery Surrounding the Billionaire's Death -QuantumFunds
Angela Chao Case: Untangling the Mystery Surrounding the Billionaire's Death
View
Date:2025-04-15 03:47:08
More details surrounding Angela Chao's untimely death have emerged.
The billionaire shipping tycoon—whose sister is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—died in February at the age of 50. At the time, information surrounding Chao's passing was sparse, with her family only confirming that she had died in a car accident.
Now, more than a month later, officials released their findings into the incident that took Chao's life, revealing her harrowing last moments. In a Blanco County Sheriff's Office report obtained by Associated News, authorities determined that Chao was intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of nearly three times the state's legal limit when she drove her Tesla into a pond located on her and husband Jim Breyer's Johnson City, Texas ranch.
Calling her death an "unfortunate accident," officials said Chao exchanged words with her friend Amber Keinan on the phone as her car filled with water.
"Chao told Keinan the water was rising and she was going to die and said 'I love you,'" the police report stated. "Chao then said her good byes to Keinan."
Here is everything that's known about Chao's death:
Who is Angela Chao?
Chao was chairwoman and CEO of the Foremost Group, a shipping business founded by her father James Chao during the 1960s. Her family—which includes older sister Elaine Chao, the wife of Mitch McConnell who served as the Secretary of Labor in George W. Bush's administration and as the Secretary of Transportation during Donald Trump's presidency—is estimated to have a net worth of $14.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Chao was married to Jim Breyer, a billionaire venture capitalist, at the time of her death.
How did Angela Chao die?
According to the Blanco County Sheriff's Office report, Chao died after accidentally reversing her Tesla into a pond near the guest lodge of her Texas ranch on Feb. 10. She hosted a dinner with friends earlier in the night, authorities said in the document, and got into her car around 11:30 p.m. when guests were leaving.
Her friend Amber Keinan told investigators that Chao called her at 11:42 p.m. and said she was trapped inside the car as it filled with water. The conversation lasted 8 minutes, with Chao saying that she was going to die and telling Keinan "I love you," according to the police report.
What happened to Angela Chao after her car went into the water?
The police report about Chao's case said her friends attempted to reach her while she was in the water, including by swimming and kayaking to her submerged vehicle. Chao was freed after first responders—who were called in around 11:55 p.m.—went into the pond and broke the driver's side window, per the report.
When did Angela Chao die?
Chao was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m. Feb. 11 after rescuers pulled her and her car to shore.
What was Angela Chao's blood alcohol level?
A toxicology test showed that the shipping magnate had a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.233 grams per 100 milliliters, according to the report. The reading was above the .08 legal limit in Texas.
E! News has reached out to the Blanco County Sheriff's Office for additional comment but hasn't heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (3761)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- DeSantis unveils border plan focused on curbing illegal immigration
- Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Honor Daughter Zaya on Sweet 16 Birthday
- Battered by Matthew and Florence, North Carolina Must Brace for More Intense Hurricanes
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- In Michigan, Dams Plus Climate Change Equals a Disastrous Mix
- Perry Touts ‘24-7’ Power, Oil Pipelines as Key to Energy Security
- 16 Father's Day Gift Ideas That Are So Cool, You'll Want to Steal From Dad
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Katharine McPhee's Smashing New Haircut Will Inspire Your Summer 'Do
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Could Climate Change Be the End of the ‘Third World’?
- Why Ayesha Curry Regrets Letting Her and Steph's Daughter Riley Be in the Public Eye
- Kinder Morgan Cancels Fracked Liquids Pipeline Plan, and Pursues Another
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- More Renewable Energy for Less: Capacity Grew in 2016 as Costs Fell
- Shop the Best New May 2023 Beauty Launches From L'Occitane, ColourPop, Supergoop! & More
- Alex Rodriguez Shares Gum Disease Diagnosis
Recommendation
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
American Climate Video: When a School Gym Becomes a Relief Center
Arrested in West Virginia: A First-Person Account
Queer Eye's Tan France Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Husband Rob France
Could your smelly farts help science?
Video: Dreamer who Conceived of the Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Now Racing to Save it
Offset and His 3 Sons Own the Red Carpet In Coordinating Looks
Judge says witness list in Trump documents case will not be sealed