Current:Home > ScamsAngela Chao Case: Untangling the Mystery Surrounding the Billionaire's Death -AssetTrainer
Angela Chao Case: Untangling the Mystery Surrounding the Billionaire's Death
View
Date:2025-04-15 00:05:09
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! (4)
Related
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Taiwan’s defense ministry issues an air raid alert saying China has launched a satellite
- Five companies agree to pay $7.2 million for polluting two Ohio creeks
- NFL playoff bracket: Details on matchups in the 2024 NFL playoffs
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- The Cast of Stranger Things Is All Grown Up in First Photo From Season 5 Production
- Trump asks Maine judge for pause to let US Supreme Court rule on ballot access
- Headless, drained of blood and missing thumbs, cold case victim ID'd after nearly 13 years
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- In 'Night Swim,' the pool is well-fed... and WELL-FED
Ranking
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- 911 transcripts reveal chaotic scene as gunman killed 18 people in Maine
- Shocking TV series 'Hoarders' is back. But now we know more about mental health.
- NFL Black Monday: Latest on coaches fired, front-office moves
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- How an animated character named Marlon could help Trump win Iowa’s caucuses
- NFL Week 18 winners, losers: Eagles enter playoffs in a tailspin
- These are the top 3 Dow Jones stocks to own in 2024, according to Wall Street
Recommendation
'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
JetBlue's CEO to step down, will be replaced by 1st woman to lead a big U.S. airline
Four premature babies die in hospital fire in Iraq
Opening statements expected in trial over constitutional challenge to Georgia voting system
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Murder charge dismissed ahead of trial after 6 years
Proof Jennifer Lawrence Is Still Cheering on Hunger Games Costar Josh Hutcherson
Defendant caught on video attacking Las Vegas judge to return to court for sentencing