This made me blink
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“We’re in Europe not because of the Europeans,” said billionaire Tos Chirathivat, the soon-to-be Thai owner of Selfridges. “We’re in Europe, because Europe is the centre for the rest of the world.” Chirathivat’s remarks came three years after his family’s retail empire, Central Group, first moved into the bloc by acquiring upmarket Italian department store chain La Rinascente in 2011. The 57-year-old grandson of founder Tiang has been at the helm since 2014, where he has been overseeing the expansion of the Bangkok-based family business beyond Thailand’s borders.
Central Group’s acquisition of London’s Selfridges – expected to go through before the end of the year – is arguably the most important. It comes on top of the retailer’s amassed collection on the Continent over the years: Germany’s KaDeWe, Swiss group Globus, and Denmark’s Illum. “It’s becoming the only real pan-European retailer of luxury, and they are all consistently positioned at premium level,” says a luxury boss. “It’s a match made in heaven.” Industry sources describe the Chirathivat family, which ranked 4th in Forbes’ Thailand’s rich list in July with a net wealth of $11.6bn (£8.7bn) . . . . . . . ."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/12/03/billionaire-thai-family-closes-selfridges/I just HAVE to edit in this 'afterthought' - how nice that Thai's can own 'freehold' in the UK
