What did Asil Nadir do? A look back at the Turkish Cypriot businessman - as former Tory party donor who went on the run for years dies aged 83

Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir has died, a social media post by his wife said. He was 83. He was once one of Britain's richest men and a Conservative Party donor, and was accused of stealing from Polly Peck to fund a lavish lifestyle including purchases of antiques, racehorses and country houses.

Nadir fled Britain in 1993 on a private jet before the start of his trial for the northern Cyprus enclave, which has no extradition treaty with Britain and is not generally recognised internationally. He spent the next 17 or so years mainly living under the radar at a secluded villa overlooking the Mediterranean in northern Cyprus.

He voluntarily returned to Britain in 2010, vowing to clear his name. But in 2012, Nadir was convicted by a British court of plundering millions from Polly Peck, which he bought as a struggling textiles manufacturer and built into a business powerhouse.

Four years into a 10-year sentence, in 2016, he applied to serve the remainder of his term in Turkey. After his transfer there, he was released after one night in jail.

In its heyday, Polly Peck was the top performing stock on the London Stock Exchange. Nadir was feted by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives as a major donor and he was a frequent visitor to Downing Street. It was one of Britain's biggest corporate failures, leaving thousands of shareholders and employees out of pocket.

Nadir had admitted to taking money from Polly Peck, but insisted he always balanced the books by paying money into other parts of the business. He is survived by his wife Nur and six children.