On May 7, 2012, Hans Rausing held his wife Eva as she collapsed and died in their Belgravia mansion. Overwhelmed by grief and addiction, he wrapped her body in plastic bags and blankets, sealed her in a room, and lived alongside the secret for two months.
The Hidden Horror
For eight weeks, Eva’s remains lay concealed under layers of duvets, furniture, and garbage in a locked annex of the six-story townhouse. Staff were barred from the area; when they inquired about her absence, Rausing claimed she was in California. The space filled with scattered syringes, overturned TVs, and drug residue, a grim tableau hidden inches from daily life.
Police Discovery
On July 9, 2012, officers stopped Rausing driving erratically in south London. His car contained drug paraphernalia and letters addressed to Eva. A search of the mansion revealed her decomposed body, with a cocaine pipe still in her hand. Toxicology confirmed death from cocaine intoxication exacerbating a heart condition; she was 48.
Roots of the Tragedy
Rausing, 49, inherited billions from Tetra Pak, founded by his grandfather Ruben. Despite wealth, status, and four children, he and Eva battled heroin and crack cocaine for decades. He began using as a teen in India; they met in rehab around 1990, married, and relapsed repeatedly. By 2007, they were recluses. Social workers placed the children, including a six-year-old, with Rausing’s sister Sigrid to keep the family intact.
Court and Confession
Blood tests showed cocaine, morphine, diazepam, and temazepam in Rausing’s system. In court, he pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful burial, stating he lacked coherent recollection and could not confront her death. Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson imposed a 10-month suspended sentence.
Path to Recovery
Rock bottom came in the sealed room: a felon, childless at home, facing ruin. Rausing entered mandatory rehab, stayed clean, and rebuilt. In 2006, he met Julia Delves Broughton at Christie’s auction house. Scarred by family losses—including her sister Isabella Blow’s 2007 suicide—Julia supported him after Eva’s death. They married in 2014 at Woburn Abbey.
Philanthropic Transformation
The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, launched that year, has distributed about £100 million annually to British causes in arts, heritage, health, welfare, and education—totaling over £500 million. During COVID-19, they gave £35 million via the Charity Survival Fund to 329 groups like food banks and shelters. Further aid included £16.5 million for heritage sites, £10 million to the Royal Opera House, and £150 million to the National Gallery for a modern art wing.
Final Honors
Julia died of cancer on April 18, 2024, at 63. In June 2025, Rausing received the King’s Birthday Honours for arts services, noting it would have meant much to her. On December 9, 2025, King Charles III knighted him Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle—rare for a convicted felon—recognizing 13 years of transformative giving that preserved cultural institutions.
Rausing’s arc from concealing death in addiction to knighthood prompts debate on redemption’s price: Does vast philanthropy outweigh past failures, a path open to few? His story underscores that sustained action can redefine a life, challenging society to weigh mercy against equity in second chances.
Sources:
BBC News – “Rausing sentenced for delaying wife Eva’s burial” (July 31, 2012)
Reuters – “Tetra Pak heir’s wife lay dead for two months” (August 1, 2012)
The Independent – “Philanthropist Sir Hans Rausing made Knight Bachelor by King at Windsor Castle” (December 10, 2025)
Fundraising.co.uk – “Philanthropist Julia Rausing dies at 63” (April 18, 2024)
Julia Rausing Trust – Official announcement of Hans Rausing’s King’s Birthday Honours appointment (June 2025)
NY Times – “Hans Rausing Is Sentenced for Preventing Wife’s Burial” (August 1, 2012)