Angela Chao, a prominent shipping billionaire and chairwoman of the Foremost Group, tragically died last month when her Tesla vehicle plunged into a pond on a Texas ranch, following an accident where she was found to have a blood alcohol concentration nearly three times the Texas legal limit. The incident occurred in Johnson City, west of Austin, where Chao, aged 50, had been hosting friends from Harvard Business School at her ranch. After dinner, while attempting a three-point turn, she mistakenly reversed her Model X SUV into the pond. Despite making a distress call to a friend and expressing heartfelt goodbyes, Chao drowned before she could be rescued.

The Blanco County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the details of Chao’s intoxication at the time. The loss has deeply impacted her family, including her husband, billionaire Jim Breyer, and her sister Elaine Chao, a former cabinet official, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is her brother-in-law. McConnell referenced the incident and its effect on the family during his resignation speech.

Angela Chao’s death has not only left her immediate family, including her father and four sisters, in profound grief but has also resonated within the wider community, affecting those acquainted with her through her professional and charitable work. The Foremost Group, under Chao’s leadership, represented significant interests in the shipping industry, and her involvement in philanthropy through the Foremost Foundation underscored her commitment to community and family values.