NewsBite

Sydney seaplane crash victim Richard Cousins’ fortune left to charity

MILLIONAIRE Richard Cousins and his family tragically lost their lives in a NSW seaplane crash last year. And the businessman’s hard-earned fortune has been left to a surprising recipient.

THE British businessman killed with his family in a seaplane crash near Sydney on New Year’s Eve has left his $71 million fortune to the charity Oxfam.

The Sun newspaper in London reports that 58-year-old Richard Cousins, the CEO of catering giant Compass, had made Oxfam the main beneficiary of his will in the event of a “common tragedy.’’

The clause was to be activated in the unlikely event Mr Cousins and his sons all died.

The seaplane crashed on New Year’s Eve last year. Picture: Richard Dobson.
The seaplane crashed on New Year’s Eve last year. Picture: Richard Dobson.
Richard Cousins had made Oxfam the main beneficiary of his will, leaving his $71 million fortune to them. Photographer: Getty Images
Richard Cousins had made Oxfam the main beneficiary of his will, leaving his $71 million fortune to them. Photographer: Getty Images

Tragically, on December 31 last year, Mr Cousins, his two sons William, 25, and Edward, 23, and his fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, and her daughter Heather, 11, died when their seaplane crashed into the Hawkesbury River. Pilot Gareth Morgan, 44, also died as he brought the family back from lunch, heading towards Sydney.

They had been enjoying a family holiday in Australia ahead of Mr Cousins’ planned retirement in March. He and Ms Bowden, the arts editor at Hello! Magazine, had been planning to marry in July.

According to The Sun, Mr Cousins had planned to leave most of his wealth in trust for his sons.

Seaplane pilot Gareth Morgan also lost his life in the 2017 crash. Picture: Facebook
Seaplane pilot Gareth Morgan also lost his life in the 2017 crash. Picture: Facebook
Mr Cousins’ fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, and her daughter Heather Bowden-Page, 11, and Mr Cousins’ two sons William and Edward were also victims of the tragic crash. Picture: Supplied
Mr Cousins’ fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, and her daughter Heather Bowden-Page, 11, and Mr Cousins’ two sons William and Edward were also victims of the tragic crash. Picture: Supplied

But a year before the accident, he had amended his will to include the “common tragedy clause’’ which made Oxfam the main beneficiary in the unlikely event Mr Cousins’ sons also died.

He has apparently left £41 million — the equivalent of about AUS $71.4 million — to Oxfam, which has been struggling to rebuild after it was revealed it had covered up a scandal which unfolded when some of its aid workers in Haiti had preyed on sex workers.

Mr Cousins’ brothers Simon and Andrew were each to get around AUS $1.7 million from their brothers’ estate, according to the paper.

A source told The Sun: “It’s the kind of bequest charities dream of. There will rightly be heavy scrutiny of how the money is spent.”

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/sydney-seaplane-crash-victim-richard-cousins-fortune-left-to-charity/news-story/b9ca1c911d8f942d46916446681016a3