THE NEW YORK TIMES
Wall Street Billionaire Charged with Murder
By CATHERINE ROGERS and GRAHAM NGUYEN Monday, February 21
SUN VALLEY, ID — Charles Fielder, the billionaire whose consulting firm Fielder amp; Company is credited with launching more IPOs on Wall Street than any other firm, was found shot in the head in his private ski chalet at a family-owned resort in Sun Valley, ID, on Sunday afternoon. His unconscious body was found lying alongside two unidentified women with fatal gunshot wounds.
The deaths of the two women were confirmed by the Sun Valley Police Department, which said the women were in their late twenties; both had been shot in the head at point-blank range. Mr. Fielder was taken to St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum, ID, where he is still in a coma. Police received an emergency call at 2:18 p.m., Sunday afternoon, from White Horse Resort management, informing them of the gruesome discovery. According to the Sun Valley PD, Mr. Fielder has been charged with murder in what is described as a double murder-suicide attempt.
Daniel Redd, a lawyer for the Fielder family, said that Mr. Fielder was meeting with clients and associates at the White Horse Resort in a company retreat over President’s Day weekend. “This is a terrible tragedy, and the family expects Charles to be fully exonerated,” Mr. Redd said. “The family will be making no further statement at this time.”
Assistant SVPD Chief John Zemke, who is in charge of the case, said that the investigation into the shootings and deaths would remain open for the foreseeable future, a routine course of action in cases where victims remain unidentified. “The Fielder chalet at White Horse has been secured and detectives are currently on the scene,” Zemke reported on Sunday evening.
Mr. Fielder is founder and chairman of Fielder amp; Company, a respected management consulting firm with revenues over $1 billion and just under 1000 employees operating from offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, London, and Hong Kong. The company has over 500 active clients worldwide; the company’s fees per consulting engagement range from $1 to $10 million. Only McKinsey amp; Company exceeds Fielder amp; Company’s portfolio of management consulting services targeted toward senior executives of large multinational corporations.
A native of Boston, Mr. Fielder sold his family’s business in agriculture and chemicals in 1985 to launch Fielder amp; Company, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both prominent Boston business innovators who built thriving corporations. Forbes estimates Mr. Fielder’s fortune at $10 billion, putting him in the top 100 of the world’s richest people.
Like many wealthy families, the Fielders are well known for their business success and philanthropy but tirelessly strive to avoid the limelight. According to friends and clients, Mr. Fielder took great pride in The Wall Street Journal’s designation of Fielder amp; Company as “the most secretive consulting firm in America.” Mr. Fielder’s wife Mary and children Wilson and Rachel were unavailable for comment on Sunday evening.