There has long been a history of people with ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton committing suicide, and that sad tradition was seen again last week.

According to the Blaze, authorities say a billionaire Clinton friend named Thomas H. Lee killed himself on Thursday at the age of 78. 

Reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head

The website reported that Lee's body was discovered around 11:00 a.m. by first responders at the office of Lee Equity Partners on 5th Avenue in New York City.

The emergency personnel found Lee laying on his side in a bathroom with a gunshot wound to his head and a handgun was near his side.

Police revealed that Lee had a New York City gun license and the firearm was registered in his name. He also left a letter, although its contents have not been made public.

Lee's family members subsequently put out a statement saying that they were left "extremely saddened by Tom’s death."

Longtime associate of the Clintons

"While the world knew him as one of the pioneers in the private equity business and a successful businessman, we knew him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, sibling, friend and philanthropist who always put others’ needs before his own," they added.

"Our hearts are broken. We ask that our privacy be respected and that we be allowed to grieve," the family went on to say.

The Blaze pointed out that Lee was known for being a longtime associate of both former President Clinton and his wife.

It recalled how the couple "spent some time at Lee's extraordinary mansion in the Hamptons" after Hillary Clinton lost her bid in 2008 to become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

His background

Meanwhile, CNBC reported that Lee founded Lee Equity in 2006 and served for decades as CEO of Thomas H. Lee Partners, a company he founded in 1974.

Lee developed something known as the "leveraged buyout," a Wall Street tactic in which a company's own assets are used as collateral to borrow the funds needed to buy it.

The cable network stressed that in addition to making money, Lee developed a reputation for giving it away through charitable contributions.

Recipients of his generosity included the Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art, Brandeis University, Harvard University and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.