Billionaire philanthropist Hans Rausing loses his second wife Julia to cancer aged 63: Fresh heartbreak for Tetra Pak heir more than a decade after his first wife Eva died of cocaine abuse

Billionaire philanthropist Hans Rausing has been struck by a new tragedy after the death of his second wife from cancer.

Julia Rausing died peacefully on Thursday morning, surrounded by her family, her friends revealed.

The 63-year-old had committed herself to a life of philanthropy with her husband.

The couple had donated £330 million in more than 1,000 grants, including £50 million a year to British charities, through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, of which they were co-founders.

The couple tied the knot in 2014, two years after the Tetra Pak heir’s first wife, Eva, died of cocaine abuse in 2012.

Her death generated enormous publicity and Mr Rausing was given a 10-month prison sentence after hiding her body in his home for two months and preventing her ‘decent and lawful burial’ because he could not ‘make her leave’.

Julia Rausing (pictured with her husband at the Serpentine Gallery’s 2015 summer party) died peacefully on Thursday morning surrounded by her family, her friends have revealed

Mr Rausing’s first wife, Eva (right), died in tragic circumstances in 2012 after a drug overdose

Announcing the death of Julia – a “much loved wife, stepmother, sister and daughter” – her family said: “Julia was widely known for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and her impactful contributions to various charities.

‘In 2014, she and her husband co-founded The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, a charity that supports good causes in Britain and abroad.

“She was instrumental in building the Trust into one of the largest philanthropic funds in the country, giving to charities in the areas of health, welfare and the arts.

‘Notable among her many achievements was the speed with which she responded to the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, creating an initiative to provide more than £35 million in funding to help charities survive this turbulent time.

‘She took a keen interest in all donations from the Trust, no matter how large or small the donation was.’

Mr Rausing said of his wife’s death: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of my beloved wife Julia after a long illness.

“Julia dedicated her life to her family and charities, and she will be missed by all who knew her. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy across many charities, which we will continue in her name.”

Friends of Mr Rausing said Julia brought him luck after Eva’s death because she encouraged him to be extremely generous with their charity fund.

A friend told me The independent: ‘They were palpably in love and affectionate towards each other and were a very touching couple who spent most of their time giving away money to those in need.

‘They were also discreetly social while she also battled cancer for years. Without a doubt, she was responsible for bringing Hans back from terrible grief and helping him find joy in life again.”

The couple had donated £330 million in more than 1,000 grants, including £50 million a year to British charities, through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, of which they were co-founders.

The National Gallery and other arts organizations have received tens of millions of pounds in donations from the Rausings (pictured at the National Portrait Gallery’s reopening celebration in June 2023)

She is survived by her husband, four stepchildren, sister and mother.

The National Gallery and other arts organizations have received tens of millions of pounds in donations from the Rausings, and they have been leading forces in fundraising for charities during the pandemic.

They provided an £18m ‘lifeline’ to small and medium sized charities in 2020 under the Charity Survival Fund, as well as an emergency donation of £16.5m to other Covid causes, including a £1m donation to the Mail Force campaign.