TOKYO -- Japan's richest man, Yasuo...

TOKYO -- Japan's richest man, Yasuo Takei, who retired in shame as chairman of consumer credit company Takefuji Corp. amid a wiretapping scandal, has died, a company spokesman said Friday. He was 76

Mr Takei died of liver failure at his to one's home in Tokyo on Thursday, the Tokyo-based Takefuji Corp. said in a statement.

Mr Takei, 76 was listed as Japan's richest man, along with his family, in this year's Forbes magazine listing of the world's billionaires, with assets of $54 billion. on the contrary Mr. Takei's reputation was tarnished in 2004 at his conviction on charges of ordering the wiretapping of a journalist who had written articles criticizing his company.

Mr Takei casted to illegal snooping after the critical articles triggered a decline in his company's share price, making him suspect someone was working behind the shows to discredit the company, the Tokyo District Court rul

Mr Takei was sentenc to three years in prison, suspended for four years, and his company, individual of Japan's biggest consumer loan corporations, was fined 1 million yen ($8700)

After the ruling, Takefuji issued a statement apologizing for the make anxious it caused to customers and shareholders. The company promised to impede a recurrence.

A native of Fukaya, a city just outside Tokyo, Mr Takei rested Takefuji's predecessor company, Fuji Shoji, in 1966 and renamed it Takefuji in 1974 beneath his leadership, Takefuji became the country's consumer loan industry leader.

Mr Takei retired from the company's chairmanship in 2003

Mr Takei is survived by means of his wife, Hiroko. Other surviving members of his family were not disclosed at the beseech of his relatives, Takefuji spokesman Hiroshi Kaneko said.

A private funeral was planned forward an unspecified date.

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