Matthew Taylor Mellon II (January 28, 1964 – April 16, 2018) was an American businessman who was a chairman of the New York Republican State Committee's finance committee.[1][2] He was a member of the prominent Mellon family.
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Mellon was named Finance Chairman by State Chairman Ed Cox in May 2011. In February 2018, Forbes magazine reported that Mellon's $2 million investment in the cryptocurrency XRP turned into a $1 billion fortune.[8][9]
Personal life
Mellon had bipolar disorder, as did his father.[4] Before their 2016 divorce, Mellon lived in New York City with his wife Nicole Hanley and their two children.[10] He also had a daughter whom he raised jointly with his former wife, Tamara Mellon, the co-founder of shoe company Jimmy Choo.[11][10] Prior to his marriage to Hanley, he was engaged to entrepreneur Noelle Reno, with whom he established a cashmere knitwear line.[12]
Mellon's reported addiction to the prescription opioid OxyContin was said to be costing him $100,000 a month. He was quoted as saying "OxyContin is like legal heroin. And it needs to be addressed."[13]
At the end of 2017, Mellon moved from New York to Los Angeles, renting a house in the Hollywood Hills for $150,000 a month. There, he led an active social life and began to spend much time with Kick Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. In late March 2018, Mellon dined with President Donald Trump.[14]
Death
Mellon died in April 2018 in Cancun, Mexico, where he was planning to check into the Clear Sky Recovery clinic, which specializes in therapy utilising ibogaine, a medication with psychedelic properties. However, he was reported to have died in a hotel room in Cancun before arrival at the clinic, suffering a fatal heart attack after taking ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drink.[14]