Telegraph owner David Barclay dies

LONDON: David Barclay, the secretive British billionaire whose portfolio included The Daily Telegraph newspaper and The Ritz hotel, has died aged 86 after a short illness, his newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Barclay and his twin Frederick, described by the daily as "identical in appearance, lifestyle and often even in dress", built a vast business empire from shipping to retail.

"The Barclay brothers operated as one throughout their active business career, while doing their utmost to avoid personal publicity and discourage media scrutiny," the broadsheet added.

Among those paying tribute to David Barclay was a former employee, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made his name on the newspaper as a Brussels-bashing Europe correspondent, and later a columnist.