SN 2005kd is among the most luminous supernovae ( SNe ) to be discovered at X-ray wavelengths .
We have re-analysed all good angular resolution ( better than 20 ^ { \prime \prime } FWHM PSF ) archival X-ray data for SN 2005kd .
The data reveal an X-ray light curve that decreases as t ^ { -1.62 \pm 0.06 } .
Our modelling of the data suggests that the early evolution is dominated by emission from the forward shock in a high-density medium .
Emission from the radiative reverse shock is absorbed by the cold dense shell formed behind the reverse shock .
Our results suggest a progenitor with a mass-loss rate towards the end of its evolution of \geq 4.3 \times 10 ^ { -4 } \mbox { $M _ { \odot } $ } { yr } ^ { -1 } , for a wind velocity of 10 km s ^ { -1 } , at 4.0 \times 10 ^ { 16 } cm .
This mass-loss rate is too high for most known stars , except perhaps hypergiant stars .
A higher wind velocity would lead to a correspondingly higher mass-loss rate .
A Luminous Blue Variable star undergoing a giant eruption could potentially fulfill this requirement , but would need a high mass-loss rate lasting for several hundred years , and need to explain the plateau observed in the optical light curve .
The latter could perhaps be due to the ejecta expanding in the dense circumstellar material at relatively small radii .
These observations are consistent with the fact that Type IIn SNe appear to expand into high density and high mass-loss rate environments , and also suggest rapid variability in the wind mass-loss parameters within at least the last 5000 years of stellar evolution prior to core-collapse .