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Odey Asset Management has vacated its long-standing Mayfair office, closing the doors to the headquarters of one of London’s oldest hedge funds after its founder Crispin Odey was hit Allegations of sexual assault forced the company to dissolve.
Staff at the shrinking company have moved from Upper Brook Street to serviced offices just blocks from northbound 64, according to documents filed in the company’s House of Representatives on Wednesday. The new store is being operated by One Avenue, which the company describes on its website as “luxury” and “state-of-the-art”.
Crispin Odey founded his eponymous hedge fund firm in Upper Grosvenor Street, Mayfair in 1991, expanded and then moved to nearby Upper Brook Street of a building. The Upper Brook Street office is known for its opulent basement dining room with floor-to-ceiling wine racks, where lunch is often served at nearby Michelin-starred Le Gavroche.
In June, a Financial Times investigation detailing allegations of sexual assault or harassment by 13 women against Crispin Odey plunged the firm into crisis as major banking partners swiftly took action. Action to sever ties, while investors seek to withdraw their funds. Last month, the Financial Times reported similar allegations against him by six other women.
The veteran financier strenuously denies the allegations and was ousted from the firm he built days after the first allegations were released, but Odey Asset Management has been unable to successfully distance itself from its founder and was instead forced to launch A closure plan. . The firm had to suspend or close certain funds while arranging to transfer fund managers to competitors.
Star fund manager James Hanbury of the firm’s Brooke Asset Management unit has agreed to move with his team to boutique advisory firm Lancaster Investment Management. Hanbury’s Absolute Return Fund, which manages £369m, was one of several funds whose withdrawals were suspended in June as the firm tried to contain the crisis, according to the firm’s website. Hanbury’s move was agreed last month and the fund has since reopened.
In June, Odey Asset Management said it was in “advanced negotiations” to transfer Oliver Kelton and the four funds it manages to boutique investment firm SW Mitchell Capital. The largest of these is Brook Europe Focus, which manages 602 million euros in assets, according to its website.
Freddie Neave took over the management of OEI Mac, one of Crispin Odey’s flagship funds, and is in talks to move into Landseer Asset Management and transfer shareholder investments to the new fund as part of a restructuring announced in July.
Two other funds previously managed by Crispin Odey have been fully scaled back, with Odey Portfolio closed and Odey Swan set to redeem investors by Sept. 4.
Investigations by the UK financial watchdog into Odey Asset Management and Crispin Odey are ongoing. Last month, the FCA set out the scale of its investigation in a letter to the Treasury Select Committee.
The FCA is investigating whether Odey Asset Management may have breached the regulator’s commercial principles, including “failing to conduct its business with due skill, care and diligence”. The investigation into Crispin Audi has focused on whether he is the “right and right person” to work in financial services and could be barred from future roles if found to be unfavorable to him.
Fieldfisher’s attorney Jill Greenfield, who is representing the two alleged victims, has asked the FCA to limit Odey Asset Management’s assets to ensure funds are available to pay the victims for future gains while the women review potential lawsuits. any compensation.
Odey Asset Management declined to comment.
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