STM Group has a small but significant place in British history. Until August last year, the Gibraltar-based financial services firm, which helps wealthy expats manage their cash, was the only shareholder in Better for the Country Ltd, the lobby group that became known as Leave.EU.
Ownership then passed to Arron Banks, 50, the Ukip donor who gave £6m to the campaign to quit the European Union. Leave.EU was Nigel Farage’s mouthpiece in the run-up to the Brexit vote and the rest is painful or glorious history, depending on your allegiance.
However, STM’s 15 minutes of fame — or infamy — may not be over yet. The AIM-listed company is at the centre of a storm caused by the imminent winding up of Trafalgar Multi Asset Fund. It does not look good for savers and the collapse could mean they lose a large chunk of their retirement pots.
And what of Banks? He had been a substantial shareholder in STM but sold most of his shares last year. A spokesman said he was no longer an investor. Impeccable timing.
JENNY JONES, the tennis-loving head of US mid and small cap equities at Schroders, loves investing in pest control businesses. Her reason? Jones, 58, worked out that everybody needs rat catchers when even the Schroders office in New York developed a problem with both mice and bedbugs. Who said investing had to be complicated?
NO DOUBT Simon Halabi will be licking his wounds after a bruising week in court. The Bentley-driving former billionaire was cleared of assault on a binman in Mayfair. Halabi, 58, called the rubbish collector a “black c***” but said he did not mean it in a racist way.
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Halabi might console himself with some margaux from his Château Cantenac-Brown, set in 118 acres of Bordeaux countryside. Not too shabby for a man who declared himself bankrupt six years ago.
TREBLES all round at Sipsmith. Last week the trendy west London gin distiller sold a controlling stake to the Japanese spirits giant Beam Suntory. It was not revealed how much Sipsmith was paid, but shareholders can expect a tidy Christmas bonus. Not that they need it. The register reads like the guest list at a society wedding. It includes Rupert Hambro of the banking dynasty, William Heathcoat-Amory, the heir to a baronetcy in Devon, and Joel Cadbury from the chocolate family.
ROONEY ANAND knows how to have a good time at Christmas. In an email sent to business contacts, the Greene King boss, 52, promised “festive fun” with an online game called Gift Stacker, in which players control a flying Father Christmas and try to stack presents as time runs out. Safe to say the game will not be winning any awards for graphic design.
The scores are on the leaderboard and Prufrock hears competition is fierce. Three names stand out in the current top 10: Harry Butt, Toby LeRone and Dick Less.