Bankrupted Becker ‘invested in Nigerian oil’
BRITAIN: Boris Becker may have lost his £100 million (NZ$179M) fortune in part because of questionable investments in the Nigerian oil industry, according to claims in the German press.
Since the 49-year-old former German tennis star was declared bankrupt in a London court last month, speculation has been rife over how he managed to squander such a large personal fortune.
Germany’s Spiegel magazine has published claims that Becker’s business dealings went far deeper than celebrity endorsements and media appearances.
The magazine claims he made investments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, and at one point considered a single investment of more than US$10 million (NZ$13.6M). It also alleges he had extensive links outside tennis that ranged from African leaders to Lakshmi Mittal, the Indian steel billionaire, and was seen as someone who could facilitate business deals.
The claims centre on documents Spiegel says it was shown by Football Leaks, a whistle-blowing website. They include what purport to be internal emails from Doyen Global, a sports management agency which represented Becker for a period starting in late 2013, which reportedly show that Becker Private Office, a company controlled by Becker, held extensive shares in the Nigerian oil and gas business, Spiegel claims. Doyen Global did not respond to requests for comment.
During bankruptcy proceedings in London last month, John Briggs, Becker’s lawyer, told the court: ‘‘He is not a sophisticated individual when it comes to finances.’’
His bankruptcy followed a run of bad luck, including £20m in divorce and paternity settlements to his first wife, Barbara, and Angela Ermakova, a Russian model, and a two-year suspended sentence for tax evasion.
– Telegraph Group