Barclay Knapp

{{Short description|Senior fellow at The Johns Hopkins University}}

Barclay Knapp is an American business executive and academic. He is currently a senior fellow at the Center for Financial Economics at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Charles Street Partners, a firm focused on investments and advisory in the telecommunications and technology sectors.

Early life and education

Knapp earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University and later completed an MBA at Harvard Business School.https://2014wis.sched.com/speaker/barclayknapp

Career

= CableTel, NTL, and Virgin Media =

Knapp co-founded International CableTel, which later became NTL Incorporated—a major cable television and telecommunications provider in the United Kingdom. NTL ultimately merged with Telewest to form Virgin Media, one of the UK’s leading broadband and pay-TV operators.

During the late 1990s, Knapp led NTL through a period of aggressive expansion, with the company's valuation peaking at approximately £21 billion in 2000. However, the subsequent collapse of the telecom sector required a major financial restructuring. NTL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2002, resulting in an $11 billion debt-for-equity swap.[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/aug/12/citynews.broadcasting Knapp quits as NTL chief], The Guardian, 12 August 2003 Knapp stepped down as CEO in October 2002 amid both praise for preserving the operating business and criticism over executive compensation and shareholder losses.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2860644/Barclay-Knapp-Im-chastened-and-humbled.html Barclay Knapp: 'I'm chastened and humbled'], The Telegraph, 17 July 2007

Despite the severity of the restructuring, NTL was one of the few large telecom bankruptcies at the time to avoid fraud or legal scandal, contrasting sharply with contemporaneous collapses such as Enron, Worldcom, and Adelphia.

= Post-NTL activities and academic work =

After leaving NTL, Knapp kept a relatively low public profile but continued his work in business and academia. He founded Charles Street Partners, a firm aimed at identifying financing and management opportunities in telecommunications. Concurrently, he became a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University, where he has contributed to research on corporate restructuring and financial policy.[https://econ.jhu.edu/directory/barclay-knapp/ Johns Hopkins University Faculty Profile: Barclay Knapp]

= DeepGreenX =

In the 2020s, Knapp became associated with DeepGreenX, a venture positioning itself as a sustainable, AI-enabled digital exchange for green assets and ESG-linked instruments.{{Cite web |title=Barclay Knapp |url=https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/agenda/speakers/14570-barclay-knapp |website=MWC Barcelona |access-date=20 May 2025}}{{Cite web |title=DeepGreenX Official Website |url=https://www.deepgreenx.net/#d7 |access-date=20 May 2025}} The company claims to leverage blockchain and machine learning technologies to increase transparency, traceability, and liquidity across ESG investment markets.

DeepGreenX has announced several large-scale strategic initiatives. In January 2025, the company disclosed a US$25 billion investment programme in partnership with Sente Ventures, aimed at accelerating the deployment of green infrastructure, energy storage, and carbon mitigation technologies globally.{{Cite news |title=DeepGreenX and Sente Ventures Announce $25 Billion Strategic Investment Program to Revolutionize Green Energy in 2025 |url=https://climateinsider.com/2025/01/06/deepgreenx-and-sente-ventures-announce-25-billion-strategic-investment-program-to-revolutionize-green-energy-in-2025/ |work=Climate Insider |date=6 January 2025 |access-date=20 May 2025}} Previously, in November 2024, DeepGreenX had also publicized a US$140 billion project and leasing fund commitment with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) to support decarbonization projects across emerging markets.{{Cite press release |title=DeepGreenX Secures Historic $140 Billion Project Commitment and Leasing Fund |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241117130710/en/DeepGreenX-Secures-Historic-%24140-Billion-Project-Commitment-and-Leasing-Fund |agency=Business Wire |date=17 November 2024}}

In May 2025, DeepGreenX filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to list American Depository Shares (ADSs) on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "DXG". The company, a Canadian holding entity with operational subsidiaries primarily in China, is expanding from its green logistics roots into a platform that converts sustainability data and real-world assets into tradable digital instruments.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2046889/000121390025047846/ea0223732-04.htm#T9928 |title=DeepGreenX Registration Statement |website=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |access-date=1 June 2025}}

References

External links

[https://econ.jhu.edu/directory/barclay-knapp/ Johns Hopkins University profile]

Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Johns Hopkins University fellows

Category:People from Bellevue, Nebraska

Category:People from Sarpy County, Nebraska

Category:Harvard Business School alumni