David Rowland (property developer)

David Rowland was born in 1945 to the family of a scrap metal dealer.

Rowland established Fordham Investment Group in 1965. In 1970, he sold his stake in Fordham for £2.4 million, and moved to France. In the 1970s, he took control of the shipping company Williams Hudson and the timber group Venesta International through Argo Caribbean Group Limited, a Bahamian company controlled by the trustees of a Rowland's family settlement.

In 1989, Rowland acquired 34% interest in Idaho-based Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation from the Barclay brothers. A controlling stake was bought through a property company Inoco Plc., which was controlled by a Panama-based company, Monaco Group Fund S.A., an entity which was at that time governed by "trustees of settlements whose beneficiaries are Rowland and his children". Rowland himself became CEO of Gulf Resources. In 1991, Inoco sold its stake to Nycal Corporation. Over the following years, Gulf resorted to the American courts to recover company monies they alleged were spent by David Rowland, firstly via the courts{{cite web|url=http://www.romingerlegal.com/ninth_circuit/ninth_appeals/8540ninthcircuit.html |title=Gulf USA vs. David Rowland 1997/8 |publisher=Romingerlegal.com |accessdate=25 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311072903/http://www.romingerlegal.com/ninth_circuit/ninth_appeals/8540ninthcircuit.html |archivedate=11 March 2012 }} and then via their insurance company.{{cite web|url=http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/259/259.F3d.1049.99-35881.html |title=Gulf USA vs. Federal Insurance 2001 |publisher=Ftp.resource.org |accessdate=25 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325093540/http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/259/259.F3d.1049.99-35881.html |archivedate=25 March 2012 }} One case was settled (though no financial settlement was deemed necessary), while Gulf lost another.

In 2009, Kaupthing Bank Luxembourg, affected by the global liquidity squeeze, was divided into two new entities, a 'good, healthy' bank, later renamed Banque Havilland, and a 'bad' bank. David Rowland and his son Jonathan, via their investment company Blackfish Capital, acquired and recapitalized the former and now manage the assets, on behalf of the interbank creditors, of the latter.{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/5819352/Rowland-family-open-new-bank-from-remains-of-Kaupthings-Luxembourg-arm.html |title=Rowland family open new bank| newspaper = The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=13 July 2009 |accessdate=25 July 2013 |first=Graham |last=Ruddick}}

Redwood Financial Partners, a company controlled by David Rowland and his son Jonathan Rowland, own Redwood Bank, which became operational in 2017. At the same year, David Rowland and his son Edmund Rowland, through their investment company Staunton Holdings Ltd, made a takeover bid for the Falkland Islands-based FIH group. The takeover failed and their stake in the company was sold.

According to the Panama Papers leak, Rowland was a shareholder in "dozens of offshore companies" in the British Virgin Islands. The companies went through the letters of the alphabet; Asherton, Binbrook, Coalburn, Docking, etc.Watt, Holly. "Tory donors' links to offshore firms revealed in leaked Panama Papers". The Guardian. 2016-04-04.

In 1988, Rowland helped fund a lawyer, David Duff, in a failed takeover of Edinburgh Hibernian, parent company of Scottish Premier Division football club Hibernian. Eventually the company went into receivership.{{cite news | url = https://www.scotsman.com/sport/mercer-merger-20-years-on-hibs-chairman-s-revolution-ended-in-club-being-open-to-hostile-bid-1-1246616 |title=Hibs chairman's revolution ended in club being open to hostile bid | newspaper = The Scotsman |date= 2010-10-02 |accessdate=25 July 2013}}

In 2013, Rowland-owned Fordham Sports Management Ltd. acquired Manchester City's top players' image rights.

In the year before the 2010 United Kingdom general election, Rowland donated £2.8m to the Conservative Party, making him the party's major donor.

Rowland had lived in Guernsey, but returned to full United Kingdom residency in order to make donations to the Conservatives.{{cite news|author=Allegra Stratton and Haroon Siddique |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/aug/19/david-rowland-conservative-treasurer-quits |title=David Rowland: red faces at Tory HQ as next treasurer quits | newspaper = The Guardian |date= 19 August 2010|accessdate=25 July 2013}} Electoral law in the United Kingdom prohibits foreign donations to political parties.{{cite news| first1 = Paul | last1 = Lewis | first2 = Rob | last2 = Evans |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/aug/20/david-rowland-controversy-conservatives |title=David Rowland: Multimillionaire who courted controversy throughout his rise | newspaper = The Guardian |date= 20 August 2010|accessdate=25 July 2013}}

In August 2010, Rowland made another donation of £1 million to the Conservative Party.[http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100417111030/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6810803.ece The Times – David Rowland gives more than 1m to Conservative Party – 27 August 2010] In May 2017, he gave £200,000 to the Conservative Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityam.com/264987/party-donors-biggest-names-bank-rolling-conservative|title=Party donors: Here are the big names bank-rolling the Conservative campaign|first=Helen|last=Cahill|date=18 May 2017|website=cityam.com|accessdate=28 January 2018}}

Rowland moved from London to Paris at the age of 24, then Monte Carlo, Monaco, and finally Guernsey, where he has lived since at least 2005. He lives at Havilland Hall, the largest privately owned estate on the island, where in 2005, Prince Andrew unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Rowland smoking a cigar in a "vaguely Churchillian pose".

He has eight children.

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news | url=https://www.finews.com/news/english-news/23066-banque-havilland-rowland-family-banque-pasche | title=British Tycoon Enters Swiss Private Banking | work=finews.com | date=2016-05-27 | accessdate=2019-04-30}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/a6295cdc-664d-11e7-8526-7b38dcaef614 | title=Publicity-shy multimillionaire denies bank deal on yacht | date=2017-07-11 | accessdate=2019-05-18 | last=Croft | first=Jane | newspaper=Financial Times|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2000/jan/07/personalfinancenews.business | title=Who put the whiz into Jellyworks kid? | date=7 January 2000 | accessdate=29 April 2019 | last=Cassy | first=John | newspaper=The Guardian}}

{{cite news | url=https://moneyweek.com/30778/david-rowland-city-wheeler-dealer-back-from-exile-49535/ | title=David Rowland: City wheeler-dealer back from exile | work=Money Week | date=16 July 2010 | accessdate=29 April 2019 | last=Cassy | first=John}}

{{cite web | url=https://www.casemine.com/judgement/uk/5b2897ab2c94e06b9e1982f6# | title=Wright v Rowland & Anor | via=Casemine.com | work=England and Wales High Court (Commercial Court) | date=October 2017 | accessdate=2019-04-30}}

{{cite web | url=http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/1972-01.pdf | title=The Consolidated Signal Company Limited/Venesta International Limited | work=Takeover Panel | date=1972-01-06 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | issue=1}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jul/14/ex-mining-exec-enters-politics/ | title=Ex-Bunker Hill exec enters British politics | date=2010-07-14 | accessdate=2019-04-29 | last=Kramer | first=Becky | newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jun/04/the-collapse-of-gulf-two-blamed-for-toxic-legacy/ | title=The Collapse of Gulf Two Blamed For Toxic Legacy Financiers Accused of Draining Gulf, Leaving Taxpayers, Retirees With Bills | date=1995-06-04 | accessdate=2019-04-29 | last=Massey | first=Steve | newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-11-12/the-epa-can-t-wait-to-reopen-the-mine-that-poisoned-north-idaho | title=The EPA Can't Wait to Reopen the Mine That Poisoned North Idaho | publisher=Bloomberg News | date=2018-11-12 | accessdate=2019-04-29 | last=Waldman | first=Peter}}

{{cite web | url=https://casetext.com/case/nycal-corp-v-inoco-plc-3 | title=Nycal Corp. v. Inoco PLC | work=United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | date=1997-12-12 | accessdate=2019-04-29}}

{{cite news | url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jun/05/the-collapse-of-gulf-gulf-goes-for-broke-with-our/ | title=The Collapse of Gulf Gulf Goes For Broke With Our Money Taxpayers, Pensioners Left With Polluted Land, Escalating Bills | date=1995-06-05 | accessdate=2019-04-29 | last=Massey | first=Steve | newspaper=The Spokesman-Review}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/b97cea16-ad05-11e7-beba-5521c713abf4 | title=Former Conservative party treasurer wins Luxembourg bank case | date=2017-10-09 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last=Croft | first=Jane | newspaper=Financial Times|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/a4b088f6-8cbf-11e7-9084-d0c17942ba93 | title=Challenger bank backed by council up and running | date=2017-08-29 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last=Dunkley | first=Emma | newspaper=Financial Times|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/16/redwood-a-challenger-bank-founded-by-the-rowland-family-seeks-fc/ | title=Redwood, a challenger bank founded by the Rowland family, seeks FCA approval | date=2016-10-16 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last=Davidson | first=Lauren | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/10/challenger-bank-redwood-secures-banking-licence-30m-council/ | title=Challenger bank Redwood secures banking licence and £30m council investment | date=2017-04-10 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last=Martin | first=Ben | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.ft.com/content/afa2c958-0fd4-11e7-a88c-50ba212dce4d | title=Falklands battle more likely than Unilever to prompt shift on UK takeover | date=2017-03-26 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last=Burgess | first=Kate | newspaper=Financial Times|location=London | url-access=subscription}}

{{cite news | url=https://en.mercopress.com/2017/05/03/american-trust-becomes-largest-single-shareholder-of-fih | title=American trust becomes largest single shareholder of FIH | work=MercoPress | date=2017-05-03 | accessdate=2019-04-30}}

{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/04/tory-donors-links-to-offshore-firms-revealed-in-leaked-panama-papers | title=Tory donors' links to offshore firms revealed in leaked Panama Papers | date=4 April 2016 | accessdate=30 April 2019 | last=Watt | first=Holly | newspaper=The Guardian}}

{{cite news | first1=Tom | last1=Bergin | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-files-fairplay-mancity-special/special-report-soccer-club-man-city-boosted-finances-through-creative-plays-documents-show-idUSKCN1NB2S5 | title=Special Report: Soccer club Man City boosted finances through creative plays, documents show | agency=Reuters | date=2018-11-06 | accessdate=2019-04-30 | last2=Bryan-Low | first2=Cassell}}

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowland, David}}

Category:English businesspeople

Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:Chairmen and investors of football clubs in Scotland

Category:Conservative Party (UK) officials

Category:British real estate and property developers

Category:Conservative Party (UK) donors