Eric Watson's 50th revealed in pictures
Hanover’s financial crisis was a world away when its key man Eric Watson, a bevy of assorted beauties, a Kennedy (yes, those Kennedys), scores of international business people and a Maori kapa haka group celebrated his 50th birthday in the historic Oriental Express train station.
The bash made such a splash a Turkish lifestyle publication carried eight pages of photographs of the event - obtained today by The National Business Review which first broke news of the April 10 party.
NBR has obtained copies of the snaps, which you can see by CLICKING HERE
The fake fur, expensive frocks and designer suits on display are likely to further raise the ire of Hanover investors, who were unimpressed when NBR revealed Mr Watson’s party plans earlier this month.
The soiree was held over two nights: a cocktail party on Friday April 10 – Mr Watson’s actual birthday – and a dinner and 1930s themed party on the Saturday night.
That themed party was held at the Sirkeci train station, original home of the ultimate symbol of luxury, the Orient Express.
It was organised by exclusive Istanbul-based travel and event organiser Private Class, whose owner Omer Karacan appears in many of the pictures.
Attendees included Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of the president of Kazakhstan; former Miss Italy Arianna Novacco; Mr Watson's long-time business confidant Jonathan Ledecky; and Adnan Polat, Turkish businessman and chairman of sports club Galatasaray.
As mentioned above, there was even a Kennedy – Robert Kennedy’s daughter Kerry was amongst the guests.
The night was given a New Zealand flavour by the performance of London-based Maori kapa haka group Manaia.
Last time Mr Watson celebrated a landmark birthday, a decade ago, he married lingerie model Nicky Robinson and won a $485,000 stake when his filly Grand Archway won the AJC Australian Oaks in Sydney – all on the same day
It follows the lavish birthday bash of his Hanover co-owner Mark Hotchin, who held an exclusive party on Fiji’s swanky Vomo Island.
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Comments and questions36
I find this while thing repugnant. Could he not at least pretend to care about the little people that are hurting. It is people like Mr Watson, who have totally lost sight of the value of money that are responsible for much of problems the world is facing today
Looks like a great party - would have loved to have been there! Party on dude!
All you suckers who bought in to Hanover before and after,and all the sycophant financial advisors,after the ball is over ,i fore-ever ask the question ,how come the top end of town get away with all sorts of suspect financial mismanagement ,and the bottom end of town are forever found guilty of much lesser crimes.
Who cares what he or others of his ilk get up to. They are all caught up in that 'scene registration mind wank conveyor'.
Destination: death. Because it all happens to everyone. Be aware of these people and other happenings -they are only passing interludes. However do not be overly influenced buy it all. Woman's Day type happenings are meant to acknowleged only momentarily then discarded from your mind along with those that create it.
Its also up to the investors to self-educate as much as possible,and work actively to avoid becoming way-ward ostridges/lemmings,seemingly hell bent on slaughter..all this takes work/guts,not denial/inertia.
Remember when Bruce Sheppard tried to ask the difficult questions & 'stand up for the public',and was told to shut up by a whimpy/compliant doormat turnout?
Sometimes,people just cant be told/helped...too busy sweeping it under the carpet,or trying to be well-behaved chooks in the hen-house,hoping not to be slaughtered by the foxes in charge...yeah,right!
And this is their just reward,i guess.....
This guy is repulsive. Great work Sarah, it's this type of journalism that will keep people like Eric Watson out in the open where everyone can see how dirty he really is.
Good! He has taken huge risks and worked bloiody hard. Well done Eric you deserved it and more.
Anti capitalist tripe as written above aside Tom, you can actually make a few mill without being a total peasant tosser you know. You and Eric should try it.
Michael Cullen's infamous remark to John Key was misdirected. The better target would be this idiot...the ultimate rich prick!
Anyone remember back in the day - when Eric Watson kicked off his career in "honest work" - a bit of the old insider trading when he and his partner in crime at Blue Star/US Office Products - none other than Jonathan Ledecky - bought McCollam printers. And what happened to US Office Products? Well, it went bankrupt owing disgruntled investors millions...sound familiar?
I trust his grandmother is safe. He would sell her if he could.
I trust he did what your briefcase columnist Bowie said and laid a wreath for the Hanover fallen at Anzac Cove. It would have been highly appropriate.
Watson et al give capitalism a bad name he is a corporate hazard always was always would be Trouble is Dalziel Weldon Diplock are too thick to understand the damage this cowboy and his mates have done.God forbid that the pollies and regulators would ever take effective action to stop these disasters.
NZ is a haven for corporate governance crooks
Whateveerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Show me one person that had a gun help to their head to sign up with Hanover. Seriously, the people who signed up are just as greedy as the guys running it! You can't run with the wolves and then hunt with the hounds! Any advisor will tell you to steer clear of investing in finance companies - there is no secret there as they are so volatile ( and often people did for half a percent more than a bank ! In the later years when it should have been risk adverse! We are all responsible for our actions, whether we like it or not, the buck stops with the investor )
It seems when they were making plenty and passing it on, there were absolutely no complaints from investors?
These guys made alot of people alot of money - but every action has an equal and opposite reaction . . . . . .
If he made it and hasn't broken any laws, spend it how he wants
So Eric Watson deserves it cos he's "worked hard" - as the tui ad says - YEAH RIGHT! It almost makes me want to support the south sydney rabbitohs - at least Russell Crowe had a go at him in that fight that time. F$%#@ Y^%$#
Eric Watson has always moved around in the Party scene with all the "latest noters" in town. To throw a party like his 50th is just his personality. Happy Birthday Eric and please pay me back my money so I can afford to have a stressless birthday party like you have.
How sad & how typically NZ it was to read Private Bin's almost breathless revelation of the guest list at the party, a veritable roll call of "C" list international celebrities. Couldn't help but notice that no one was there who would make the front page of the next issue of any world reknowned style magazine (& no, Auckland Metro isn't one of them), although getting the daughter of the President of Kazakhstan (where?) to come was a real coup. Poor Mr Watson, he must have a dreadful inferiority complex - despite all his loot.
Eric is too afraid to return to NZ in case someone attacks him, but like his partner in crime loves flaunting other peoples' former wealth. A pity that he and the rest of the parasites at the bash didn't get chronic food poisoning. The deception continues with Hanover not paying out the 2 cents in the dollar due late March. Excuse... cheque must be lost in the mail. Letters go unanswered, and emails get nothing other than an automated acknowledgement.
FAI purchased by Hothcin and Muir now has cover provided under the Government deposits guarantee scheme. Minister of Finance sees nothing wrong with tax payers supporting the ethics displayed by Hanover Finance shareholders, nor is the Commerce Commission taking any action. Do certain people have friends in high places.
You've missed the point entiely! This has nothing to do about making a mil or two. I need not have to explain surely!!
Good on you Eric!! In some places in the world people actually like to see success.
Watson and Hotchin and very mentally ill men.
Nikki should have screwed his for all his cash. Him and Hotchin and mentally ill.
Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin are very mentally ill men.
typical example of finance company Directors being the high priests of ‘F**K Itism.’ see my story on eric - published today:
http://www.scrubbuzz.com/2009/06/fk-it-way.html
So while they conned older investors into buying into Hannover (great job Richard Long!), they now don't give a toss. My retired father thought he'd have a small nest egg to draw on at the end of last year when he retired, now its gone, and he is dying...he won't ever get to enjoy a few weeks of comfort, let alone a good old party...He's too worried about his medical bills, and trying to keep warm this winter, which is what his nest egg was for. Bastards! Eric and Mark need a few home truths about individuals who are affected, and how a few thousand dollars makes all the difference. To them, its peanuts, something blown on a couple of bottles of champagne to slurp back in an evening. Meanwhile I have to watch my father deteriorating every day, knowing he'll never be able to enjoy his hard earned cash, cause these arseholes are too busy spending it on enjoying themselves.
If he and all other rich people acted like all the moaners on here the world would be stuck in the iron age.
well they certainly are a scummy pair ,imagine them being your dad ,u want hide and change your name ,but they really dont give a stuff ,i beleive they will get what they deserve ,some nasty yhing will happen to them or the familys .thats karma ,
Investment rule #1:
Do not invest. As soon as you part with your money, you won't see it anymore.
The guy is a crook end of story
Eric Watsons business dealings and not 'Success' they are " Frauds "
Hotchin, his wife and Eric Watson are pschopaths...they don't care who they hurt to feed their greed.
Mr Watson is a distant cousin of mine, although I have never met him. My maternal great grandmother was a Watson and her family owned much of Rangiora in the mid 1800's before selling it on throughout the generations. The only one left out of her ancestors with any wealth is Jim Watson, who owned nearly 100 acres of land in his youth and now ives in modest accomodation in Rangiora.
Having said that, though, I feel that Eric Watson should have to face some consequences for the demise of Hanover Finance. This is not the first time that his business dealings have been borderline dodgy. But Mr Watson wasn't really involved witht he day-to-day management of the finance company, he just put in a whole lot of his money and hoped for the best. Eric Watson is based in London and has been for some time now.
The buck has to stop with Mark Hotchin, who was not only a co-owner of Hanover but controlled the management side of things and lives in New Zealand.
I only wish I was not an Athiest so I could believe that people like E Watson would suffer on the other side. Instead I know he will party for his remaining days unaware of the sort of suffering that should be visited upon. Sincerely, from me to you Eric my good man, F U
Real men would be back in NZ trying to sort it out and find avenues to recover the losses - instead they party with the knowledge that NZ law is so useless that they can get away with it yet again - dont blame the crooks, blame the NZ regulatory and monitoring system (why?) - because its still happening to innocent people and consumers and they dont even know it despite all this.
He does - he used to sit behind a hedge on a private chair in the bushes hiding from view while peeking at the people on the beach (and the girls) like a sick psyhco doing horrible things to himself when he lived on the Takapuna beachfront.
Many have themselves to blame I suspect because when I personally went to Watson's governance crowd for answers and due diligence the response was stone-walled and questions ignored. There is no effective due diligence conducted in NZ either by the press or the regulators - let alone consumers, BECAUSE none of these parties have legal rights to get answers - and Watson knows it. Cowboys reign in NZ markets.
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