| Usain Bolt. [연합] |
[헤럴드경제=김유진 기자] 12.8 million dollars (approximately 15.7 billion won) of retirement funds left by Usain Bolt, who is called ‘the world’s fastest man’, to a private investment company evaporated.
According to Bloomberg News on the 18th (local time), Bolt’s lawyer, Linton Gordon, said that Bolt had deposited $12.8 million (approximately 15.744 billion won) in an investment company called ‘Stokes and Securities’, but the current amount is 12,700. It said that only US dollars (about 15.62 million won) remained. The account is said to be part of Bolt’s lifetime savings.
Attorney Gordon announced that he would take legal action if ‘Stokes & Securities’ does not return the missing money. “I hope this is not true, but if this is true, serious fraud or theft has been committed by Bolt,” he said. “If the missing money is not returned within 10 days, civil and criminal action will be taken.”
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| Usain Bolt. [연합] |
‘Stokes and Securities’ is not responding to media requests for coverage. It is a position to ask all questions to the Jamaica Financial Services Commission, which is in charge of the investigation.
The investment firm said that “clients are eager to receive more information” and that “we are closely monitoring this issue and will inform our clients of solutions as information becomes available.”
Earlier this month, the company announced that it was aware of the scam and that some customers may have lost millions of dollars, such as Vault.
In response, the Jamaica Financial Services Commission announced on the 16th that it would appoint a special auditor to investigate allegations of fraud in the company. Jamaica’s finance minister, Nigel Clark, called the case “extremely unusual” and added, “You might want to be suspicious of our financial institutions, but please don’t take a negative view of Jamaica’s financial industry as a whole.”
On the 17th, Jamaica’s financial authorities temporarily took over management rights from ‘Stokes and Securities’. The company continues to operate, but the government has the right to approve all transactions.
Bolt, who holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m relay, retired in 2017.
kacew@heraldcorp.com
