Christopher Skase - The Sick Tycoon :: essays research papers

In the early 1980's a young confident man named Christopher Charles Skase became world famous by amassing a list of assets including a multi-million dollar company called Quintex, the channel 7 network, Mirage resorts and a number of extravagant houses across the world. Christopher Skase was born on the 18th of September 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in a rich family going to Malvern and Caulfield Grammar Schools. He first started making money as a stockbroker and then as a finance journalist. In 1975 he bought a small Tasmanian based company called Quintex. Borrowing heavily the Company expanded into resort developments including 5 Mirage resorts and the media company, channel 7 network. Buoyed by his success Skase began to represent Australia's entrepreneurs of the 80's. Brash, extravagant and fearless. Who could forget his Christmas parties in Brisbane last decade? The Quintex group of companies collapsed in 1989. By 1991 Skase a seasoned overseas traveller failed to return to Australia. Bankrupt and aloof he stayed far from home and fought attempts to force him to return for trial on the charges brought by the Australian Securities Commission. Whilst a resident of Majorca Skase has developed his business ventures by creating an international company pursuing interests in resorts. It appears that this strategy has been adopted to carry favour with the Spanish Government in relation to investment attraction. Since 1994 in Spanish Courts he has fought extradition proceedings to Australia, claiming that a life threatening lung condition prevented him from travelling. This was challenged in the courts by witnesses to his lifestyle in Majorca where he and his wife Pixie are living together with step-daughter Amanda and her husband Tony Larkin. The Spanish had until recently upheld Skase's testimony. In May 1998, with Senator Amanda Vanstone leading the charge, the Australian Government cancelled Skase's passport. The Spanish courts moved quickly sending notice to Skase to leave Majorca by the 23rd July 1998 due to his lack of citizenship. Of course, there was and continues to be an appeal. Realising that he could be extradited to Australia since being stateless, Skase moved quickly to obtain a passport. In August, 1998 he became a citizen of Dominica and now has a valid Dominican passport.