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Maxwell's empire is ?bn
in debt |
1991: Maxwell business empire faces
bankruptcy |
England have
Administrators have been called in to try to salvage the Maxwell
business empire, which is at least ?bn in debt.
At 1100 GMT two sons of the late business tycoon Robert Maxwell, Kevin
and Ian, called in administrators from accountants Arthur Andersen as the
enormity of their father's financial difficulties emerged.
Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) today revealed Mr Maxwell, who died a
month ago, removed ?50m from its pension fund in the weeks before his
death apparently without proper authority.
Administrators will take over Headington Investments and Robert Maxwell
Group, the senior UK companies at the heart of his business empire.
They head a network of 400 private firms including AGB International,
The European Newspaper and The New York Daily News.
Through the two key companies the Maxwells own 51% of MGN.
The family also owns 68% of Maxwell Communication Corporation (MCC).
Administrators have three months to prepare a disposal plan for
approval by banks and other creditors.
Joint administrator John Talbot said: "We are looking at a strategy
where by we maintain the businesses which are good and viable and at the
moment we are looking to sell those."
Some analysts predict the Maxwell business empire could be sold off by
the spring, saying there is almost no question of a rescue.
Maxwell's private companies could be worth ?bn but the debts total
?.4bn.
MGN is valued at ?00m at its suspended share price but in an auction it
could fetch much more.
But it has debts of ?50m and faces questions about the millions of
pounds missing from its pension fund.
The other publicly quoted company, MCC, is worth ?27m at its last share
price, but like the private companies its debts total ?.4bn.
It was the Swiss Bank which triggered the crisis when it called in the
Serious Fraud Office and put a receiver into a subsidiary of Headington
Investments.
The bank had discovered the security the bank was owed had been sold -
contravening the loan
agreement.