Receivers appointed by fund trustee to IPO Wealth Holdings, a Mayfair 101 entity
Receivers have been appointed to IPO Wealth Holdings, a Mayfair 101 entity.
The receivers were appointed on May 22 after IPO Wealth Holdings missed two repayments totalling almost $3 million.
The payments were due a week earlier, according to the fund's trustee, Vasco.
“We have received no communication from the borrower as to why these payments were not made despite a number of attempts to contact them,” Vasco said in an update to investors.
But Mayfair have advised its considered it "a premature and imprudent measure by Vasco given the current economic conditions imposed by COVID-19, and one that is likely to result in the unfortunate and unnecessary destruction of value for investors in the IPO Wealth Fund."
It advised Vasco Trustees Limited appointed receivers without the consultation of the investment manager, IPO Wealth Pty Ltd, and no attempts were made to understand the steps that are currently being undertaken by the Mayfair 101 Group to protect its investors and portfolio companies."
"No attempts were made by Vasco to contact the Group in the week leading up to the appointment of receivers. Furthermore, no response was received to an email sent to Vasco’s managing director, Craig Dunstan, on Wednesday 20 May 2020 advising that the Group was working on initiatives with its various advisers regarding restructuring to improve liquidity for the benefit of the fund’s investors."
It advised the group "has been working with top-tier restructuring experts and its panel of advisers to assist with the preservation of value for the benefit of the group’s investors.
"It is therefore immensely disappointing that the IPO Wealth Fund’s trustee has made this decision and compounded the already significant detrimental impact of ASIC’s actions on the Group and its many loyal investors.:
IPO Wealth Holdings Pty Ltd and its subsidiaries are cooperating with the receivers as required, it advised.
Company searches show IPO Wealth Holdings’ sole director is James Mawhinney, Mayfair 101’s founder.
The receivership is the latest issue for Mayfair 101, which has suspended contracted property purchases for its proposed tourism project in North Queensland.
The investment group Mayfair 101 had mooted a $1.6 billion spend on the Cassowary Coast over the next 15 years after the group's initial purchase of the Dunk Island Resort.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has recently alleged misleading advertising for Mayfair Platinum products.
The AFR reported the IPO Wealth fund started in 2017.
It makes a loan to another Mayfair entity which in turn made investments in portfolio companies.