Just when you thought that Saab and its new owner Spyker would withdraw from the media spotlight, after a lengthy negotiation with GM, which finally resulted in the Swedish brand be sold to the Dutch supercar manufacturer, new problems arise.
According to VEB, a Dutch securities association, it’s quite curious how a company which failed to turn a profit for quite some time, Spyker, has managed to get hold of enough money to buy another company which hasn’t seen a profit, Saab.
According to it, the CEO of Spyker, Victor Muller, has a lot of explaining to do, especially as the last amount of money was gained a week before the negotiation process was over, as a result of a rather shady deal.
Let’s explain. It seems that GM insisted throughout the talks, that Spyker’s chairman, Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, would back down from his position, so that Saab technology would be safe. In order to facilitate such a move, the 4.6 million shares owned by Antonov were bought by a recently founded company, Tenaci Capital, which was owned by Muller (it even had his home address). The company then contributed with €50 million in cash to GM and also loaned Spyker €82 million, which translates to a lot of money on such a short notice.
What’s even more peculiar, according to VEB, is that Muller refuses to disclose the backers of his company, which might include either Antonov, or his father, Alexander, who is also a very rich man.
All these questions might be answered on February 12th, when a Spyker shareholder meeting will take place.
Source: DutchNews via WorldCarFans
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