Hedge fund manager and Odey Asset Management founder Crispin Odey is set to contest a ban from the financial services industry and a £1.8m fine imposed by the UK regulator, with a tribunal hearing scheduled to begin this week in London, according to a report by The Times.
Odey is challenging a provisional decision by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which accused him of acting without integrity by obstructing internal disciplinary processes at his former firm.
The case will be heard at the Upper Tribunal and is expected to run for more than two weeks. It centres on allegations from the FCA that Odey used his control of the firm to interfere with investigations into complaints about his conduct towards female employees.
Odey disputes the allegations and maintains the disciplinary procedures were fundamentally flawed. He has argued that the committees responsible for reviewing his conduct felt pressured to reach a predetermined outcome, namely his removal from the firm.
Once one of the most prominent figures in the UK hedge fund industry, Odey oversaw assets of about $13bn at the peak of his firm’s operations. However, the business collapsed in 2023 after a series of sexual misconduct allegations were reported by the Financial Times. Odey has denied the claims.
Separately, Odey has launched a £79m libel action against the newspaper and faces multiple personal injury claims from women alleging sexual misconduct.
