The secretive Jersey financier behind Whitehaven's nemesis Bell Rock
Bell Rock founder Peter De Putron is intensely private. But links to George Soros, Brexit and the Tory party provide some clues about the man.
London hedge fund Bell Rock Capital Management has waged the most public activist campaign of the year on the ASX, agitating loudly against Whitehaven and its acquisition of two BHP coal mines. Yet while media reports have focused on its target, the story behind Bell Rock and its owner has remained largely concealed.
In fact, few in the Australian market had even heard of Bell Rock until it surfaced as the investor waging a behind the scenes campaign against Whitehaven earlier this year.
Capital Brief can reveal that the central figure behind the fund is Peter De Putron, a British financier with deep ties to the UK Conservative Party and the Brexit movement, and even deeper pockets. In filings with the UK company register, he is listed as the one person with "significant control" over the firm.
De Putron, who resides on the Channel Island of Jersey, is an intensely private individual whose affairs are routed through a complex network of companies. There are almost no photos available of him online.
