Christopher Skase – The Sick Tycoon Essay, Research Paper

In the early 1980’s a young confident man

named Christopher Charles Skase became world famous by amassing a list

of assets including a multi-million dollar company called Quintex, the

channel 7 network, Mirage resorts and a number of extravagant houses across

the world.

Christopher Skase was born on the 18th

of September 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in a rich family

going to Malvern and Caulfield Grammar Schools. He first started making

money as a stockbroker and then as a finance journalist. In 1975 he bought

a small Tasmanian based company called Quintex. Borrowing heavily the Company

expanded into resort developments including 5 Mirage resorts and the media

company, channel 7 network.

Buoyed by his success Skase began to represent

Australia’s entrepreneurs of the 80’s. Brash, extravagant and fearless.

Who could forget his Christmas parties in Brisbane last decade?

The Quintex group of companies collapsed

in 1989. By 1991 Skase a seasoned overseas traveller failed to return to

Australia. Bankrupt and aloof he stayed far from home and fought attempts

to force him to return for trial on the charges brought by the Australian

Securities Commission.

Whilst a resident of Majorca Skase has

developed his business ventures by creating an international company pursuing

interests in resorts. It appears that this strategy has been adopted to

carry favour with the Spanish Government in relation to investment attraction.

Since 1994 in Spanish Courts he has fought

extradition proceedings to Australia, claiming that a life threatening

lung condition prevented him from travelling. This was challenged in the

courts by witnesses to his lifestyle in Majorca where he and his wife Pixie

are living together with step-daughter Amanda and her husband Tony Larkin.

The Spanish had until recently upheld Skase’s testimony.

In May 1998, with Senator Amanda Vanstone

leading the charge, the Australian Government cancelled Skase’s passport.

The Spanish courts moved quickly sending notice to Skase to leave Majorca

by the 23rd July 1998 due to his lack of citizenship. Of course, there

was and continues to be an appeal.

Realising that he could be extradited to

Australia since being stateless, Skase moved quickly to obtain a passport.

In August, 1998 he became a citizen of Dominica and now has a valid Dominican

passport.

Being a new West Indian citizen, Skase

appears to have all the aces up his sleeve. Australia has no jurisdiction

now to legally argue for his extradition from Spain back to his country

of birth.

His notoriety continues, with brother in

law Mr Larkin claiming Skase takes oxygen every day and is so sick he cannot

move properly. This is despite news pictures showing Skase alive and well.

We all wait for the future episodes of

the saga involving Australia’s “Most Wanted Man.”