Christopher Chandler is a New Zealand-born, Maltese billionaire and founder of Dubai-based investment companyLegatum. According to The Guardian, he has a net worth of $1.7 billion.
In 1986, the brothers formed investment firm Sovereign Global in Monaco to focus on transitioning industries in Russia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The business operated by investing in assets which it felt were mispriced in times of crisis. One of the company's first major investments was in Hong Kong real estate, a market which investors had fled after the signing of the Sino-British Accord. The company also invested in the Brazilian telecommunications industry, just after the country came out of hyperinflation, and in Russia, just after the fall of communism. During the Asian banking crisis, the brothers made significant investments in both Japan, including taking stakes in UHJ Holdings, Mizuho Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group. The brothers of took a stake in South Korean refiner SK Corp., where they unsuccessfully tried to "oust" its CEO and Chairman. In 2002, the brothers were the fourth largest investor in Gazprom, the Russian state-controlled gas company. The dog of their representative on the Board, Boris Fyodorov, was poisoned by cyanide, which allegedly may have been the result of their campaign to clean up the company's governance.
Legatum
In 2006, Christopher founded Dubai-based Legatum Capital after splitting off from his brother. The company was co-founded with Mark Stoleson, Philip Vassiliou and Alan McCormick. Legatum is a private, multibillion-dollar investment firm that puts money into companies in developing countries as well as the world's capital markets. In April 2012, Legatum acquired its own building in the Dubai International Finance Centre.
Personal life
Chandler is publicity shy and there exist few photographs of him nor much information about his personal life. He enjoys windsurfing, water-skiing and riding motorcycles. The Chandler brothers bought La Fleur du Cap in Cap Ferrat for their parents. It was previously owned by David Niven and Charlie Chaplin. Chandler became a citizen of Malta, a member-state of the European Union, in 2016. Roberta Metsola, a Member of the European Parliament representing Malta, said in January 2018, when the news of his Maltese citizenship became public, that it was "surreal" that a Brexit backer had applied for an EU passport. It subsequently became clear that Chandler was not sensu stricto a Brexiter, and his application for Maltese citizenship was made before the UK referendum in June 2016. Charles Moore, writing for the Telegraph in May 2018, wrote that Chandler "has never advanced political views or, according to Legatum employees, expressed opinions about Brexit".
