View source for David and Frederick Barclay

{{short description|British businessmen; twin brothers (born 1934)}}
{{redirect|Frederick Barclay|the New Zealand cricketer|Frederick Barclay (cricketer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Sir David Barclay<br />and<br />Sir Frederick Barclay
| image        = Brecqhou - Barclay Brothers Castle.jpg
| caption      = [[Brecqhou]] – Barclay brothers' castle
| birth_date   = '''David:''' David Rowat Barclay<br />{{Birth date|1934|10|27|df=y}}<hr />'''Frederick:''' Frederick Hugh Barclay<br />{{Birth date and age|1934|10|27|df=y}}<br />[[Hammersmith]], London, England
| death_date   = '''David:''' {{Death date and age|2021|1|10|1934|10|27|df=y}}
| occupation   = Businessmen
}}

'''Sir David Rowat Barclay''' (27 October 1934 – 10 January 2021) and '''Sir Frederick Hugh Barclay''' (born 27 October 1934),<ref name="The Guardian – Barclay Brothers">{{cite news |author=Robinson, James |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/14/barclay-brothers-sark-telegraph-media-group |title=The raiders of the lost Sark |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=14 December 2008 |access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref> commonly referred to as the "'''Barclay Brothers'''" or "'''Barclay Twins'''", were British billionaire brothers, of whom Frederick Barclay is now the sole survivor. They were [[identical twin|identical twins]] and, until David's death in 2021, had joint business interests primarily in media, retail and property.

[[Sunday Times Rich List|''The Sunday Times'' Rich List]] of 2020 estimated their wealth at £7&nbsp;billion.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|date=17 May 2020|title=The Sunday Times Rich List|work=The Sunday Times|editor1=Watts, Robert|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list|access-date=17 May 2020}}</ref> They earned a reputation for avoiding publicity and have often been described as reclusive.

David's son, Aidan, manages their UK businesses. Their businesses have been accused of [[tax avoidance]], by placing assets under ownership of companies registered abroad and controlled through trusts. Their [[Press Holdings]] company controls [[Telegraph Media Group|Telegraph Group Limited]], parent company of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' and ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]''. It formerly owned ''[[Apollo (magazine)|Apollo]]'' and ''[[The Spectator (1828)|The Spectator]]'' magazines.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071212115249/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/pressoffice/main.jhtml;jsessionid=RV1Z1QYUYHV0ZQFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ0IV0?view=DISPLAYCONTENT&grid=P8&menuId=-1&menuItemId=-1&_requestid=148402 The Telegraph Press office]</ref>

In 1993, the brothers bought the lease of the island of [[Brecqhou]], one of the smallest of the [[Channel Islands]], just off the coast of [[Sark]].

==Biography==
The Barclay brothers were born within ten minutes of each other in [[Hammersmith]], London, to Scottish parents Beatrice Cecilia (née Taylor; died 1989) and her husband, Frederick Hugh Barclay, a travelling salesman.<ref>{{cite web |title=Profile: The Barclay brothers: Trappist twin tycoons let money do their talking |url=https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/profile-the-barclay-brothers-trappist-twin-tycoons-let-money-do-their-talking-kcqv28pbqjh |website=The Times |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=25 January 2004}}</ref><ref name="passion">{{cite web |last1=Nugent |first1=Helen |title=Is a bankrupt brother the secret behind Barclays' passion for privacy and success? |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/is-a-bankrupt-brother-the-secret-behind-barclays-passion-for-privacy-and-success-7zxf2x32dsm |website=The Times |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=18 August 2004}}</ref> The couple had eight other children. Frederick Sr. died when the brothers were twelve years old, and they left school four years later in 1950 to work in the accounts department at the [[The General Electric Company plc|General Electric Company]] before setting up as painters and decorators.<ref name="The Guardian – Barclay Brothers"/>

In 1955, David married Zoe Newton, who had trained as a ballet dancer, at [[List of churches in the Diocese of London#Deanery of Kensington|St John the Baptist Church, Holland Road, Kensington]].<ref name="passion"/> Zoe Barclay pursued a modelling career and became the most photographed and highest paid model in Britain of her time,<ref>{{cite web |title=Barclay brothers come out of purdah with biography |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/barclay-brothers-come-out-of-purdah-with-biography-228cn5r2226 |website=The Times |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=3 August 2003}}</ref> appearing on the front of popular magazines such as ''[[Picturegoer]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.picturegoer.net/ZoeNewtonFeb57.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010413195221/http://www.picturegoer.net/ZoeNewtonFeb57.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 April 2001 |title=Picturegoer – 1957 |publisher=Picturegoer.net |access-date=15 January 2014 }}</ref> She appeared on television and in the Dairy Council advertisements as the "drinka pinta milka day" girl.<ref>[http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Steve%27s+collection+takes+a+%27lotta+bottle-a0135598406 "Milk Bottle Museum"], ''The Birmingham Post'' (archived at thefreelibrary.com)</ref>

By the end of the 1950s, the brothers were running Candy Corner, tobacconists and confectioners, on the edge of Kensington. However, in November 1960 the business folded when Frederick and Douglas{{clarify|who?|date=February 2015}} were made bankrupt at the High Court after their landlord seized the shop because they were in breach of the terms of the lease.<ref name="passion"/> A notice in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' at that time announced the bankruptcies, listing a former business interest of Frederick, then aged 26, and Douglas, two years his junior, as builders and decorators called Barclay Brothers based at the Barclay family home.

Meanwhile, David was registered as a director of Hillgate Estate Agents in 1962, with his wife Zoe as a co-director; she had given up her modelling career to concentrate on her young sons. By 1968, however, Frederick was running the family businesses, replacing Zoe on the Hillgate board. He had obtained the discharge of his bankruptcy after David paid the creditors. During this time they redeveloped old boarding houses in London, and made them into hotels.<ref name="passion"/>

Between 1968 and 1974, the twins received increasingly large loans from the [[Crown Agents]], a government agency designed to help the colonies and developing countries do business in Britain. In 1970, they bought Gestplan Hotels, which operated the [[Londonderry House|Londonderry House Hotel]] in Park Lane, from a group of Lebanese bankers.

In the mid-1970s, Frederick met and married Hiroko Asada (née Kuzusaka), a familiar figure among Japanese society in London. She had a son from her previous marriage,<ref name="passion"/> and later had a daughter, Amanda.<ref name=tg20b/> Meanwhile David married Reyna Oropeza, with whom he had a fourth son in 1989, named Alistair.<ref name=obit1/>

From the late 1960s onwards, the Barclay brothers continued to build up stakes in businesses such as breweries and casinos. In 1975, they bought the Howard Hotel, overlooking the [[River Thames|Thames]] at [[Temple Place]]. In 1983, they bought [[Ellerman Lines|Ellerman]], the brewing and shipping group, for £45m. They later sold its brewing division for £240m. They used the proceeds to buy the [[The Ritz London Hotel|Ritz Hotel]] in London's [[Piccadilly]] in 1995. They spent £370&nbsp;million on [[Gotaas-Larsen]], a [[Bermuda]]-based shipping company, and £200&nbsp;million on the Automotive Financial Group, a motor retail chain in 1994. The brothers were involved in philanthropy, and were knighted in 2000 for their support of medical research, to which they have donated an estimated £40&nbsp;million between 1987 and 2000.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1372633/Barclay-twins-knighted-in-double-dubbing.html "Barclay twins knighted in 'double dubbing'"], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 1 November 2000.</ref>

In 2004 they were listed in 42nd place with an estimate of £750&nbsp;million on [[Sunday Times Rich List|''The Sunday Times'' Rich List]], and in 2006 they were ranked 24th with a value of £1,800m.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/richlist/fullSearch/0,,2006-1-0,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328061620/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/richlist/fullSearch/0,,2006-1-0,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 March 2007 |title=The Times Rich List, 2006|work=The Times |date=3 November 2013 |access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref> In 2012, they topped the Media Rich List with an estimate of £2.25&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sweney|first=Mark|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/apr/25/barclay-brothers-sunday-times-rich-publishing|title=Barclay brothers top ''Sunday Times'' Rich List in publishing and advertising|work=The Guardian|date=25 April 2012|access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>

David died aged 86 on 10 January 2021, after a short illness.<ref name=obit1>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2021/01/12/sir-david-barclay-telegraph-owner-twin-frederick-built-vast/|title=Sir David Barclay, Telegraph owner who with his twin Frederick built a vast business empire – obituary|work=The Telegraph|date=12 January 2021|access-date=13 January 2021}}</ref>

In May 2021, the court ordered Frederick to pay his wife, Hiroko, £100 million on a divorce she had initiated; the judge criticised Frederick for selling a yacht contrary to court orders. The court said he had "completely ignored those orders, sold the yacht, and applied the equity for his own use. I regarded that behaviour as reprehensible" ... "[He] is a public figure who should have been aware of the potential consequences of disobedience of court orders and his behaviour in the proceedings should not be allowed to pass completely under the radar”.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2feb5313-84ac-436a-8f57-d425fbf302a8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/2feb5313-84ac-436a-8f57-d425fbf302a8 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-status=live|title=Frederick Barclay told to pay ex-wife £100m after divorce battle|first=Jane|last=Croft|date=5 May 2021|newspaper=[[The Financial Times]]|url-access=subscription}}</ref> On 28 July 2022, a high court judge ruled that Frederick's ex-wife of 34 years had failed to prove he was in contempt of court for not paying her a £100 million divorce settlement. However, he was told he faced a potential jail sentence after a judge found him in contempt of court for failing to pay his ex-wife £245,000 in legal fees and monthly maintenance costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/jul/28/frederick-barclay-could-face-jail-over-failed-payments-to-ex-wife|title=Frederick Barclay could face jail over failed payments to ex-wife|work=The Guardian|date=28 July 2022|accessdate=28 July 2022}}</ref>

==Business interests==
===Hotels===
* the [[London Ritz]] (1995-2020)

===Shipping===

====Ellerman Lines (1983–1985)====
In 1983, the brothers purchased brewing and shipping group [[Ellerman Lines|Ellerman]] for £45m. They later sold its brewing division (for £240m), and in late 1985 its shipping business (to its management). The Ellerman deal helped the Barclays develop the strategy of buying companies, breaking them up and profiting from the real estate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=86636 |title=Britain's Billionaire Barclay Twins Use Stealth to Amass Empire |publisher=Mathaba.net |access-date=15 January 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150620232153/http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=86636 |archive-date=20 June 2015 }}</ref> The technique of approaching an insider to obtain an advantage also set a precedent for later deals: the Barclays approached the Ellerman non-executive chairman, David Scott, at a secret meeting in Monte Carlo. Scott recalled in his memoirs that David Barclay requested an exclusive option to buy the firm, and to keep it secret from all but two directors, in return for a promise that Scott would stay on as non-executive chairman. However, moments after signing the sale document, Scott was handed a letter (by the Barclays' lawyer) demanding his immediate resignation on grounds that he had been indiscreet about the offer.<ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/02/01/hollinger-pursuers-show-skills/ "Dealmaking Barclays accustomed to getting their way"], articles.chicagotribune.com, 1 February 2004.</ref>

===Retail===


====The Very Group and Littlewoods====
In 2002, the brothers purchased the [[Liverpool]]-based retail company [[Littlewoods]] from its founders, the [[John Moores (British businessman)|Moores family]], for £750&nbsp;million. The deal was bankrolled by [[HBOS]], which also took a 5% equity stake in the brothers' bidding vehicle, LW Investments. The brothers merged the company with their earlier purchase, [[The Very Group]], to form [[Littlewoods Shop Direct Group|Littlewoods Shop Direct Home Shopping Limited]], which operates a majority share of the United Kingdom's home shopping market. They also closed and sold off the Littlewoods department store chain, with the largest parcel of 120 properties being purchased by [[Associated British Foods]] for leasing mainly to its subsidiary [[Primark]],<ref>[http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/165/165350_primark_takes_over_120_littlewoods_stores.html "Primark takes over Littlewood stores"], ''Manchester Evening News''</ref> while other stores were leased to [[Marks & Spencer]], [[New Look (clothing retailer)|New Look]] and [[British Home Stores]].<ref>[http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/green/ac777/bes/bes_spring1999/28_2/sec2.htm "Structure of Industry" by Robert Paisley] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215072646/http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/green/ac777/bes/bes_spring1999/28_2/sec2.htm |date=15 December 2008 }}, dialspace.dial.pipex.com</ref>

Two years after the brothers' acquisition of Littlewoods Ltd., [[HM Revenue and Customs]] repaid the company VAT that it had charged in breach of EU law. Since October 2004, more than £200&nbsp;million in overpaid VAT and £268&nbsp;million in simple interest was repaid to the company.<ref>[http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/Article/3063534/ECJ-refers-Littlewoods-VAT-case-back-to-the-UK.html ''International Tax Review''], 19 July 2012</ref> However, Littlewoods argued that the company was owed a compounded interest rate and subsequently sued HMRC for £1&nbsp;billion.<ref>[http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2192417/littlewoods-court-case-could-cost-taxman-billions "Littlewoods court case could cost taxman billions"], ''AccountancyAge'', 18 July 2012.</ref>

In 2024, Very Group auditors, [[Deloitte]], resigned after stating they struggled to access "appropriate and relevant information in respect of certain financing arrangements between companies in the wider group". Very Group's ownership is spread across many different companies, some unaudited, with an ultimate offshore owner.<ref name=telegraph-20240320>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/03/20/deloitte-quits-very-group-auditor-fresh-blow-barclay-family/ |title=Deloitte quits as Very Group auditor in fresh blow to Barclay family |last=Barr |first=Luke |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url-access=subscription |date=20 March 2024 |access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref>

====Yodel====
Delivery company [[Yodel (company)|Yodel]] has received criticism for its poor service in the past, but has improved over recent years.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bachelor, Lisa |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/aug/24/amazon-complaints-yodel-delivery-service |title=Amazon deluged with complaints over Yodel's poor delivery service |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=24 August 2012 |access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120325223233/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2012/03/yodel.html bbc.co.uk], 22 March 2012</ref> Yodel (which operates via Home Delivery Network Ltd.) suffered a £130&nbsp;million loss in 2011.<ref>[http://bizzy.co.uk/uk/05200072/home-delivery-network bizzy], Home Delivery Network Limited profile</ref>

====handbag.com (1999–2006)====
In October 2006, the Barclays sold handbag.com for £22&nbsp;million. This was almost all profit: they acquired the website after it was set up as a joint venture between [[Hollinger International]] and the [[Boots Group]] in 1999.  The Handbag group was a collection of four websites designed for female users: the high fashion getlippy.com, the fashion and home life-focused allaboutyou.com, a "specialist pregnancy site" gomamatoday.com and handbag.com.<ref>[http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story3029.shtml Journalism.co.uk "NatMags buys Handbag.com"], journalism.co.uk</ref>

====Woolworths and Ladybird brands (2009–2021)====
{{Main|Woolworths (United Kingdom)}}

On 2 February 2009, it was announced that the brothers' [[Shop Direct Group]] had purchased the brand names of [[Woolworths (UK)|Woolworths]] and [[Ladybird (clothing)|Ladybird]] children's clothing for an undisclosed amount, from [[Deloitte]], the administrators of the failed [[Woolworths (United Kingdom)|Woolworths Group]].<ref name="salebrand">{{cite web|url=http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/0,1014,sid%253D2988%2526cid%253D245646,00.html|title=Administrators announce sale of Woolworths brand|publisher=Deloitte|date=2 February 2009|access-date=5 February 2009}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In July 2021, the British and Irish Woolworths brands would be sold to [[Woolworth (European retailer)|Woolworth]] in Germany, with The Very Group retaining the Ladybird brand.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-23 |title=Woolworths could return to British High Streets |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68068503 |access-date=2024-03-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Newspapers===
Many of the brothers' publishing interests are owned through a [[Jersey]] company, [[Press Holdings]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Doward|first=Jamie|date=21 February 2015|title=Daily Telegraph provokes fresh outrage over reporting of 'suicides' at News UK|language=en-GB|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/21/daily-telegraph-outrage-reporting-suicides-news-uk|access-date=3 May 2020|issn=0029-7712}}</ref>

====''The European'' (1992–1998)====
In 1992, the Barclay brothers entered the newspaper publishing industry by buying ''[[The European (newspaper)|The European]]'' newspaper, formerly part of [[Robert Maxwell]]'s holdings. The weekly paper became a high-end business tabloid, but closed in 1998.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}

====''The Scotsman'' (1995–2005)====
In 1995, they bought ''[[The Scotsman]]'' newspaper, and in 1996 appointed former ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|Sunday Times]]'' editor [[Andrew Neil]] to oversee their publishing interests. On 19 December 2005, the Barclays sold [[The Scotsman Publications]] Ltd, itself then part of [[Press Holdings]] Group, for £160&nbsp;million to [[Johnston Press]]. The Barclays had owned these publications for a decade, and said they intended to use the capital raised on their other interests. During their ownership of ''The Scotsman'', the newspaper had seven editors in nine years (see [[The Scotsman#Editors|The Scotsman: Editors]]).

====''Sunday Business'' (1998–2008)====
In 1998 they bought and relaunched the ''[[Sunday Business]]'' newspaper with editor [[Jeff Randall (journalist)|Jeff Randall]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/hi/profiles/newsid_3244000/3244242.stm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917095316/http://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/hi/profiles/newsid_3244000/3244242.stm|url-status=live|archive-date=17 September 2018|title=About BBC News {{!}} Profiles {{!}} Jeff Randall|date=17 September 2018|access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref> It became a weekly magazine ''[[The Business (magazine)|The Business]]'' in 2006, and was merged into ''[[The Spectator]]'' in 2008.

====The Telegraph Media Group (2004–2025)====
In July 2004, the Barclays bought The Telegraph Group (now [[Telegraph Media Group]]), which includes ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'', and ''The Spectator'' after months of intense bidding and lawsuits. ''The Telegraph Group'' was owned by [[Hollinger Inc.]] of [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada, the newspaper group controlled by the Canadian-born British businessman [[Conrad Black]]. As part of a February 2004 judgment, an American judge, [[Leo Strine]], accused the Barclay brothers of being "less than fully candid", adding they had "remained silent while Lord Black misled the [[Hollinger Inc.]] International board", remarks that incurred the brothers' wrath, with David branding the criticisms "grossly unfair".<ref name="Telegraph">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/jun/23/pressandpublishing.business|title=Who are the Barclay brothers?|work=The Guardian|first=Chris|last=Tryhorn|date=23 June 2004}}</ref>

The brothers' period as newspaper proprietors was more tumultuous than with their property interests. At the Telegraph Group, [[Murdoch MacLennan]] made over 100 journalists redundant in 2006, prompting the [[National Union of Journalists]] (NUJ) to consider strike action. ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'' editor [[Dominic Lawson]] was sacked and replaced by [[Sarah Sands]] in June 2005, but Sands lasted just nine months. [[Patience Wheatcroft]] from ''[[The Times]]'' was appointed editor in March 2006. She was replaced by [[Ian MacGregor (journalist)|Ian McGregor]] one year later.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}} [[Jason Seiken]] was made editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Telegraph Media Group in October 2013, but announced his departure after 18 months in April 2015, three months after [[Peter Oborne]], the Chief Political Correspondent, resigned from the newspaper in protest at its editorial direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/jason-seiken-departs-telegraph-after-18-months-editor-chief/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917095848/https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/jason-seiken-departs-telegraph-after-18-months-editor-chief/|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 September 2018|title=Telegraph editor-in-chief Jason Seiken departs after 18 months – Press Gazette|date=17 September 2018|access-date=25 October 2019}}</ref>

In October 2019, it was announced that the brothers were seeking to sell the Telegraph Group amid speculation that their business interests were in some difficulty.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sweney|first1=Mark|last2=Davies|first2=Rob|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/oct/28/telegraph-sale-could-herald-breakup-of-vast-barclays-empire|title=Telegraph sale could herald breakup of vast Barclays empire|work=The Guardian|date=28 October 2019|access-date=24 February 2020}}</ref>

On 7 June 2023, after a bitter row over nearly £1bn of unpaid debts, the ''Daily'' and ''Sunday Telegraph'', amongst others, were put up for sale by [[AlixPartners]], who had been appointed by [[Bank of Scotland]] as official receiver to seize the shares owned by the Barclay family in the holding company that ultimately controlled the national newspapers and ''The Spectator'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |last2=Lawson |first2=Alex |date=7 June 2023 |title=Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers to be put up for sale |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jun/07/daily-telegraph-and-sunday-telegraph-newspapers-to-be-put-up-for-sale |access-date=8 June 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=bbc25a/>

In 2024 The Spectator was sold to a vehicle owned by [[Sir Paul Marshall]] for £100m.<ref name=bbc25a/>

The Telegraph property was eventually sold in 2025 to the American firm [[RedBird Capital Partners]], after a prior bid for control by the [[Abu Dhabi]] [[Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Sultan al-Nahyan]] experienced regulatory problems and was the instigator for a law preventing foreign ownership of the UK press,<ref name="bbc25a">{{cite news |title=Daily Telegraph to be sold to US firm RedBird |date=23 May 2025 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gk8m1lrmlo}}</ref> the [[Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024]].<ref name="lla24a">{{cite news |title=Read all about it! UK prohibits foreign state ownership of UK newspapers &#124; ForeignInvestmentLinks &#124; Blogs &#124; Insights &#124; Linklaters |url=https://www.linklaters.com/en/insights/blogs/foreigninvestmentlinks/2024/june/uk-prohibits-foreign-state-ownership-of-uk-newspapers}}</ref>

==Controversies==
===Fraud and tax avoidance===
In 2024, ''The Economist'' reported on strong grounds that the Barclay brothers engaged in fraud and tax avoidance or evasion in relation to a deal in the 1970s that saved the brothers from bankruptcy. ''The Economist'' also found that Frederick Barclay concealed assets from a bankruptcy court, which is a crime.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024 |title=The secret deal that saved the Barclays |url=https://www.economist.com/interactive/britain/2024/03/14/the-ancient-deal-that-saved-the-barclays |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}}</ref>

===Tax exile accusation===
''[[The Guardian]]'' has stated that the brothers are [[tax exile]]s, and they reside in the [[Avenue de Grande Bretagne]], [[Monte Carlo]]. They operate their businesses from an office in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2012/2343.html |title=Mr Justice David Richards, paragraph 35 |publisher=Bailii.org |access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref> When asked if he was a tax exile, Frederick stated that he lived abroad for health reasons.<ref>{{cite news|title=Parties dilly-dally over donations law|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/parties-dilly-dally-over-donations-law-t599fhzqf2s|date=20 September 2012|work=The Times|quote=Sir David and I left the UK over 23 years ago for health reasons and not for tax reasons in any shape or form. |location=London|access-date=20 September 2012}}</ref> The corporate tax arrangements of [[The Ritz Hotel, London|the Ritz Hotel]], purchased and refurbished by the brothers in 1995, were the subject of a December 2012 investigation by [[BBC]]'s ''[[Panorama (British TV programme)|Panorama]]'' current affairs television programme, which found the hotel had paid no corporation tax in the UK for 17 years, after legally claiming reliefs.<ref>{{cite news|date=17 December 2012|title=Barclay twins' Ritz hotel pays no corporation tax|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-20761560|access-date=15 January 2014}}</ref>

===Sark and Brecqhou disputes===
[[File:Brecqhou - Barclay Brothers Castle.jpg|thumb|left|The Barclay Brothers' castle, [[Brecqhou]]]]
In 1993, the Barclay brothers bought the ''tenement'' of the island of [[Brecqhou]], a small sister island of [[Sark]], one of the [[Channel Islands]]. Their mock-Gothic castle on Brecqhou, designed by [[Quinlan Terry]], features {{convert|100|ft|adj=on}} granite walls, battlements, two swimming pools and a helicopter pad. Since their purchase of the tenement of Brecqhou, the Barclays have been in several legal disputes with the government of Sark over such issues as the Barclays' violation of Sark's law banning motor cars. They have also expressed a desire to make Brecqhou politically independent from Sark – building on the research of William Toplis, the painter, and others, who argued that Brecqhou was not a part of the [[fief]] of Sark.

In the mid-1990s, the brothers petitioned the [[European Court of Human Rights]] in [[Strasbourg]], France, challenging Sark's inheritance law, which mandated their island be left to David's oldest son. The brothers wanted to will their estate equally to their four children.<ref name="Wall Street Journal – October 2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=386652 |title=Wall Street Journal – October 2005 |publisher=Mathaba.net |access-date=15 January 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141121135126/http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=386652 |archive-date=21 November 2014 }}</ref> Sark's legislature decided to amend the inheritance law, allowing residents to leave property to any one of their children. In 2002, the brothers claimed their property tax was too high, particularly since they maintained Brecqhou's paths and dock. Fearing more litigation, Sark officials cut the Barclays' tax rate.<ref name="Wall Street Journal – October 2005"/>

In 2008 (partially due to legal activity by the Barclay brothers),<ref name="Wall Street Journal – October 2005" /> Sark dismantled its 443-year-old feudal system of government on the premise that this was necessary to comply with the [[European Convention on Human Rights]]. On 16 January 2008 and 21 February 2008, the Chief Pleas approved a law which introduced a 30-member chamber, with 28 members elected in Island-wide elections, one hereditary member and one member appointed for life. On 9 April 2008, the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] approved the Sark law reforms, and the first elections under the new law were held in December 2008. {{Main|Sark general election, 2008}}

On 11 December 2008, the Barclay brothers were in the news for pulling out their investments (which included hotels) from the island of Sark, causing 170 staff to be made redundant, after local voters did not support candidates championed by the Barclay brothers. The brothers had previously warned that if the voters chose to bring back the 'establishment' Sark leaders that are still aligned with the feudal lord then they would pull out of Sark.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/11/sark-democracy-election-votes|work=The Guardian|location=London|title=Sark voters snub Barclays brothers in historic elections|first=Steven|last=Morris|date=11 December 2008|access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref>

After the 2008 election, the brothers claimed that the presence of two unelected figures on Sark's government – the seigneur and the [[Sark#Seneschal|seneschal]], the local judge – was unjustifiable. They took their fight to the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]], arguing that the two roles break human rights laws that protect the rights of citizens to elect lawmakers.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/dec/01/barclay-brothers-lose-appeal-sark-constitution "Barclay Brothers lose appeal"], guardian.co.uk, 1 December 2009.</ref> Their challenge was dismissed, but the Barclays said they would continue to fight, taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

On 28 March 2012, [[BBC Radio 4]] dedicated part of its ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' programme to analysis of the Barclay brothers' role in Sark.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sark Islanders fear takeover|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9709000/9709518.stm|access-date=28 March 2012|work=BBC News|date=28 March 2012}}</ref> It reported that the islanders were protesting against bullying and intimidation by representatives of the Barclays after a story in their local paper had prompted the only doctor to leave the island. The doctor had used a boat rather than the Barclays' helicopter to transport a patient who was having a seizure to hospital on Guernsey, which was reported in the Barclays' paper as negligent. Despite support from the patient's family and the local BMA, the doctor left Sark after the story, leaving the island without a doctor.<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/29/sark-spring "Sark Spring", ''The New Yorker'', 29 October 2012]. Accessed 16 April 2015]</ref>

===Ritz Hotel bugging===
On 25 February 2020, the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] in London was told that Frederick and his daughter Amanda were secretly recorded for several months after his nephews Alistair, Aidan and Howard bugged the conservatory of [[The Ritz Hotel, London|the Ritz Hotel]], which at the time was co-owned by the brothers Barclay. Alistair Barclay had been seen handling an alleged bugging device. As of February 2020, Aidan Barclay, his son Andrew and two brothers face legal action for misuse of private information, breach of confidence and breach of data protection laws.<ref name=ft20a>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/4ab65904-58b7-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/4ab65904-58b7-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |title=Court hears how feuding Barclay family members bugged Ritz |last1=Barker |first1=Alex |last2=Stefano |first2=Mark di|date=26 February 2020 |work=Financial Times |access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref><ref name=tg20a>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/24/frederick-barclay-was-secretly-recorded-at-ritz-high-court-hears |title=Fred Barclay was secretly recorded at Ritz, high court hears |last=Bowcott |first=Owen |date=24 February 2020 |work=The Guardian |access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> CCTV footage released by Frederick to the media on 18 May 2020 shows Alistair Barclay handling the alleged bugging device in the conservatory "where Sir Frederick liked to conduct business meetings and smoke cigars."<ref name=bbc20a>{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Clive |title=Sir Frederick Barclay's nephew 'caught with bugging device' at Ritz hotel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52699018 |access-date=18 May 2020 |work=BBC News |date=18 May 2020}}</ref> According to court documents, a second bug was supplied by [[Sir John Stevens]]' private investigation firm Quest Global Limited.<ref name=tg20b>{{cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |title=Ritz sold for 'half market price' after billionaire was 'secretly recorded' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/may/06/frederick-barclays-nephews-taped-1000-of-his-conversations |access-date=18 May 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=6 May 2020}}</ref> This event led to the sale of the Ritz by the brothers later that year for around half the market value to [[Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri]], who is the brother-in-law of Qatar's ruler.<ref name=tg20b/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9709000/9709518.stm BBC Radio 4, Today: ''Sark Islanders fear takeover''] – 28 March 2012
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3407563.stm BBC: ''Telegraph empire in tycoons' grip''] – 18 January 2004
*[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7778670.stm BBC: ''Profile: the Barclay brothers''] – 11 December 2008
*[http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=874012004 ''The Scotsman'': ''Barclay brothers land Telegraph group as £677m deal is finally done''] – 30 July 2004
*[https://www.theguardian.com/business/story/0,3604,1272764,00.html ''The Guardian'': ''Barclays Take Over at Telegraph''] – 30 July 2004 – includes links to related stories
*[http://yachts.monacoeye.com/yachtsbysize/pages/ladybeatrice01.html Lady Beatrice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060715204854/http://yachts.monacoeye.com/yachtsbysize/pages/ladybeatrice01.html |date=15 July 2006 }} Photo of the Barclay brothers' yacht in Monaco
*[https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2018/12/16/le-milliardaire-sir-david-barclay-veut-interdire-une-piece-de-theatre-racontant-son-histoire_5398414_3246.html ''Le Monde'': ''Le milliardaire Sir David Barclay veut interdire une pièce de théâtre racontant son histoire''] – 16 December 2018

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barclay, David And Frederick}}
[[Category:David and Frederick Barclay| ]]
[[Category:Business duos]]
[[Category:Identical twin males]]
[[Category:English identical twins]]
[[Category:British mass media owners]]
[[Category:English people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:British newspaper publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Publishers (people) from London]]
[[Category:People from Hammersmith]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Businesspeople awarded knighthoods]]
[[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century British businesspeople]]
[[Category:English expatriates in Monaco]]
[[Category:People named in the Panama Papers]]
[[Category:People named in the Paradise Papers]]
[[Category:British billionaires]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham]]