Craig Gore is an entrepreneur from Sydney, Australia.
Biography
Craig Kirrin Gore was born in
Fairfield, New South Wales
Fairfield is a Greater Western Sydney, western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Being in the centre of the Cumberland Plain, Fairfield is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrati ...
on 7 January 1967. He is the son of
Sanctuary Cove
Sanctuary Cove is a gated community and town in the suburb of Hope Island in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is completely self-contained residential environment with its own shopping centre and entertainment facilities, w ...
Developer Mike Gore. Gore spent his early life in the western suburbs of Sydney and attended Westfields Sports High School until moving to
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
to live with his father, later attending
The Southport School
, motto_translation = Let him who deserves the palm of victory bear it.
, established =
, type = Independent early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school
, denomination = Anglican
, headmaster = Andrew Hawkins
, ...
on
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
's
Gold Coast. After completing his year ten certificate, Gore left school and began working for one his father's business, Cheoy Lee boats, which his father was importing from Hong Kong during the 1980s. After leaving his father's employ Gore established a advertising agency called Take one Creative alternative, with his then partner and long time friend Ross Clarkson. In the late 1990s after his first bankruptcy, Gore managed a number of advertising accounts for a small advertising agency on the central coast of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. As a result, Gore was contracted to help establish the Arnold's Ribs and Pizza Franchise nationally. This resulted in Gore owning and operating several stores himself on the central Coast, in
Woy Woy
Woy Woy is a coastal town in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located on the southern reaches of Brisbane Water north of Sydney. It is a population centre within the local government area.
Woy Woy is located in the no ...
,
Gorokan and
Toukley. It was in late 1996 Gore meet partner, Sydney accountant John Atkinson, and established a home loan company called Right Home Loans. After a successful beginning this business later became known as Wright Patton Shakespeare Financial Services Group. Known as WPS, the business grew into one of Australia's largest independent financial Services companies, with more than 400 employees and licence holders Australia wide. WPS established offices in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
,
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
. Gore, as one of the founders and former owner of the Australian Financial Planning chain "WPS", sold his interest in WPS to British Author
Lord Michael Ashcroft for $160M AUD. The later was introduced to Gore via his then Chairman The Hon
Shane Stone
Shane Leslie Stone (born 25 September 1950) is an Australian political figure. He is currently the Chair of the Council for the Order of Australia. He was also the Coordinator-General of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency and its pre ...
, who served as Chairman of WPSFSG for two years before Gore merged his companies with an Ashcroft Entity creating a new company with a focus on purchasing marina developments. This was called International Marina Development and Management Pty Ltd. Stone the served as Chairman of the merged group. This company made a number of aggressive acquisitions in a slowing economy, these included
Hope Harbour Marina, The Townsville Ocean Terminal and Breakwater Marina in Townsville. The sale of WPSFG and other assets to Ashcroft entities was later to become central to a dispute between Gore and Ashcroft and the focus of the Insolvency trustees report to creditors, which claimed, Mayfair Ltd Uk, a company owned and controlled by Ashcroft, owed Gore more than 100M AUD. Gore was also the co-founder of property development company Atkinson Gore Group,. Atkinson Gore group developed predominantly residential properties on the east coast of Australia, in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, including the
Hope Island Canal adjacent to his late father's
Sanctuary Cove
Sanctuary Cove is a gated community and town in the suburb of Hope Island in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is completely self-contained residential environment with its own shopping centre and entertainment facilities, w ...
development. Gore was instrumental in establishing the masterplan for the
Hope Island Canal development,a development that now houses more than 15000 residents. Gore also developed high rise apartment buildings on The
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
, In
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
CBD. Gore also established Big State Earth Moving a company that completed the earth works to the Hope Island Canal, as well as contracting to large developers to complete civil and residential development sites. Gore planned to develop the Hope Island site into Australia first Adult Community However Gore later sold part of this site to Australand Ltd for A$90m in 2003. Gore also founded a wine exporting company called "Aussie Vineyards", which at the time was Queensland Largest exporter of wine. He was ranked sixth on the ''
Business Review Weekly
''BRW'' (formerly ''Business Review Weekly'') was an Australian business magazine published by the Fairfax Media group. The magazine was headquartered in Melbourne. It regularly compiled lists which rank corporations and individuals according to ...
'' young rich list in 2006 with an estimated wealth of A$160 million. The following year he appeared 199th in the ''BRW'' Rich 200 list with an estimated wealth of A$183 million.
He has sponsored and owned V8 Supercars and
IndyCar
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
and
Champ Car
Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams ( ...
racing teams such as
Team Australia racing. As a result, Gore played a part in the careers of two of Australia's most successful Motorsport exports
Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose (born 1 September 1976) is an Australian former racing driver and current Garry Rogers Motorsport competition director. He won the Australian V8 Supercar series' championship in 2003 and 2004.
In 2006, Ambrose relocated to the Un ...
(NASCAR) and
Will Power
William "Will" Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian motorsports driver who currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving for Team Penske. He is the 2014 and 2022 IndyCar Series champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion. ...
(INDYCAR). In 2004 Gore, at the request of the Queensland Government, invested in Australian driver
David Besnard
David Besnard, (born 21 January 1977 in Sydney, Australia) is a retired professional racing driver.
Career history
Starting in karts in 1991, he quickly proceeded into Formula Ford in 1995. After initial success, he had a major accident at Easte ...
, who drove in the INDY 300 classic on the Gold Coast drawing one of the biggest one day crowds to a motorsport event in Australian history. Crag Gore has business interest in Australia, the United States and Europe, mostly in the property development sector.
Insolvency and bankruptcy
Gore was Bankrupted in 1992 after the failure of his advertising agency and the failure of his father's business. Gore's bankruptcy was later annulled after a meeting of creditors was called by the public trustee. In 2008, Secured Capital & Finance, a firm jointly owned by Gore and John Atkinson froze redemptions to its clients.
The appointed liquidator CRSWarnerKugel found that Wright Patton Shakespeare, a financial advice firm then owned by the duo, had recommended that their clients invest in SC&F.
The liquidator went on to describe the arrangement to "something akin to a
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
", something denied by Gore.
The liquidators investigations suggested that between 2001 and 2004, Secured Capital & Finance used investors' money to make interest payments to other investors, forward money to other companies with the Atkinson Gore Group owned by Gore and Atkinson.
none of the liquidators claims were tested in a court nor was any public examination undertaken to test the veracity of the liquidators claims.
Wright Patton Shakespeare, which had been subsequently acquired by British Author Lord
Michael Ashcroft
Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is ...
, after negotiations with Gore, to settle claims by investors, offered to pay investors 10¢ in the dollar and take over their debts, before paying out 60¢ in the dollar over four years.
Gore's creditors accepted an offer which provided for a payment of 3 million dollars, over three years, and 30% of all profits from a Gore-controlled trust on 18 November 2010. His creditors decided to terminate the PIA on 24 February 2012.
after the appointment of CRS Krugel were appointed as trustee to Gore Bankruptcy, which Gore contested was a direct conflict of interest as CRSWarnerKrugel had previously made unfounded claims against Gore and business partner Atkinson. Gore declared himself bankrupt and the Public Trustee ITSA consented to on act as official trustee 18 April 2012. Creditors concerned about the contents of the official trustees' report, voted to terminate the official trustees appointment and voted in Gregory Moloney of Ferrier Hodgson on 19 September 2012. Gore was released from bankruptcy in April 2015, after concluding no evidence existed to properly extend Gore's bankruptcy. Craig Gore has been associated with a number of large scale property developments since he release.
On 27 October 2020, following an earlier five-day judge-alone trial at the Brisbane District Court, Mr Craig Kirrin Gore was found guilty of six counts of fraud.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gore, Craig
Businesspeople from New South Wales
People from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Living people
1967 births