Misplaced Pages

Elliott Bernerd (born 23 May 1945) is a British property developer, the co-founder of the property company Chelsfield with Sir Stuart Lipton.

Early life

He was born in Maida Vale, London on 23 May 1945, the only child of a film producer father. His parents divorced when he was 7. He was educated at various schools, leaving Davies Tutorial College, Holland Park, at the age of 15.

Career

Aged 15, Bernerd went to work for Dorrington Investment Trust, with his heart "set on a career in property".

In 1983 he began the development of Stockley Park in west London (he paid £8 million for the site; in 1988, the development sold for £365 million, of which £20 million went to Bernerd). In 1986, he co-founded Chelsfield, which, in 1988, bought Wentworth Golf Club for £17.7 million (also reported as £20 million). Bernerd sold 40% of the club to Japanese investors, raising £32 million, in 1989. In 2004, Chelsfield sold the remaining 60% share, as Richard Caring bought the club for £130 million.

In 1993, Chelsfield acquired the Merry Hill Shopping Centre project, putting up £35 million, alongside £120 million from a group of Saudi Arabian investors (from whom Bernerd received a £6 million finder's fee). Chelsfield later bought out the Saudi investors. By 2004, Merry Hill's value was close to £2 billion.

In 2008, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a 20% stake in Bernerd's property group, Chelsfield, which owned London's Camden Market.

According to Institutional Investor, Bernerd was a client of a Jersey-based offshore trust company La Hougue which engaged in tax minimisation through legal as well as illegal loopholes and other avoidance measures.

Personal life

He had two adult daughters with his ex-wife, from whom he was divorced sometime before 1992. His daughter Tara Bernerd is a London-based interior designer.

In 1993, Bernerd was living in Surrey, with his third wife.

References

1. "Genr8 Chelsfield Partners". Archived from the original on 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
2. ^ Mathiason, Nick (19 September 2004). "Great survivor faces threat of demolition". Observer. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
3. "Elliott Bernerd - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)".
4. ^ Bevan, Judi (1 March 1992). "UK: Profile - Elliott Bernerd - Property Dealer and Head of Chelsfield". Management Today. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
5. ^ "Chelsfield PLC History". Funding Universe. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
6. Tomkinson, Martin (2011-10-22). "Profile: Just par for his course: For Elliott Bernerd, acquiring the Wentworth golf club marked another great round in a career of spectacular deals". The Independent. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
7. Subramanian, Samanth (2 March 2021). "The rich vs the very, very rich: the Wentworth golf club rebellion". Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
8. "Qataris buy 20 pct of UK property firm Chelsfield". Reuters. 28 September 2016.
9. "Elliott Bernerd kicks off takeover battle for Chelsfield". The Independent. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
10. Goodman, Leah McGrath. "The Heiress, the Queen, and the Trillion-Dollar Tax Shelter". Institutional Investor. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
11. "Tara Bernerd - House & Garden 100 Leading Interior Designers".
12. "Exclusive video feature: My Design London - Interior designer, Tara Bernerd". 15 April 2014.
13. Murison, Krissi. "Tara Bernerd interview: designer to the super-rich on modern luxe". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
14. "Profile: An ear for music and an eye for a monument: Elliott Bernerd". Independent.co.uk. 5 December 1993.

• 1945 births
• British businesspeople
• Living people