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Mystery Russian investor buys stake in Thomas Cook
An unknown Russian investor called Lilia Rodionova has bought 3.4% of Thomas Cook shares just days after an investment by Turkish travel tycoon Neset Kockar.
An announcement on the London Stock Exchange reveals only that Rodionova is registered to the western Russian city of Ulyanovsk.
Following news that they had taken a stake in the beleaguered travel firm, Thomas Cook’s share price dipped slightly, from 10.5p to close yesterday at 9.6p.
Meanwhile Kockar, who increased his stake in Thomas Cook from 6.71% to 8% on July 31, is allegedly demanding a role in the UK travel giant’s turnaround plans.
The Turkish entrepreneur, who founded the Turkish travel company Anex Tourism Group, told Bloomberg News that Chinese firm Fosun’s proposed £750 million rescue package ‘probably over-estimates’ the scale of challenges faced by Thomas Cook.
Bloomberg quoted the 46-year-old investor saying: "Fosun may be assessing the company through the lens of a financial investor. I think the problems can be overcome by injecting less cash than the announced recap plan. I see managerial problems rather than simply financial issues."
Kockar went on to say that he is devising a long-term business plan for Thomas Cook and has been in touch with investment banks working with it and Fosun.
However, he claimed he hasn’t been in direct contact with Thomas Cook management.
"My aim is not to make profit by trading Thomas Cook shares," he allegedly told Bloomberg. "Everyone sees it as a broken machine, but I believe that if the right steps are taken it’s a great machine which will work very efficiently again."
His company Anex operates as Anex Tour in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Germany and as Orex Travel in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
Shares in Thomas Cook rose more than 50% following Kockar’s investment.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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