WTH. BBQ, first the GT3 now the 918?
10-01-2014, 11:25 PM
#46
Rennlist Member
He is not worth $4.9billion. Probably off by a factor of 100+.
10-01-2014, 11:45 PM
#47
Rennlist Member
Bay Street millionaire Michael Wekerle sued after ‘drunken escapade’ in Arkansas hotel
A lawsuit alleges that the founder of Difference Capital Financial Inc. exposed himself, licked a woman's foot and injured a doorman three years ago.
Lawsuit accuses Michael Wekerle of outrageous behaviour in Arkansas hotel, including injuring doorman. Video surveilance footage.
By: Marco Chown Oved Staff Reporter, Published on Tue Oct 15 2013
A millionaire Bay Street financier with a bag full of cash went on a “drunken escapade” at a luxury Arkansas hotel three years ago, exposing himself to guests and roughhousing with staff, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed last week.
Michael “Wek” Wekerle, co-founder of Difference Capital Financial Inc., started by blowing an air horn in the lobby, then dropped his pants, licked a woman’s foot, yelled profanity and attempted to flip a doorman over his shoulder, the claim alleges.
That doorman now has a permanent injury to his shoulder, said his lawyer, Bud Whetstone, and is suing for “at least” $150,000 in damages.
The complaint claims Wekerle flew into Little Rock, Ark., on a private jet on Oct. 22, 2010, and went to the Capital Hotel, where he embarked on a “drunken escapade.”
According to the hotel security incident report filed as an exhibit by the plaintiff’s lawyers, Wekerle “came in with a fanny pack full of money,” and was “throwing it everywhere.”
The lawsuit alleges that Wekerle hoisted a female guest off the ground and carried her through the lobby of the famed hotel, known as the “Grand Dame” of Little Rock, where Ulysses S. Grant once stayed.
Michael Wekerle was photographed by Frank Magazine at a dinner for Rob Steele in Nova Scotia in 2011.
FRANK MAGAZINE
Michael Wekerle was photographed by Frank Magazine at a dinner for Rob Steele in Nova Scotia in 2011.
He then licked the bottom of a woman’s shoe, removed her shoe and licked the bottom of her foot, the complaint alleges. He also walked through the lobby with his pants down, then dropped both his pants and his underwear in the hotel bar, exposing himself to guests, it further alleges.
Later, after several attempts to calm him down, he started horsing around with a hotel valet, Brooks Jansen, and hurt his shoulder when he tugged Jansen’s arm “as if he were about to flip Mr. Jansen over his shoulder,” the complaint alleges.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
In a statement emailed to the Star by his lawyer, Wekerle said the incident occurred during a difficult period of his life.
“I had just lost my wife and I still have difficult moments. While I dispute certain parts of the allegations, I acknowledge that on that night three years ago I behaved in a way that I'm not particularly proud of. For that, I apologize. There is a legal process currently unfolding and I am going to let it run its course,” he wrote.
At the time of the incident, Wekerle had just become a single dad with four children younger than 11, said his lawyer, Jeff Kehoe.
“Mr. Wekerle is aware of this historic incident and he plans to defend this vigorously,” Kehoe said.
“A response is being prepared right now and will be filed,” he said, though he declined to address any of the allegations specifically.
A security video obtained by Jansen’s lawyer during his worker’s compensation hearing appears to show Wekerle lift a woman off her feet and carry her from the sidewalk into the hotel.
Kehoe confirmed he had seen the video, but declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
“As his lawyer, I’d have to say there’s really nothing I can say. Now you’re getting into the legal aspects, so there’s nothing we could say there,” he said.
In a profile published this month in Toronto Life magazine, Wekerle is described as being “in a class by himself — an eccentric outsider with raffish hair, at least a dozen tattoos . . . and a preternatural talent for making money.”
“He’s like Mick Jagger meets Warren Buffett,” the magazine quotes another prominent businessman, Virgin Gaming chairman and CEO Rob Segal, as saying.
Wekerle has been described in media profiles as a hard partier, though he told the Globe and Mail in 2011 that much of this was exaggerated.
According to his LinkedIn account, Wekerle was head of trading at First Marathon from 1982 to 1994 before co-founding GMP Securities, where he served as vice-chairman until 2011.
Toronto Life estimated his net worth, at its peak in 2006, at over $95 million. But the stock market crash wiped out much of his fortune.
His wife died of a heart attack in March 2010 at age 39, and, according to the magazine Wekerle shortly afterward “began behaving erratically.”
Wekerle left GMP soon after and reportedly accepted between $5 million and $7.5 million in a non-competition agreement.
In March 2012, he started a new firm, Difference Capital, and quickly raised millions to launch a new career on Bay Street.
A lawsuit alleges that the founder of Difference Capital Financial Inc. exposed himself, licked a woman's foot and injured a doorman three years ago.
Lawsuit accuses Michael Wekerle of outrageous behaviour in Arkansas hotel, including injuring doorman. Video surveilance footage.
By: Marco Chown Oved Staff Reporter, Published on Tue Oct 15 2013
A millionaire Bay Street financier with a bag full of cash went on a “drunken escapade” at a luxury Arkansas hotel three years ago, exposing himself to guests and roughhousing with staff, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed last week.
Michael “Wek” Wekerle, co-founder of Difference Capital Financial Inc., started by blowing an air horn in the lobby, then dropped his pants, licked a woman’s foot, yelled profanity and attempted to flip a doorman over his shoulder, the claim alleges.
That doorman now has a permanent injury to his shoulder, said his lawyer, Bud Whetstone, and is suing for “at least” $150,000 in damages.
The complaint claims Wekerle flew into Little Rock, Ark., on a private jet on Oct. 22, 2010, and went to the Capital Hotel, where he embarked on a “drunken escapade.”
According to the hotel security incident report filed as an exhibit by the plaintiff’s lawyers, Wekerle “came in with a fanny pack full of money,” and was “throwing it everywhere.”
The lawsuit alleges that Wekerle hoisted a female guest off the ground and carried her through the lobby of the famed hotel, known as the “Grand Dame” of Little Rock, where Ulysses S. Grant once stayed.
Michael Wekerle was photographed by Frank Magazine at a dinner for Rob Steele in Nova Scotia in 2011.
FRANK MAGAZINE
Michael Wekerle was photographed by Frank Magazine at a dinner for Rob Steele in Nova Scotia in 2011.
He then licked the bottom of a woman’s shoe, removed her shoe and licked the bottom of her foot, the complaint alleges. He also walked through the lobby with his pants down, then dropped both his pants and his underwear in the hotel bar, exposing himself to guests, it further alleges.
Later, after several attempts to calm him down, he started horsing around with a hotel valet, Brooks Jansen, and hurt his shoulder when he tugged Jansen’s arm “as if he were about to flip Mr. Jansen over his shoulder,” the complaint alleges.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
In a statement emailed to the Star by his lawyer, Wekerle said the incident occurred during a difficult period of his life.
“I had just lost my wife and I still have difficult moments. While I dispute certain parts of the allegations, I acknowledge that on that night three years ago I behaved in a way that I'm not particularly proud of. For that, I apologize. There is a legal process currently unfolding and I am going to let it run its course,” he wrote.
At the time of the incident, Wekerle had just become a single dad with four children younger than 11, said his lawyer, Jeff Kehoe.
“Mr. Wekerle is aware of this historic incident and he plans to defend this vigorously,” Kehoe said.
“A response is being prepared right now and will be filed,” he said, though he declined to address any of the allegations specifically.
A security video obtained by Jansen’s lawyer during his worker’s compensation hearing appears to show Wekerle lift a woman off her feet and carry her from the sidewalk into the hotel.
Kehoe confirmed he had seen the video, but declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
“As his lawyer, I’d have to say there’s really nothing I can say. Now you’re getting into the legal aspects, so there’s nothing we could say there,” he said.
In a profile published this month in Toronto Life magazine, Wekerle is described as being “in a class by himself — an eccentric outsider with raffish hair, at least a dozen tattoos . . . and a preternatural talent for making money.”
“He’s like Mick Jagger meets Warren Buffett,” the magazine quotes another prominent businessman, Virgin Gaming chairman and CEO Rob Segal, as saying.
Wekerle has been described in media profiles as a hard partier, though he told the Globe and Mail in 2011 that much of this was exaggerated.
According to his LinkedIn account, Wekerle was head of trading at First Marathon from 1982 to 1994 before co-founding GMP Securities, where he served as vice-chairman until 2011.
Toronto Life estimated his net worth, at its peak in 2006, at over $95 million. But the stock market crash wiped out much of his fortune.
His wife died of a heart attack in March 2010 at age 39, and, according to the magazine Wekerle shortly afterward “began behaving erratically.”
Wekerle left GMP soon after and reportedly accepted between $5 million and $7.5 million in a non-competition agreement.
In March 2012, he started a new firm, Difference Capital, and quickly raised millions to launch a new career on Bay Street.
10-02-2014, 12:19 AM
#48
(see photo of him in his 918)By the way, Porsche is sending an engineer to Canada to investigate this 'accident'. So they will have more facts available to them soon. In the meantime, we hope it doesn't derail the 918 program for PAG in this country, Canada or the world!
Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel
PS The writer of the post below is a 918 Spyder owner and obviously in touch with PCNA's 918 Relationship Manager David Donohue. So caveat lector.
.
10-02-2014, 12:20 AM
#49
Sir Thomas Lord of All Mets Fans
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
What is a Canadian financier doing partying in Little Rock, AR? Don't get me wrong, I like LR - been there many times - but it ain't St. Tropez. Maybe he was jonesing for the jojos at the Dodge's Chicken & Gas off I30?...T
10-02-2014, 12:24 AM
#50
Rennlist Member
I never said "obviously it's his fault, check this out..." - I thought it was interesting commentary on who the guy is - a very successful but eccentric businessman who would likely be a hell of a lot of fun to spend an eve with!
10-02-2014, 12:24 AM
#51
Rennlist Member