Three prominent investors are seeking regulatory approval to acquire and relaunch the Monaco-based arm of Banque Havilland SA, nearly a year after the Luxembourg-headquartered bank lost its European licence over anti-money-laundering failings…
The planned acquisition, revealed in documents seen and reported on by Bloomberg, involves Jason Bates (co-founder of Monzo and Starling Bank), Ukrainian tech investor Maksym Koretskiy, and Scottish businessman Jim McColl.
The new owners intend to transform the Monaco unit into a wealth-focused financial technology firm under a different name. The deal is currently awaiting approval from Monaco’s Commission de Contrôle des Activités Financières (CCAF) and France’s banking regulator ACPR.
Banque Havilland’s wider group entered a resolution process following regulatory action from the European Central Bank, resulting in the closure of operations in Liechtenstein and Switzerland. That process concluded last week, with the company confirming that depositors and trade creditors would be repaid.
However, the Monaco arm was not included in the resolution and remained operational. It had previously held exclusive talks with a separate group of buyers, including Revolut Chairman Martin Gilbert, before negotiations shifted to the current consortium. Neither Banque Havilland nor the regulators have commented publicly on the proposed sale.
