SKB chief housed at Grosvenor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jan Leschly, the chief executive of SmithKline Beecham, spent nearly five months last year at one of the Grosvenor House Hotel's luxury pounds 44,000- a-year apartments as he prepared to relocate to the US.
Mr Leschly listed apartment 138, 86-90 Park Lane, which is owned by Forte, as his usual residential address in the 1995 SKB annual return.
Built in the heart of Mayfair between 1927 and 1929, each apartment offers a suite of spacious rooms and access to all the luxury facilities available to hotel guests. Beecham used to keep three apartments at the Grosvenor House Hotel and SKB has kept one since the two groups merged.
SmithKline says Mr Leschly stayed in apartment 138, described as the company's corporate apartment, from 26 August 1994 until 10 January 1995 after selling his residence in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
A spokesman said he did not have exclusive use of the apartment at the time and added that he made a personal contribution to the costs that was assessed and approved by the company's accountants. "He used it as a home address and paid rent accordingly," a company spokesman said.
Mr Leschly, a former Wimbledon semi-finalist, was paid pounds 2.47m in 1994 in salary and bonus compared with pounds 1.9m in the previous year. This included an amount, said to be pounds 800,000, for relocation expenses. In addition, he made a paper profit on his share options of more than pounds 650,000.
Mr Leschly, who joined the company as chairman of pharmaceuticals in June 1990, now lists as his address a two-storey home in Hopewell, New Jersey, the value of which is assessed at about pounds 875,000. He relocated last year. He bought the home before moving to the UK.
A company spokesman said the payment he received was to compensate for losses incurred on the sale of his UK home.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments