Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Who is Jonathan Bloomer? Morgan Stanley chairman amongst missing from Sicily yacht

The british businessman is one of six people missing after a superyacht capsized near Sicily

Albert Toth
Wednesday 21 August 2024 01:40 EDT
Comments
Coastguard searches for missing after British-flagged yacht capsizes in tornado off Italy

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.

Six people are missing and one is dead after a super yacht capsized off the coast of Sicily last night. A violent storm led the vessel – named ‘Bayesian’ – to capsize in the early hours near the port of Porticello.

Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer is amongst the missing, alongside UK tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and Salvatore Cocina, who is head of the civil protection agency in Sicily. The boat was carrying 22 people when it capsized, with 15 now rescued.

The incident comes after Mr Lynch, 59, was cleared in a high-profile fraud case in June. The Autonomy founder was acquitted of charges related to the 2011 multi-billion dollar sale of his company to HP.

Rescue operations continue after the luxury yacht sank off Sicily
Rescue operations continue after the luxury yacht sank off Sicily (REUTERS)

If convicted by a jury, Mr Lynch would have been facing up to 20 years in prison. He had invited colleagues and family on board the yacht to celebrate his legal victory, with several onboard being involved in the trial.

Amongst these was Mr Bloomer, 70, who was called to the stand by Mr Lynch’s team during the trial. The British banking boss was chairman of Autonomy’s audit committee during its sale to HP, and told the jury that Mr Lynch “wasn’t particularly interested in the finance side.”

For the latest updates on the story, follow The Independent’s live coverage

“Mike was mostly interested in the strategy, new products, new areas to look at … he didn’t come to the audit committee,” he had added.

Mr Bloomer now remains one of the six missing passengers of the Bayesian, with British and Italian authorities working to find them. A spokesperson for for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following an incident in Sicily, and stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals affected.”

Who is Jonathan Bloomer?

Jonathan Bloomer speaking in 2002
Jonathan Bloomer speaking in 2002 (Getty Images)

Mr Bloomer has been the chairman of Morgan Stanley International since 2018, and last year was also made chairman of the Hiscox international insurance group.

He began his career at the now-defunct American accounting firm Arthur Andersen, working there for 20 years from 1974 to 1994. Mr Bloomer then spent the next ten years at Prudential, an insurance firm based in the UK, eventually becoming group CEO until 2005.

Mr Bloomer has held several other roles since 2005, and alongside his chairman roles at Morgan Stanley and Hiscox, he also chairs property company SDL Group Holdings.

The businessman was chair of Autonomy’s audit committee from September 2010 until its sale in October 2011. This is likely where he met and became friends with Mr Lynch.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in