When you’re starting a business, picking the right partners is crucial.
One wrong choice can feel like bad luck, but if it happens more than once, it might show a lack of foresight.
For a member of the British Royal Family, with his reputation on the line, it seems especially risky to get involved with individuals connected to questionable backgrounds.
Recently, Prince Andrew found himself entangled in business negotiations with two men who were flagged as threats to national security by different Commonwealth nations.
It’s a situation that seems almost too ridiculous to be true.
Prince Andrew and the New Business Venture
In a shocking revelation, Prince Andrew has been linked to a global business venture that involves a former Russian ambassador and a man allegedly working for China’s United Front Work Department.
The prince met with Oleg Firer, who previously served as Grenada’s ambassador to Moscow.
In 2023, Firer was stopped at Grenada’s immigration upon arrival, where his name appeared on a “watch-list status” with an encircled “X.” This flagged him as a potential security risk, and he was sent back to London.
Firer, who had opened Grenada’s embassy in Moscow, was involved in a financial scandal where Grenada faced a $1 million bill for embassy rentals.
Despite being removed from his diplomatic post, Firer allegedly continued to hold events at the embassy, prompting Grenada to label him a national security threat.
His ties to Russia and rumors of advising wealthy Russians on how to obtain Grenadian citizenship made him a controversial figure.
However, Firer denies any wrongdoing, suggesting the decision to bar him from Grenada was politically motivated.
A Troubling Business Relationship
Following his controversial exit from Grenada, Firer didn’t step back.
Instead, he partnered with entrepreneur Adnan Sawadi and began cozying up to Prince Andrew.
The meeting, which took place at Andrew’s Royal Lodge in Windsor, came shortly after Firer’s legal battle with Grenada.
The Duke, who had been facing financial difficulties after his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, was desperate for money.
Business opportunities had dried up due to his tarnished reputation, but his royal status still carried weight in certain parts of the world.
Andrew had been forced to step away from his start-up investment initiative, Pitch@Palace, and was reliant on King Charles for a financial allowance to maintain his large property.
It was clear that Andrew needed a way out, and Firer and Sawadi saw this as an opportunity to connect with him.
The Waterberg Stirling Connection
The duo pitched a business deal involving their company, Waterberg Stirling, which sought to take over Pitch@Palace’s global network through its investment in the Dutch firm Startupbootcamp.
By using Andrew’s royal status, they aimed to gain access to lucrative international business opportunities.
This connection was particularly evident when Sawadi reached out to China’s ambassador to the UAE, highlighting Waterberg Stirling’s connection to Prince Andrew.
In official letters, the company’s opportunities in China were described as being heavily supported by Andrew’s royal connections.
Sawadi later explained that the reason they used Andrew’s name was to appeal to Chinese stakeholders and gain influence.
It was a sales pitch designed to make the firm more appealing to international governments and royalty.
China and Alleged Spy Ties
The plot thickened when Waterberg Stirling began pursuing opportunities in China, a country with which Andrew had established a network.
One of their contacts, Chris Yang, had reportedly been banned from entering the UK due to alleged espionage ties to China’s United Front Work Department.
Despite this, Waterberg Stirling turned to Andrew to help find a new business partner.
The Duke, although denying any direct role in the firm, was still closely tied to its operations, particularly through his connection with Dominic Hampshire, a former Army captain who was a key member of the company’s board.
Andrew’s involvement in these questionable business dealings was becoming harder to ignore.
His close relationship with figures linked to international security threats only added to the growing controversy surrounding his actions.
A Pattern of Controversial Associations
Prince Andrew’s involvement with Waterberg Stirling is just the latest in a long line of questionable associations.
In the past, he was linked to figures such as Timur Kulibayev, the son-in-law of Kazakhstan’s president, who paid an inflated price for Andrew’s former mansion.
He also sought ties with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, and accepted hospitality from Tarek Kaituni, a convicted Libyan gun smuggler.
Despite the continued controversies, Andrew appears determined to maintain his business ventures, even if it means courting risky individuals.
As his friends in the business world, like Hampshire, continue to support him, the prince’s involvement in Waterberg Stirling’s success or failure will likely remain a topic of ongoing scrutiny.
This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn