Peter Nygard has been charged with serious crimes, including rape trafficking, racketeering, and bribery, with accusations that he operated a trafficking network that exploited women and minors at his properties worldwide. Additionally, he allegedly bribed Bahamian officials to shield his illegal activities and is accused of conspiring to murder adversaries.
Key Connections and Associations
Crimes
- Rape Trafficking
- Rape
- Racketeering
- Sexual Exploitation of Minors
- Bribery
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder
Agencies
- Nygard International
- Nygard Slims
- Bianca Nygard
- ADX
- TanJay
- Alia
- Allison Daley
Individuals
- Gloria Allred
- Pamela Anderson
- Prince Andrew
- Criss Angel
- Susan Anton
- Louis Bacon
- Jonathan Baram
- Princess Beatrice
- Tomaczek Bednarek
- Milton Berle
- Pat boon
- Richard Branson
- Livingston Bullard
- Steffanie Busey
- Gary Busey
- George H.W. Bush
- Jean Chretien
- Professor Tom Clifford
- Sean Connery
- Rita Cosby
- Cathy Lee Crosby
- Wisler Davilma
- Robert DeNiro
- Queen Elizabeth
- Princess Eugenie
- Johnny Fay
- Sarah Ferguson
- Lou Ferrigno
- David Foster
- Bill Gates
- Mel Gibson
- Tanya Golesic
- Lee Iococca
- Michael Jackson
- Beverly Johnson
- Jean Kasem
- Chad Kroeger
- Robin Leach
- Warren & Baram Management LLC
- Ed Lozzi
- Dan McVicor
- Suelyn Medeiros
- Phil Miller
- Princess Michael of Kent
- Dudley Moore
- Brian Mulroney
- Sir Sidney Poitier
- Lionel Richie
- Diane Richie
- Ted Rogers
- Anna Nicole Smith
- Frederick Smith
- Tanya Tucker
- Dick van Patten
- Norby Walters
- Serena Williams
- Oprah Winfrey
Introduction
Peter J. Nygard is a Finnish-Canadian former fashion executive. He was rated the 70th richest Canadian by Canadian Business Magazine in 2009 with a net worth of $817 million and in 2020 his net worth is estimated at around $900 million. Nygard was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1943. His parents were Eeli and Hilkka Nygard were bakers who immigrated to Canada in 1952, settling at first in Deloraine, Manitoba (where Nygard Park would later be named in Peter Nygard’s honour in 2002). [1] Peter Nygard’s mother Hilkka wanted to stay involved in business and remained an active director of many of her son’s companies and was highly involved in the financial day-to-day control of the Bahamas operations. [2]
Nygard attended the University of North Dakota where he graduated in 1964 with a business degree. In interviews given by Nygard, he praises professor Tom Clifford as his mentor, “You are always looking for mentors everywhere,” … “He became one of my mentors and I highly respected him.” Clifford was then the dean of the College of Business and would later become a longtime president of the University. When Peter Nygard graduated, he made sure his sister Pirjo-Liisa “Liisa” Nygard Johnson was able to pursue a degree from UND as well. Liisa, who started her own fashion business Pirjo-Liisa Fashions with her then-husband Russell Nichol in 1975. [3]
One of Peter Nygard’s first jobs out of college was as a sales manager for a new line of women’s denim for a company called Jacobs Fashions. In 1967 Peter used his life savings, roughly $8,000, and a loan to purchase a 20% stake in the company from its founder Nathan Jacob. Within a few years, Peter bought Nathan out entirely and renamed the business, Tan Jay. [4] He founded Nygard International in 1967 and expanded into the United States in 1978, the company is worth more than $1 billion and “the largest producer of women’s apparel” in Canada. [5] While the company was active it produced clothing under brand names such as Peter Nygard, Nygard Slims, Bianca Nygard, ADX, TanJay, Alia, and Allison Daley. In 1978 the company expanded into the United States and in 1987. The company’s corporate facilities are in New York City, US (World Headquarters, Research, and Design); Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (IT/Retail/Services/Design & Merchandising, Production & Distribution); Toronto, Ontario, Canada (International Sales & Marketing Team). Nygard also has manufacturing facilities in Shanghai, Tianjin, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Mexico. [6]
Peter Nygard resigned as chairman in February 2020 after the FBI raided company headquarters in its investigation of rape trafficking accusations against him by more than 57 women. The company filed for Chapter 15 Bankruptcy in New York on March 18, 2020, and a Manitoba judge has ordered a group of Nygard companies into receivership on March 19, 2020. On April 30, 2020, a Canadian judge gave the green light to an accounting firm to sell and liquidate part of it. Nygard was arrested on rape trafficking and racketeering charges in December 2020. [7]
Peter Nygard, Nygard International, Nygard Cay
In 1987, Peter Nygard built a luxury resort named Nygard Cay in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas on the island of Nassau, New Providencia. In 2009 it was partly destroyed by a fire. Peter Nygard accused his neighbor, hedge fund billionaire Louis Bacon, of setting the fire. On April 14, 2010, Nygard announced he was planning a $50 million renovation of Nygard Cay, which would take two years to complete and repair the damage and employ 200 construction workers. The Bahamanian Prime Minister’s Office rejected the plans. In 2018, Nygård Cay was seized by the Supreme Court of the Bahamas as part of a legal battle surrounding Nygård’s efforts to dredge the sea floor around the estate. [9]
Peter Nygard vs Louis Bacon
The fire and stunted renovation plans have been the source of a feud between Louis Bacon and Peter Nygard for over a decade. Louis Bacon and Peter Nygard have spent tens of millions of dollars fighting each other with more than 25 lawsuits in multiple international jurisdictions. Both sides are claiming damages in the tens of millions of dollars and launching allegations of activities that include vandalism, bribery, insider trading, arson, murder, destruction of the fragile seabed, and having a close association with the Ku Klux Klan. Louis Bacon hasn’t set foot in the Bahamas in more than a year fearing for his personal safety. According to court documents Nygard met covertly Livingston Bullard and Wisler Davilma, two convicted criminals, to discuss the assassination of perceived opponents and adversaries of Peter Nygard, including Frederick Smith and Louis Bacon. allegedly Peter Nygard promised to pay substantial sums for the killings. assignations. [10]
