Six more women bring claims against Crispin Odey

Six women have brought fresh claims of sexual assault or harassment against Crispin Odey – pushing the timeline of his alleged abuse across five decades.

The earliest of the new allegations reported by the Financial Times dates back to 1985 when Odey was accused of sexually assaulting an interior designer in his London home when he was 26.

Another woman said that she was sexually harassed and inappropriately touched while working as a receptionist at Odey Asset Management.

And a third said Odey ‘lunged’ at her when they were alone in an office lift when she was interning.

The latest claims follow an earlier investigation by the Financial Times, which included allegations from 13 women of sexual misconduct between 1998 and 2021.

Odey’s lawyers have consistently denied the initial 13 allegations, with Odey labelling them ‘rubbish’. He has since been ousted from the company he founded, and Odey Asset Management said it would be dismantled and its activities would be transferred to other firms.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has also confirmed it was investigating Odey over whether he was a ‘fit and proper person’ to work in financial services and whether he breached the watchdog’s rules.

The details were disclosed in a letter from the authority’s chief executive, Nikhil Rathi, in response to questions from the House of Commons Treasury Committee.

The probe could result in a ban or fine for Odey.

It, too, is under investigation by the FCA and could face an unlimited fine. Rathi said the FCA had been in contact with police, adding that ‘any decision on whether or not to investigate is a matter for them’.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the FCA had contacted it last month, saying: ‘No criminal allegations were reported at the time or have been made since. As a result, no police investigation is taking place.’

In 2020, Odey was accused of assaulting a female investment banker at his home in 1998, but was cleared of indecent assault after a trial.

The Mail was unable to reach Odey for comment about the new claims. His former firm declined to comment.