The former boss of collapsed construction company Carillion owns a six-bedroom ski chalet in the Alps, it emerged last night.
Richard Howson, 49, has still not apologised after the collapse of the firm leaves taxpayers facing a huge £600million bill.
He headed the company from 2012 until July 2017 and pocketed £1.5million in 2016, which included a £122,612 cash bonus and £231,000 in pension contributions.
But on Monday the company folded and threw 450 construction projects across the public sector – including the running of prisons and the building of HS2 – into chaos.
Richard Howson owns a six-bedroom chalet (pictured) which sleeps up to 12 people in the French Alps
The stunning chalet in Chatel offers spectacular views of the mountains and is ideal for skiers
It comes with a hot tub, wi-fi, a real fire and a ski room so people can safely leave their skiing equipment
Jobs in the UK and overseas are at risk after the firm ran out of time to find a way to restructure its £1.5billion debt burden following failed talks.
And it has now emerged Howson owns a chalet in Chatel, in the French Alps, which has ‘far reaching views of the mountains’ and boasts a hot tub.
The chalet has six bedrooms and sleeps up to 12 people and it is ‘close to local amenities and ski lifts’.
Howson, who lives in a stunning £1.2million five-bedroom farmhouse in Skipton, North Yorkshire, quit his role as chief executive in 2016.
He managed to negotiate a deal which sees him take home £55,000 a month until October 2018.
According to the chalet’s website the building is ‘luxurious’ and a description online reads: ‘We have created a terrace area on the side of the property with the view of the mountains of the portes du soleil.
‘We have installed a hot tub which is a great place to relax those aching muscles after a day in the mountains.
‘Facilities include a hot tub, wifi, real fire, ski room with boot dryers, cloakroom, high chair, baby cot, fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, all towels and linens provided.’
Howson also lives in a stunning £1.2million five-bedroom farmhouse in Skipton, North Yorkshire with his wife
Mr Howson lives at a £1.2million estate near Skipton. The grand five-bedroom property sits proudly above neighbouring houses nestled in the Yorkshire Dales countryside
Howson was photographed celebrating his 49th birthday in a hotel in the resort in August last year.
It comes as it was revealed that the disgraced chairman of Carillion is also a boss of Prince Harry’s charity for children living with HIV in southern Africa.
Philip Green, 66, is chairman of the board at Sentebale, the charity founded by the prince during his gap year in Lesotho in 2004.
Mr Green and the Prince were photographed arriving together at the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup at Val de Vie Estate in Paarl, South Africa, in 2015.
The Carillion boss was also introduced to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles at the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show, where Sentebale sponsored a garden.
Meanwhile, unions warned that the ‘clock is ticking’ for thousands of workers caught up in the collapse amid redundancy fears.
Howson (pictured) lives at the farmhouse, in Skipton, North Yorkshire, with his wife and two boys
The disgraced chairman of Carillion, Philip Green, is also a boss of Prince Harry’s charity for children living with HIV in southern Africa (pictured together in 2014)
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) warned ministers not to ‘duck and dive’ over the pay and jobs of workers in private firms as well as in the public sector.
Leaders of the Trades Union Congress, Unite and GMB met Business Secretary Greg Clark on Tuesday evening and warned him that workers should not be left to ‘carry the can’.
GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: ‘The clock is ticking for Carillion’s 8,500 private sector workers, and the Government must now offer them reassurance and financial guarantees.
‘No worker should go hungry, default on a bill or miss a rent or mortgage payment because of a crisis they did not cause.’