Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.
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Risk Summary

Estimated reading time: 2 min

Due to the potential for losses, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) considers this investment to be high risk.

What are the key risks?

  • You could lose all the money you invest
  • Most investments are shares in start-up businesses or bonds issued by them. Investors in these shares or bonds often lose 100% of the money they invested, as most start-up businesses fail.
  • Checks on the businesses you are investing in, such as how well they are expected to perform, may not have been carried out by the platform you are investing through. You should do your own research before investing.

You won't get your money back quickly

  • Even if the business you invest in is successful, it will likely take several years to get your money back.
  • The most likely way to get your money back is if the business is bought by another business or lists its shares on an exchange such as the London Stock Exchange. These events are not common.
  • Start-up businesses very rarely pay you back through dividends. You should not expect to get your money back this way.
  • Some platforms may give you the opportunity to sell your investment early through a 'secondary market' or 'bulletin board', but there is no guarantee you will find a buyer at the price you are willing to sell.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

  • Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well. A good rule of thumb is not to invest more than 10% of your money in high-risk investments. Learn more here.

The value of your investment can be reduced

  • If your investment is shares, the percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
  • These new shares could have additional rights that your shares don't have, such as the right to receive a fixed dividend, which could further reduce your chances of getting a return on your investment.

You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong

  • Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker.
  • Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) does not cover poor investment performance. If you have a complaint against an FCA-regulated platform, FOS may be able to consider it. Learn more about FOS protection here.

If you are interested in learning more about how to protect yourself, visit the FCA's website here.

For further information about investment-based crowdfunding, visit the crowdfunding section of the FCA's website here.
GCV
Insights
Industry Insights
Luca Peterson
· 2 min read
· Updated on

Ant and Dec: beloved TV duo & their private investment career

One of TV’s best known double acts, the UK’s favourite Geordies Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - known to millions more affectionately as ‘Ant and Dec’ - are not only talented TV presenters, but they’re also avid investors.

Both Ant and Dec started their careers as actors, with the pair first meeting on the set of children's show Byker Grove. Becoming very much a double act from the off, their careers as actors carried on into their teenage years and beyond as they were seen in shows such as ‘Why Don’t You’, ‘The Cinder Path’, whilst also co-starring in the 2006 movie ‘Alien Autopsy’.

Perhaps something they’d like to forget, after their famous roles in Byker Grove, the pair swiftly moved into the world of music. Going by the name of PJ and Duncan (the names of characters they played in Byker Grove), the duo released two albums, with their most famous song being ‘Let's Get Ready to Rhumble’.

Whilst the duo never topped the charts in the UK on release, they did have some large scale successes in Germany and Japan (and interestingly, actually hit the number one spot with the same song nearly two decades later!).

From child stars to global names

In addition to acting and music, the duo moved into their current roles of TV presenters around the same time, but it was soon clear this was where they would thrive.

Starting with ‘Gimme 5’ in 1994, their popularity increased massively when they started presenting SMTV Live. Staying in children’s television on various shows until the end of 2001. they started to make the transition out with their first primetime job of ‘Friends Like These’, airing first in 1999.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

The duo have gone on to be extremely successful in television, presenting shows such as ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ and ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here’.

And to add extra gravitas to their career, in 2016 it was announced the duo would be awarded OBE status by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Yet as popular as the duo are on screen, they’ve developed an enviable (although particularly private) investment career - it’s reported their combined investment value has soared to a massive £19 million collectively in recent times.

Private (and property?) investors

Dec set up his company Deecourt in 2011, making investments worth £6.21 million. By June 2016 these had rose in value to £9.52 million, with his shareholder funds ending the financial year at £11.995 million.

In a similar vein, Ant’s company Teecourt saw its investment holdings increase from £6.20 million to £9.51 million.

The pair are also joint directors of Hurley Promotions. Set up in 2013, shareholder funds increased by £375,654 to £2.35m in the year ending 31st October 2015.

Although the duo are two of the most famous celebrities in the UK, their investments are somewhat of a mystery and their positions in the companies they have chosen to back are not widely known.

For example, there are rumours of them increasing their wealth due to property investments by £10 million, but there's very little by way of in-depth details.

Undoubtedly savvy businessmen, after 21 years with ITV it’s reported the duo have signed a new deal which will tie them to the television channel until 2019 - for a staggering £30 million pay packet.

Whilst it's clear the two like to keep their investments private, it’s hard to argue the duo are doing something right.

The diversified careers of Ant and Dec continues to surprise people and although they might not release any new number 1 singles soon, it’s safe to say Ant and Dec will be entertaining the British nation on and off television for years to come.

This post is part of our UK celebrity investors series. You can find our introductory post to the series here.
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