Alan Bond (born 22 April 1938) is an Australian business man. At one time very wealthy, he has also been controversial. Bond was born in the Hammersmith district of London, England, and emigrated to Australia with his parents and sister Geraldine in 1950. Beginning his career as a signwriter he formed what was to be Bond Corporation in 1959. He became a public hero in his adopted country after bankrolling challenges for the yachting trophy the America's Cup, finally winning the trophy (which had been held by the USA since 1851) in 1983. Bond was awarded the accolade of Australian of the Year in 1978. April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Hammersmith is a town in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London and the Regions of England London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,421,328 and a metropolitan population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Yachting is a noncommercial boating activity. ... The Americas Cup is the most famous and most prestigious competition in the sport of yachting, and the oldest active trophy in international sports, predating the FA Cup by two decades and the Modern Olympics by 45 years. ... 1851 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian of the Year Awards commenced in 1960. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

The Perth-based Bond made his fortune initially in property development and at one time was one of Australia's most prominent businesspeople. He later extended his business interests into other fields including brewing (he controlled Castlemaine Tooheys), gold mining and television. Australia's first private university, Bond University, bears his name. Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. ... The Brewer, designed and engraved, in the Sixteenth. ... Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. ... Bond University Bond University was the first private university in Australia. ...

He purchased QTQ-9, Brisbane and settled an outstanding dispute the station had with the Queensland premier, Joh Bjelke-Petersen by paying out AUD$400,000. He said in a television interview that he paid because "Sir Joh left no doubt that if we were going to continue to do business successfully in Queensland then he expected the matter to be resolved". In 1987 he paid $1 billion for the Australia-wide Nine television network. QTQ-9 is an Australian television station, licensed to, and serving Brisbane, Queensland. ... Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Hon. ... The Australian dollar, AUD or A$, is the official currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including the Australian Antarctic Territory, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ...

Among his flamboyant purchases was Vincent Van Gogh's painting, Irises, for $54 million, but he didn't have enough money to pay for it and it had to be re-sold. Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. ... Irises is a painting by Vincent van Gogh. ...

The stock market crash in 1987 was one of a number of factors that led to the downfall of Bond's business empire, and he eventually went to prison for a time after being convicted of hiding some of his assets from Bond Corporation's receivers. These efforts, however, were somewhat successful; he appears to have retained several luxury properties and other assets sufficient to support a luxurious lifestyle. The stock market is the market for the trading of company stock, both those securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. ...

Bond was originally jailed in August 1996 for a $15 million charge involving the Manet painting La Promenade. In 1997 he was sentenced to a further four years after pleading guilty to siphoning off $1.2 billion from one of his companies, Bell Resources, to prop up his ailing Bond Corporation. Journalist Paul Barry, who wrote the book referenced below, has pointed out that Bond's release after 1,298 days meant that he spent roughly one day behind bars for every million dollars he stole. 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Édouard Manet - 19th century French painter Mobile_ad-hoc_network - A self configuring wireless network This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paul Barry is an Australian journalist. ...

In 1995 Bond and his family bought him out of bankruptcy, using about $12 million they held in offshore trusts to reach an arrangement with creditors who were owed $1.8 billion, a payout of a little over half a cent in the dollar. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Paul Barry The Rise And Fall Of Alan Bond ISBN 1-86359-037-4. Bantam Books (1991)