Nick Levene

Nick ‘Beano’ Levene is a former wealthy broker who was the definition of success; a self-made multi-millionaire who took advantage of the boom in the 80s to become a big financial player. At one point in his life, Nick was partying with celebrities and high-profile business leaders however that life came crashing down in 2012 when he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for 12 counts of fraud, one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception and one count of false accounting. Four years on from his release from prison, when hired as a speaker, Nick shares his riches to rags story and draws attention to the lack of rehabilitation for those who have been released.

Coming from humble beginnings as the son of an electrician, Nick was only 15 years old when he left school with no qualifications to join the London Stock Exchange in the runup to the big bang. With over 25 years of experience on the London Stock Exchange, Nick described himself as a specialist in the equity and derivative markets. Starting his career at Phillips & Drew, the stockbrokers, he then became the managing director for Tullett & Tokyo and Trio and also worked as the executive director at Integrated Asset Management, the hedge fund. As part of his sales pitch, Nick claimed he had access to certain shares which were otherwise inaccessible for ordinary investors.

Once upon a time, Nick had a life which most could only dream of: a loving wife, three beautiful children, an extravagant family home in London with expensive cars, and able to jet his friends off on lavish holidays to St Tropez. He was even the former Vice-Chairman of Leyton Orient Football Club. Nick, however, was struggling with what would become a crippling gambling addiction. He once lost £720,000 on a single Twenty20 cricket match and could not make money fast enough to fund his obsession. Drawn into a life of deceit and lies, Nick conned his investors out of millions of pounds; between April 2005 and September 2009 he was able to pocket a staggering total of £250 million according to the Serious Fraud Office.

Known as the Ponzi fraudster, Nick’s life came crashing down all around him as his web of lies was exposed. Recognising that crime does not pay, and realising he needed to seek help, Nick checked himself into London’s Priory clinic for his gambling addiction and has since turned his life around. Determined to help those who have once led a life of crime, Nick now shares his experience on the challenges which incarcerated men face, including the battles of mental health and how to navigate a life outside of prison. If you are in need of a motivational speaker who has been able to change his outlook on life, ridding his own feelings of greed, look no further than Nick Levene to hire at your next event today.