Blue’s multimillion-pound legal claim stems from another boozy meeting at the Horse and Groom pub near Sports Direct’s Oxford Street store in 2013. Blue claims that Ashley agreed to pay him £15m if he could help double Sports Direct’s share price within three years.
Ashley has dismissed everything discussed in the pub as “banter”, denied that any such deal existed and refused to pay up.
Blue, a former Merrill Lynch banker and strategic development director at Sports Direct, claimed that Ashley said: “If he [Blue] can get the stock to £8 per share why should I give a **** how much I have to pay him? I will have made so much money it doesn’t matter.”
Ashley has dismissed everything discussed in the pub as “banter”, denied that any such deal existed and refused to pay up.
Blue, a former Merrill Lynch banker and strategic development director at Sports Direct, claimed that Ashley said: “If he [Blue] can get the stock to £8 per share why should I give a **** how much I have to pay him? I will have made so much money it doesn’t matter.”
Blue said that in December 2013, when Sports Direct’s shares were approaching £8, he approached Ashley, who referred to him as “Jeffis”, for confirmation of the claimed agreement. Blue said that Ashley replied: “Jeffis, I’ve got it, I’ve got it. We’re cool, we’re cool.”
Shortly after the shares hit £8 at 1.04pm on 25 February 2014 Blue’s wife, who was also in court, texted him to say: “It’s hit 8!!!!!”
Ashley paid Blue a £1m bonus in May 2014, but said this was discretionary and not a downpayment on the alleged £15m deal agreed in the Horse and Groom. Ashley denies that any deal was made. Blue’s lawyers said the payment was “only explicable as a partial payment of the sum that had been agreed”.
Shortly after the shares hit £8 at 1.04pm on 25 February 2014 Blue’s wife, who was also in court, texted him to say: “It’s hit 8!!!!!”
Ashley paid Blue a £1m bonus in May 2014, but said this was discretionary and not a downpayment on the alleged £15m deal agreed in the Horse and Groom. Ashley denies that any deal was made. Blue’s lawyers said the payment was “only explicable as a partial payment of the sum that had been agreed”.
Sports Direct, Ashley.
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