Su Zhu and Kyle Davies Finally Speaks About the Collapse of 3AC

During an interview with Bloomberg, Su Zhu, and Kyle Davies, the co-founders of Three Arrows Capital (3AC), the troubled hedge fund broke silence on the happenings that they have experienced in the past few weeks. 

This was after released court papers claimed that the duo were nowhere to be found and are refusing to cooperate with the liquidation process. No response was gotten from the founders for about five weeks. 

Not long after the court’s claim, Su Zhu resurfaced with a tweet displaying an email that his legal team had sent to the liquidators. The email signed by Christopher Anand Daniel who is the Managing Partner of Advocatus Law LLP lashed out at the liquidators suggesting that they were baiting the duo founders. The liquidators were faulting Zhu and Davies for lack of cooperation, and according to Christopher, that was not the case. 

Based on Zhu’s response, their once bubbly hedge fund downturned due to their clumsy market speculations which led to soliciting large margin call on loans. 

He attested to the fact that those loans should not have been taken in the first place. Both Zhu and Davies described the fall of the hedge fund as a regrettable one per the Bloomberg report. They rebuffed the claim that they had withdrawn huge funds from 3AC before the fall. 

3AC’s Collapse Leads to Relocation to Dubai 

Meanwhile, many crypto firms had tried to help 3AC and its counterpart who all faced liquidation and bankruptcy. 

These firms who acted as creditors to the insolvent firms ended up in debt, Blockchain.com was one of the top creditors of 3AC. Recently, America-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, acknowledged it had not been financially exposed to these bankrupt crypto firms.

Several investors’ loan claims on the hedge fund round up to about $2.8 billion. According to a legal document that was released on Monday, 3AC still owes its creditors and investors up to $1 billion. Coming from Zhu, the hedge fund plans to move its operations to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). He added that Dubai had to be surveyed before the business finally moves down there.

“Given that we had planned to move the business to Dubai, we have to go there soon to assess whether we move there as originally planned or if the future holds something different for us,”

US Bankruptcy Filings Surge in 2023; Expected to Climb Further in 2024

The United States witnessed a significant surge in bankruptcy filings in 2023, with an overall increase of 18%, according to Reuters. This upswing has been largely attributed to the confluence of several economic factors, primarily post-pandemic economic changes and rising interest rates. Consumer bankruptcy filings mirrored this trend with an identical 18% rise, indicative of the widespread impact across various sectors.

Contributing Economic Factors

Economic Downturn and High Interest Rates: The economic downturn, coupled with high interest rates and inflation, has been a primary driver behind the increase in bankruptcy filings. The low-interest-rate environment in preceding years had encouraged extensive borrowing and risk-taking, leading to financial stress when the economic landscape shifted​​.

Tougher Lending Standards and Pandemic-Era Backstops: The surge is also a result of tougher lending standards and the phasing out of pandemic-era financial backstops. These changes have put additional pressure on companies and individuals struggling with debt repayment and financial restructuring​​.

Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The pandemic’s long-term effects, including economic uncertainty and job losses, have led to a rise in personal debt, further exacerbating the bankruptcy situation​​.

Impact on the Financial Sector

Corporate Bankruptcy Filings: The financial sector, in particular, has seen a notable increase in corporate bankruptcy filings. For example, SVB Financial Group’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing marked a significant event in the sector, representing the largest corporate bankruptcy filing in the financial sector for the year, with more than $3.3 billion in unsecured claims​​.

Other Significant Bankruptcies: Additionally, other regional banks and financial institutions, such as GloriFi and cryptocurrency lender Genesis Global Holdco LLC, have also filed for bankruptcy, indicating the breadth of the financial strain across the sector​​.

Historical Context: Since 2010, there have been 13 financial bankruptcies with over $1 billion in liabilities at the time of filing. This historical perspective underscores the significance of the recent surge in bankruptcy filings​​.

2024 Expectations

Continued Increase in Bankruptcy Filings: Bankruptcy case counts are expected to continue climbing in 2024. This is due in part to the end of pandemic stimulus, ongoing high interest rates, and rising delinquency rates​​​​. Retail Sector Vulnerability: The retail sector may continue to lead US bankruptcies in 2024, largely due to persistent inflation and high interest rates. However, there is an anticipation of some relief with the expectation of easing monetary policy​​. Comparison with Pre-Pandemic Levels: Despite the expected increase, there is still some distance before reaching the peak of 757,816 bankruptcies filed in 2019, the year before the pandemic struck. This suggests that while bankruptcy filings are on the rise, they have not yet reached the heights seen in recent years​​.

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