Crispin Odey was described as ‘sex pest’ by head of his hedge fund, court hears

Multimillionaire begins case against FCA ban over handling of investigation into sexual misconduct claims The multimillionaire financier Crispin Odey was described by the head of his hedge fund as a “sex pest” and blamed an incident in which he allegedly groped a female staff member’s breasts on a sedative he had taken, a tribunal has heard. The Brexit-backing hedge fund chief’s behaviour came under the microscope on the first day of a lawsuit he has brought against the financial services regulator over his exile from the City. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Odey £1.8m and banned him from the financial services industry last year, finding that he had displayed a “lack of integrity” by attempting to frustrate an investigation by his own hedge fund into allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies. Odey had already launched a £79m libel claim against the Financial Times, which first published claims about his behaviour towards junior female staff. The fund, Odey Asset Management (OAM), shut down following the allegations. He is also facing civil personal injury claims by five women, including one who accused him of rape, which he also denies. Those cas