LSE listed Venture Capital Trusts - the ultimate PONZI scheme.

HM Treasury's "Call for Evidence" is open until 28 February.  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69317e5ecdec734f4dff424f/Tax_Entrepreneurship_CfE.pdf   It really is time to stop-the-rot of FCA Authorised Investment Managers ripping-off the whole of society.  Albion VCTs in the High Court in March and October Octopus Titan VCT first High Court hearing April  But where does one even start with the Gresham House VCTs and their truly abysmal investment performance (share price nearly 50% lower in last 5 years) after including  annual fees running at least 5 times the fees allowed on their other non-VCT funds which account for >25% of all monies. What a rip-off. The just published accounts really do prove the existence of the PONZI scheme/scam and that VCTs exist solely for Fees,Fees,Fees and new monies raised mainly to rip-off HMRC for a tiny few of the ultra-rich "rolliing-over" their investments every 5 years as shown in the WealthClub public...

  A last post before the Festive Season... As Michael Lewis (author Liar's Poker & The Big Short) says - I paraphrase -  Investment Managers and Dealers are a cancer in modern society ... Well the  OCTOPUS ,  PEMBROKE  and (to a minimal extent)  PRAETURA  VCT managers certainly have some questions to answer in the simple and specimen case of  SEATFROG   https://seatfrog.com/  and company no: 11265801 Starting with the Company Law and related FCA filings at the National Storage Mechanism we find the following: SHAREHOLDINGS pre 18.07.26 issue @ £3.4755 OCTOPUS :         4,816,354 valued at £2.74 each PEMBROKE:      1,815,637 valued at £4.00 each PREATURA:      195,979 valued at £2.55 each So what did they all do in July 2025? OCTOPUS - nothing because it is part of a £10m deliberate underreporting of current values compared to new issue price to create a hidden sl...

Do read yesterday's Wall Street Journal "The Intelligent Investor" https://www.wsj.com/news/author/jason-zweig for a detailed explanation as to why NAV stands for "Not Actual Value" in funds that control redemptions and buy backs. Classic PONZI scheme for all VCTs. Redemptions only when new money raised. 

  https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/otv2 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/otv2

Can anyone give me any good reason, ethical or logical, why any Investment Manager's annual fees are based on unrealised asset valuations that they alone determine? Surely they should be based on "hard" assets contributed by investors plus retained realised profits (cash at say 1/10th of investment cost based fee as there is nothing to do). Nothing should be payable for any unrealised net gains as there is simply no ongoing work after acquisition for which their Director's fees don't already compensate.  If we just look at Albion Capital Group they generate annual profits, without performance fees paid for years, for each of the members of more than £700,000.   There is simply no justification for such outrageous fee gouging for doing nothing that any 2-bit accountant couldn't administer. As for 2% for depositing cash in the bank... Question: How much could Albion charge if the US GP base salary of $75k were imposed - any more comes from performance?

Upfront tax deduction reduced to basic rate tax and the launch of a "review". About time too. 10% upfront saving was apparently easier to implement and an easier sell to the public than scrapping tax free dividends, but it should have much the same effect. Will we now see VCT managers change their fee structures to "realised gains only"? Hardly likely given their obscene greed if they think they can get away with it rather than change to EIS and SEIS fee structures as it will play havoc with their income and cash flow. We should see massive consolidation in the sector after the flurry of even more new fund raisings and nowhere to invest them within 12 months, and as the FT reports one very reputable intermediary saying "it really will be a case of buy now while stocks last" . Heaven help the punters!   27 November UPDATE Links to "Review" documents Call for  Evidence:     https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692828f92a37784b16ecf615/Tax...