Tag: Steven van Rijswijk

JPMorgan Chase, a financial powerhouse in the U.S., and ING Group, a dominant banking institution in the Netherlands, have both ventured into the acquisition of FinTech companies to expand their digital capabilities. However, these acquisitions' strategies and subsequent management have diverged significantly, reflecting differences in corporate governance, regulatory environments, and responses to crises. Here is our comparative analysis.

Recently, Charlie Javice was arrested in New York and charged with fraud. She is the founder and former CEO of fintech Frank, which JP Morgan bought for $175 million. She allegedly misled JP Morgan about the true state of the company. In 2018, ING acquired Payvision, founded by Rudolf Booker, at a valuation of €360 million. ING expected Payvision to be a different company. The fintech made most of its revenue from merchants in the porn and gambling sectors - and with scammers.

As reported by FinTelegram, the former ING CEO Ralph Hamers will step down from his job as CEO of Switzerland's UBS Group at the beginning of April 2023 after nearly 29 months on the job. He will be replaced by a predecessor Sergio P. Ermotti. This surprising move may be related to the acquisition of Credit Suisse, or it may be related to ongoing investigations into money laundering in Holland. It has not yet been decided whether charges will be brought against Hamers.

In a recent press conference, ING CEO Steven van Rijswijk referred to the Payvision money laundering case. He said that the bank is not concerned about a possible settlement. "We have a strong capital position," Van Rijswijk said. He was open about the mistakes made when the fintech company was bought in 2018. "Obviously, that deal hasn't been a success," he said lightly. A few days ago, Payvision founder Rudolf Booker blamed ING for the Payvision collapse.

Since the money-laundering prosecution of Payvision and its founders became known, the Dutch media has been intensively interested in the founder Rudolf Booker but also in the role of ING. In an interview with Financieele Dagblad, Rudolf Booker sees a witch hunt against him. The authorities are investigating whether ING paid an inflated purchase price for Payvision. Booker indignantly rejects all accusations and points to ING.

Founded by Rudolf Booker in Amsterdam some 20 years ago, Payvision was acquired by ING in 2018 at a valuation of €360 million. ING then discovered that Payvision was a high-risk payment processor that primarily served ethically unacceptable industries such as porn or gambling. In addition, Payvision was a facilitator and money launderer for broker scams. In 2020, ING sold the unethical business back to the Payvision founders for a symbolic euro. In 2021, ING announced that it had decided to close Payvision after an extensive review. Currently, this closure is being processed but Payvision victims are not compensated.