Friday, October 16, 2009 0:47

GIC may lose big on investment in apartments

In Quotes • 747 views • 13 Comments

Another big player in the restructuring talks could be Singapore’s GIC. The fund owns a $575 million mezzanine loan backed by the property, according to people familiar with the matter. Also, GIC owns about $100 million to $200 million in equity, the people said.

Both investments might be wiped out unless GIC maneuvers to have more influence in the loan workout process, possibly by buying more senior debt. GIC declined to comment.

Wall Street Journal

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13 Comments

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Ah Siao
Oct 16, 2009 0:57

Haha,

Looks like the closet is opening!

The govt had always taken WSJ seriously and always want the right to reply. See what they have to say this time!

OnlineShmonline
Oct 16, 2009 8:57

I remember reading about that Blackrock purchase of those subsidised housing units in prime NYC locations (and how the existing tenants faced the fear of being kicked out or having their previously low rentals hiked up to the moon).

I suppose GIC jumped in based on Blackrock’s potential property gains. As with alot of GIC (and Temasek)’s ventures outside of Singapore, they went in with the crowd instead of doing sufficient due diligence.

I’m still amused by companies paying high salaries to employees who buy high and redeem low. I guess they’re getting good salaries because nobody else would hire such talents.

ronin
Oct 16, 2009 10:51

It has been 2 days and the State Times still dare not report this potential big loss of GIC. Maybe ST is thinking of how best to word the article to not make GIC look so bad??

Arthur Lee
Oct 16, 2009 11:34

Its paid back time for GIC for getting involved in such kind of deal – kicking the low and middle income tenants out of their existing home… this is suck blood money.

NotWorth
Oct 16, 2009 11:57

Losing 500+m by GIC is probably not worthy of mention these days!

popcorn
Oct 16, 2009 12:22

The Managing Director of GIC, Peter Ng, is in charge of sourcing investment opportunities for GIC and bringing them up for assesment and approval during Board meetings. He should come out of the protected closet and brief Singaporeans on how many more such investments gone wrong, or else we
would keep on guessing and coming to wrong conclusions ourselves.
The Govt may insists GIC Reserves belong to the State, but Reserves are accumulated from the hard work of Singaporeans, so in effect belong to the people. We have the right to know.
It is not good we receive information only from foreigners outside the country.
This state of affairs breed suspicions and loss of trust in the capabilities of those manning our reserves.

sukasuka
Oct 16, 2009 13:40

After having the grandeur experience of losing $58 000 000 000 ($58BILLIONS), what’s $575M ?? That’s not even 1%, it’s just PEANUTS for heaven’s sake.

Fortune-teller
Oct 16, 2009 13:59

They must have thought the compensation would be similar to what happens in Singapore…pay some measly amount to the owners to make it state land and then sell it off through expensive HDB pigeon holes.

Just goes to show that our elites will always be thinking frogs living in a well.

Lydia Lim Mui Hum
Oct 16, 2009 15:46

That is why many intellectuals have been calling for Transparency.

If any loss, its not about wealth loss of a billionare. ITs the Loss of the People’s Money.

So, as you can see, i do not know IF there is any loss.
I am speaking from a technical angle.

Its either full transparency or there is no full transparency. Yes, i meant it to be an oxymoron.

But do you know what i mean, that is all.

But then as long as singaporeans continue to accept. There is no need for CHANGE. ITs now in the hands of singaporeans. they decide.

Where are we heading
Oct 16, 2009 17:11

When I first read about SG Govt’s libel suit against the Wall Street Journal, I was incredibly bewildered. I thought they should know better that WSJ is outside SG, not like they can be oppressed. It is the beginning of a good showdown. If a major medium chooses to back a political party, it is halfway to success, the opposite and the party is likely to be doomed. Lets see if this is the case.

FeverGuy
Oct 16, 2009 21:00

Greedy Idiotic Cowards. GIC. 575 millions can feed 100000 poor families for 30 years.

New Era
Oct 16, 2009 21:55

GIC and Temasek appear to be in the business of losing money.
Suzhou was a huge loss and so was Batam Industrial Park.

I am sure Thaksin Shinawatra will tell you that Temasek is bad news.

Joey
Jan 11, 2010 8:57

How ironic. On the one hand Mr. Teo Ser Luck on the SAA funding fiasco mentioned that since the money (funding of S$900,000 to the SAA) comes from tax payers money, the SSC has to be extra careful on how the money is spent. Now that Billions of Singapore Tax payers dollars have been lost through GIC and TH, no one is accountable, and no investigation is done.

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