Stuart Pearson

Stuart Pearson (born c. 1984) is an Irish convenience store worker whose name was linked to a number of investment rumours in 2008. In 2009, the claims of Pearson's wealth and investment proposals were reported to have been a hoax.

Biography In reports published in December 2008, Pearson stated that he was 24 and from Arklow, where his family owned a Burmah petrol station. By 1998 they moved to Carlow where he claimed to own 'The Foundry' nightclub. owned by the McLoughlin family. ) Pearson claimed to have qualified as an accountant in Portlaoise around 2008. According to contemporary reports, he was attacked in a robbery on the shop in January 2008. In May 2009, The Irish Times reported that he had separated from his wife, who claimed to have no knowledge of his business dealings; and that locals in Goresbridge were surprised by and sceptical of the reports of Pearson's extreme claim of wealth. This was reputedly held by trustees until 2008, The trust was reported to have property in Ireland, to have paid £940m for two retail properties in London,

In October 2008, Pearson was reported to have been negotiating to buy Taggart Holdings, a housebuilding firm based in Northern Ireland which was in administration with debts reported at €150m. In 2009, he was reported to be planning to build a retirement village in Arklow, and to start an insurance company.

In May 2009, all of the claims made by Pearson were reported to be hoaxes, reputedly started to attract "attention".