$2.9 Billion Worth Lawrence Stroll Once Splashed the Cash to Ink a Record Breaking Deal

Before taking the world of Formula 1 by storm, Lawrence Stroll was known for his exploits in the fashion industry. Taking over the investment business from his father Leo, Lawrence took brands like Ralph Lauren to Europe. The Canadian business tycoon even invested in the renowned brands of Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. Looking for office space in London, he made a splurge so big that it broke all records.

Lawrence Stroll (net worth $2.9 bn, according to Forbes) rented a 4000 square feet space at 5 St. James’ Square in London in 2017. He agreed to a 190 pounds ($229) per square foot rate, which broke the previous highest-paid rent record in London. Helly Nahmad Gallery, which paid 185 pounds per square foot in 2015 on the same square set for the previous record.

The Evening Standard quoted James Cooksey, chairman of the Westminster Property Association as saying “A major letting of this nature underpins the ongoing attractiveness of the West End as an office destination. Notwithstanding some of the wider challenges, we should remain confident in London’s ability to continue to thrive, and importantly, adapt.”

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Last month Lawrence Stroll invested $2 million in Aston Martin, which saw his share in the company rise to 23%. Facing the threat of an aggressive takeover from Geely, a Chinese car manufacturer, the Stroll-led consortium made another big spending to take their share even higher. Geely currently owns 7.6 percent of the firm.

Lawrence Stroll expressed his vision for Aston Martin after heavy investment

Yew Tree Overseas Ltd., the consortium led by Lawrence, has since the start of 2022, invested close to $60.61 million. The investments saw business magnates like JCB’s Lord Anthony Bamford, Hong Kong billionaire Silas Chou, telecommunications billionaire John McCaw, and biotech billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli join the consortium.

As per Autocar UK, Lawrence Stroll after last month’s investment said, “As a group of investors we share a firm belief that Aston Martin is undervalued and that, despite the recent supply chain challenges, it is well set to continue its growth trajectory in the ultra-luxury high-performance automotive business.”

“Our collective confidence in the medium and long-term success of the business is driven by the strength of the order book, the exciting portfolio of new products that are set to come to the market, and Aston Martin’s incredible global brand awareness.”

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Lawrence is leaving no stone unturned to make Aston Martin a success. Getting Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s former aerodynamics chief Dan Fallows on the team is a step in that direction. They even have a new factory at Silverstone in the making, which will have an in-house wind tunnel. It will be interesting to see how much progress Aston Martin makes in the 2023 season.