Crispin Odey fired executives who suggested he should sit in a segregated office to protect female employees from alleged harassment, the financier told a tribunal. The hedge fund founder rejected the £1.8mn fine and lifetime ban imposed by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), claiming the regulator pressured his executives to impose safeguards. Odey argued the FCA used the incident as a tool to force change, stating he was being 'pre-judged' and forced to move to a lower office to 'curry favour' with the regulator. The FCA alleges Odey lacked integrity and acted recklessly in response to sexual misconduct allegations against him, though it did not find him guilty of the original misconduct. OAM began shutting down in 2023 after multiple allegations surfaced, including one where Odey reportedly touched a female employee's bottom during a tour, leading executives to believe he breached a prior written warning.

Odey denies all claims and is suing the Financial Times over its reporting.