London (BE Finance): Britain’s financial regulator has imposed lifetime bans and financial penalties on two former senior executives of Blue Horizon Asset Management after concluding they falsified information while pursuing acquisitions of a UK bank and Reading Football Club.
According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), former Chief Executive Officer Paul Taylor and former Managing Director Esmeralda Toni engaged in misconduct during takeover attempts by submitting misleading information and fabricated documents.
Taylor, who served as Blue Horizon’s CEO between 2022 and 2025, was fined £489,000 (approximately $660,883). Toni received a financial penalty of £121,200.
The regulator found that Taylor made misleading statements and produced false documentation claiming ownership of a bond portfolio valued at roughly €200 million. The FCA said the documents were used during separate attempts to acquire an undisclosed UK bank and Reading Football Club. Investigators also concluded that Toni knowingly assisted Taylor in creating the false documents submitted as part of the proposed acquisitions.
During the FCA’s investigation, Toni denied making misleading statements or participating in the creation of fraudulent documentation.
Blue Horizon Asset Management had been among the prospective buyers of Reading Football Club before the club was ultimately acquired by U.S.-based sports investment firm Redwood Holdings.
Blue Horizon Asset Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Taylor and Toni could not be reached for comment.
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