Source: AFP
Billionaire inventor James Dyson has lost a libel suit against a British newspaper that commented on how he supported Brexit but then moved his business to Singapore, a judge ruled on Friday.
The 76-year-old founder of the high-tech appliance maker sued Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over an article published in January 2022.
In it, he was called “the vacuum cleaner tycoon who championed Vote Leave because of the economic opportunities it would bring to British industry before moving his global headquarters to Singapore”.
The author of the article then commented: “Speak up guys, but then screw your country and if anyone complains, tell them to suck it.”
Dyson claimed in a High Court action that the allegations made were a “vicious and cruel” personal attack, but Judge Robert Jay disagreed.
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“In this case Plaintiff (Dyson) cannot prove that he suffered financial loss as a result of these publications,” he ruled.
“Nor can he show that his charity work, which is particularly aimed at young people and schools, has been affected in any way.”
Dyson’s lawyer claimed during a trial in London last month that the article was “a serious and unwarranted insult” to his professional and personal reputation.
In response, the newspaper’s publisher said it was an “honest opinion” and the article was “substantially correct”.
A spokesman for MGN welcomed the decision, saying it “supports the rights of our columnists to share honest opinions, even about powerful or wealthy people”.
Dyson’s company announced in January 2019 – almost three years after Britons voted in a referendum to leave the EU – that it was moving its global headquarters to Singapore due to growing Asian demand.
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At the time, chief executive Jim Rowan told reporters it was “not related to Brexit”.
Dyson himself has repeatedly defended the move, his support for Brexit and his long-standing investment in the UK.
A survey published this week showed that a majority (72 per cent) of Britons supported closer trade links with the EU.
Source: AFP