Highlights
Wirecard Says Missing $2.1 Billion Probably Doesn’t Exist

(Bloomberg) — Wirecard AG, the troubled German payments company, withdrew its financial results, saying the missing 1.9 billion euros ($2.1 billion) of cash on its balance sheet probably doesn’t exist.
Concerns over the missing money have prompted a collapse in Wirecard shares and the resignation of CEO Markus Braun, who was replaced on an interim basis by James Freis. In an indication of the company’s worsening outlook, Moody’s Investors Service said on Friday it cut Wirecard’s credit ratings six levels, putting it one step from the lowest tier of junk.
“There is a prevailing likelihood that the bank trust account balances in the amount of 1.9 billion euros do not exist,” the company said in a statement early Monday. It withdrew results for fiscal 2019 and preliminary results for the first quarter of 2020. The firm had repeatedly delayed filing its statements.
Read more on how Wirecard became an embarrassment for Germany
Wirecard said that it was continuing to investigate the matter and could not exclude potential effects on the financial accounts of previous years.
The company said that it was in “constructive discussions” with its lending banks, including the extension of lines coming due at the end of June. It is working with investment bank Houlihan Lokey on a sustainable financing strategy. Also under consideration are cost reductions, a restructuring, and disposal or termination of business units and product segments, according to the statement.
Wirecard’s lenders are demanding more clarity from the company in return for the extension of almost $2 billion in financing after it breached terms on the loan, people familiar with the matter said earlier. At least 15 commercial lenders, including Commerzbank AG and ABN Amro, are in hectic negotiations about the steps to take, they said.
The deepening mystery over the lost money last week centered on two Philippine lenders, after Wirecard said a couple of unnamed Asian banks had been unable to find accounts with the cash.
Both the Bank of the Philippine Islands and BDO Unibank Inc. said Wirecard wasn’t a client and they hadn’t seen the money.
A document purporting to show a link between Wirecard and BPI was “bogus” and may be part of an attempted fraud, the bank’s President Cezar Consing said Friday. BDO Unibank CEO Nestor Tan said it was a matter of “document fraud which was subsequently clarified by the bank as spurious.”
-
Economy2 months ago
Is Gold a Good Investment in 2025? A Deep Dive into the Precious Metal’s Future
-
Alamaliktistaad Magazines2 months ago
Al-Iktisaad, March 2025
-
OER Magazines2 months ago
OER, March 2025
-
Automotive1 month ago
South Korea Plans to Support Auto Sector with US$2B Following US Tariffs
-
News2 months ago
Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro launches in the Middle East
-
News1 month ago
Oman Oil Prices Witness Drop Amid Shifting Global Trade Dynamics
-
News1 month ago
Aligning HR Strategies with Oman Vision 2040: A Roadmap for Organisational Growth – OER Business Summit 2025
-
News2 months ago
Omantel Partners with TeKnowledge to Enhance Employee Skills in AI & Data Science