By: Property Awards
Starting up on your own, with £500m of equity in the middle of a double-dip recession, is no mean feat. Kow launched Queensgate Investments, a private equity real estate fund manager, in April last year. In January this year Queensgate agreed its debt deal, buying from O2 owner AEG the long leasehold of a 3 hectare site on the River Thames, which links directly into the O2. It aims to develop a 452-bedreeom luxury hotel, conference centre and residential scheme. The Judges said: Our winner tonight has had to do it all himself. He has taken a lot of responsibility and had produced the goods.
