[5] In July 2008 the finance companies within Hanover Group froze repayments, suspending acceptance of new deposits.
This transaction resulted in ALF assuming the net asset position of the Hanover Group finance companies.
[7] When Hanover collapsed, causing significant losses for many small investors, concerns were raised about Hanover group's true financial position, its solvency when paying dividends, transactions that may have benefited related parties, and the accuracy of asset valuations.
[9] The company has interests in the following sectors; fashion retail, financial services, agriculture, real estate and sports and entertainment.
[15] The firm has an international property portfolio, including commercial assets and residential development, predominantly in New Zealand, the US and UK.
[16] The Watson Foundation is a charitable trust established by Cullen Investments to enrich the lives of underprivileged children and young people and assist with their needs, including care, support, protection, health and education.
[22][23] Watson Bloodstock had interests in a number of race horses, including winners of Group races such as: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in July 2021 charged Eric Watson and two others with insider trading in relation to Long Island Iced Tea Corp's announcement in December 2017 that it would change its name to Long Blockchain Corp.