"Do they love the country or themselves"-Usain Bolt sends cryptic message as he is reportedly set to recover money after losing $12M in savings scam

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 02, 2024 13:04 GMT

After almost two years, Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt is set to get his lost fortunes back. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist is reportedly set to receive most of his lost dues, after he was allegedly robbed of approximately $12 million by employees of the Stock and Securities Limited.

Amid these reports, Bolt posted a cryptic tweet on his X account (formerly Twitter), which read:

"They banking on the country youth love for his country.. but ask yourself do they love their country or themselves"

The state regulator of Jamaica, i.e. the Financial Service Commission has indicated that the disgraced Stocks and Securities Limited [SSL] is set to pay out $30 million [$4.7 billion in Jamaican currency] to more than 200 investors, including Usain Bolt, who have been waiting for more than one year to recover their lost investments.

In a press release, FSC's executive director, Lt. Col. Keron Burrell said,

"The FSC remains resolute in its mission to facilitate the fair treatment of SSL investors. This vigilant oversight is crucial to ensuring that SSL meets its obligations to clients in a timely and transparent manner, in alignment with the legal and regulatory framework established by the Securities Act. The commission assures all stakeholders that it is dedicated to maintaining transparency and accountability throughout this process and will provide further updates as necessary.”

FSC has ordered the SSL to begin the payout soon, via CaribbeanLife. Interestingly, only one person has been charged with the offense of fraud by the investigative authorities: ex-SSL Client Relationship Manager Jean-Ann Panton. He is currently facing a 21-count indictment for forgery and other charges.

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What led to Usain Bolt losing millions after he retired from track

Usain Bolt and the SSL scandal that stripped him of his retirement savings [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source: Getty]

It all began in late 2022. An ex-SSI employee informed former Olympic champion Usain Bolt that he had only $12,000 remaining in his bank accounts. In one night, the sprinting sensation was supposedly robbed of his retirement savings of approximately $12 million.

In an interview with the Fortune magazine, Bolt's lawyer Linton P Gordon reported:

"It’s distressful news for anyone. And certainly in the case of Mr. Bolt, who established this account as part of his private pension.”

Gordon also recounted that despite multiple requests, nobody from SSL reported on this matter. Had Bolt's money not been returned within a week, Gordon would have been compelled to take the matter to the Supreme Court in Kingston.

Interestingly, Bolt had posted another cryptic tweet only weeks after this scandal broke out. He took to his X account (formerly Twitter) in January last year and wrote:

" 'In a World of Lies….Where is the Truth? The History Evil….What is the Root?…MONEY' #CrypticWorld"

Usain Bolt retired from active athletics in 2017, after participating in the World Athletics Championships held in London. He invested more than $12 million in the SSL as a part of his retirement savings. However, he was reportedly stripped of his savings in one stroke alongside 200 other clients.

It's been more than a year, and let alone convicting those accused of this crime, there have been negligible arrests in this regard. Except for former SSL official Jean-Ann Panton, no other official has been prosecuted for the offenses they're accused of.