Jack Dellal: the enigmatic property dealer who walks away unscathed from crashes

'Black Jack' Dellal was a leading protagonist in the 1973-1974 fringe-banks crisis. An enigmatic, secretive man, he is the grand old man of UK property speculation.

The most you hear about "Black Jack" Dellal these days is when his name crops up in connection with other people's property deals, or when a family member hits the gossip columns. The latest is granddaughter Alice Dellal, a 20-year-old "babe" who has just been signed up to replace Kate Moss as the face of Agent Provocateur. Yet Dellal, who earned his nickname on the gaming tables, was "one of the most amazing money-making machines to pass through the City since the war", says The Sunday Times.

Black Jack was a leading protagonist in the 1973-1974 fringe-banks crisis arguably the closest British historical parallel with the current mess, says the Evening Standard. The run-up to the crisis is horribly familiar. It had its roots in the Heath government's cheap money policy, aimed at strengthening UK industry prior to entering the EC.

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