Former boss of failed Pubboy empire Mark Alexander-Erber charged by ASIC over missing business documents

Former Pubboy hotel boss turned music man, Mark Alexander-Erber, has admitted in court he failed to produce paperwork following the collapse of four of his companies.

Kings Cross identity and one-time John Ibrahim business partner, Mark Alexander-Erber (left) leaving Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: Simon Bullard

Failed Sydney pub baron turned music entrepreneur Mark Alexander-Erber has been ordered to pay almost $50,000 in fines after failing to lodge documents with the corporate regulator following the collapse of a string of companies, believed to owe creditors in excess of $1.7 million.

Alexander-Erber, a one-time BRW young rich lister who once owned a tattoo parlour with Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, was charged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in August after failing to deliver financial books or submit business activity reports for four companies which had been put into liquidation by the NSW Supreme Court in February.

The collapse marks the latest failed business venture for Alexander-Erber: the Sydney entrepreneur’s The Pubboy Group hotel empire, which at its height saw him listed on the BRW Young Rich List, went bust in 2008 owing $20 million, while another company, Alexander and Black Equities and Investments Pty Ltd, was later placed into liquidation in 2016.

Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday heard the National Australia Bank successfully applied to the NSW Supreme Court in February this year to have four of Alexander-Erber’s companies - Australian Business Executive Investments Pty Ltd, Dippindot Investments, Oz Recording Fund and AAAA Plus Investments International - put into liquidation over an unpaid debt.

Mark Alexander-Erber was once on the BRW young rich list after the meteoric rise of his pub empire. But the series of companies went bust in 2008, owing $20 million.

As part of the process, KordaMentha sent formal notices to the 54-year-old requesting he prepare a report on company activities and property and provide all company books, as required under law.

The court heard Alexander-Erber repeatedly failed to produce the documentation, despite multiple reminders, formal warnings and extension of time by both KordaMentha and ASIC.

At one stage he told authorities he was in the USA for a month working, and asked for more time to prepare the paperwork.

Australian Border Force records show Alexander-Erber had already been to the US and returned when that email was sent.

The court heard Alexander-Erber did eventually supply some documentation at the end of May, but it was unreadable.

The agreed facts for each company said Alexander-Erber’s failure to supply the required information to the liquidator meant the total claim for creditors in each company remained unknown.

However, the liquidator estimated the “deficiencies” for all four companies amounted to a total of $1.76 million.

Alexander-Erber, whose address is listed as a unit in The Rocks featuring sweeping views of Sydney Harbour, was charged in late August with eight offences under the Corporations Act and ordered to attend court in October.

He pleaded guilty to four counts each of officer fail to submit report on company activities and property to liquidator and officer not deliver books to liquidator.

The nature of the business conducted by each company was not revealed in court on Tuesday, however Alexander-Erber’s lawyer said three of the four businesses were startup ventures and “did very little trading”.

He said Australian Business Executive Investments traded for a couple of years but record keeping had been poor, meaning there were deficiencies in the paperwork sought by the liquidator.

Pubboy entrepreneur Mark Alexander Erber (left) pictured with notorious former gangster Mark 'Chopper' Read. Picture: Supplied

He also said Alexander-Erber had been operating another company in the music industry at the time and his focus had been on keeping that afloat during the Covid pandemic.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine just weeks before he was charged, Alexander-Erber spoke about his burgeoning stable of independent record labels under his Golden Robot Global Entertainment Group, which he claimed was his “best investment yet”.

The article briefly mentions the demise of The Pubboy Group and Alexander-Erber’s other short-lived “entrepreneurial pursuits”, including buying a cafe in 2011 with disgraced businessman Rodney Adler.

Alexander-Erber told the publication the businesses were “just another chapter in my book” and that he didn’t think he’d made mistakes along the way.

In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Susan Horan imposed $6,000 fines on all eight charges, saying there was a need to deter others from committing similar crimes.