David Leckie doing well after tough years

Cartoon: Peter Nicholson.

Sydney socialite Skye Leckie has thrown her support behind her man, taking to social media to champion husband David “Big Wave Dave” Leckie, the former boss of Nine and Seven, who some believe may be TV’s once and future king.

Centennial Park resident Skye has called an end to Big Wave Dave’s anni horribiles.

“To all the friends of Davo — who have been so warm and caring for him on his behalf — I just want to thank you all,” she writes. “He has had a tough few years, but like everything he has done, he makes it work — he and I are back in tune.”

TV veteran Leckie quit as a director of Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media mid-last-year. Before that he was boss of the network, overseeing Seven’s return to ratings dominance over his old shop, Nine.

Since leaving the Seven boardroom, Leckie has endured as a consultant on all matters television. Even though the gig extends for at least another year, some nostalgics seem him as a potential new boss at Ten.

These days Leckie is at fighting weight and is said to be back in rude health.

“But I’m just sooo very proud of Davo — he has been to hell and back, but I married a fighter and he has shown me again, he is so strong and tough but he is also a great bloke,” Skye goes on (and on).

“So thank you all so very much for your … comments. You might not have any idea how fabulous it made him feel — x.”

The power couple’s friends lapped it up.

“Wonderful thoughts eloquently expressed,” replied former Seven news boss Peter Meakin. “Dave is a great guy and a loyal friend. I wish him every success — not that he has a single thing to prove.”

Adman Pierce Cody got on board. “He is a gorgeous, stubborn, opinionated ireverent (sic) irrascible (sic) Rock of Gibralter (sic). And that’s why we love him.” And then there was Seven’s legal mind Bruce McWilliam: “The Great Man. And you are a great couple. Love you all, you know that xx”

Big bill from Grill

The foray by WorleyParsons chairman (and biggest shareholder) John Grill into high-interest lending doesn’t appear to be working out well.

As Margin Call revealed yesterday, in August 2012, while he was still CEO of the engineering group, Grill lent $37 million to enigmatic investment fund Torchlight, run by Kiwis George Kerr and Russell Naylor. Who knows why.

Sadly, Torchlight has fallen on troubled times, with investors taking to court in the Cayman Islands to attack Kerr (he denies any wrongdoing).

Torchlight scarpered to the Caribbean four months after Grill’s loan. Last year, Grill put his foot on the bit left in NZ, appointing receiver Kare Johnstone to track down assets.

How’s that going? “The only asset realised to date is ... a bank account which realised $55,” Johnstone said in February.

Meanwhile, the amount owed continues to skyrocket. It was $33.6m in May last year and interest is continuing to accrue at a modest $500,000 a week.

On the back of Margin Call’s envelope that’s a total of $63m.

Big MacMystery

Macquarie chair Kevin McCann is stringing out the suspense ahead of the mega-bank’s annual meeting tomorrow.

It will be the first time that new director and former Lion Nathan boss Gordon Cairns will face a vote, but whether it’s a contested election remains to be seen. An independent candidate for the board is still in the dark about whether his candidacy will be put to the vote.

As of last night the board still hadn’t decided if the candidate was worthy of consideration.

Watchdog’s biting

IOOF chairman Roger Sexton has had a run-in with Greg Medcraft's ASIC. 

As if ASIC’s probe of the Oddfellows wasn’t enough, it has questions about the IPO of Sexton’s other company, Beston Global Foods.

ASIC has extended the exposure period of the float for a week while it gets more info about the complex ag investor’s material contracts.

Sexton and Bell Potter’s Anton Whitehead reckon ASIC’s action won’t delay the company’s August 21 IPO.

Apparently Beston has insto commitments of more than $100m, so it could reap more than the projected $130m.

There are no delays so far at Frank Costa’s much larger Costa Group, which opened its bookbuild yesterday.

Talk is the share price will land in the $2.20 to $2.70 range, raising about $590m.

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