"All this money missing and one person know about it?- Usain Bolt expresses frustration about arrests in his $12.8 million fraud case

Usain Bolt recently raised his concerns regarding a major financial scandal that had cost him over $12 million. He questioned how only one person, Jean-Ann Panton, was responsible for the missing funds. He disputed how such a large sum could disappear from a well-regulated institution without anybody else being aware.

In 2023, the former fastest man on the planet discovered that $12.8 million had vanished from his investment account at Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), which is a Jamaican financial firm. His team believed that the investment was safe, but later reports had shown that they had been misled with false documents. Despite investigations, including efforts by international forensic experts, the missing funds are yet to be recovered. Bolt is one of the 200 affected investors in the fraud.

Recalling the incident during an interview with 'The Fix' on February 10, 2025, the 38-year-old said:

"All this money missing and (only) one person knew about it? One somebody can't move around and nobody else don't know about it. In a big institution where it's supposed to be regulated, right? (1:12:25 onwards)."

Usain Bolt is considered by many as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, owing to his dominance across three consecutive Games. His most recent Olympic success came in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, achieving what is known by many as the legendary "triple-triple". However, this was his second time doing this, as he had already accomplished this feat at the 2012 London Olympics. He came close to doing the same at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning gold in 100m, 200m. While Jamaica had initially won the 4x100m relay as well, they were later stripped off their win due to a doping violation by Bolt's teammate, Nesta Carter.

Usain Bolt demands his lost money back in SSL fraud

Usain Bolt at the 2024 Laureus World Sport Awards Madrid - Source: Getty

On February 10, 2025, Usain Bolt voiced his frustration over the lack of progress in recovering his missing $12 million from the Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) fraud case. Despite multiple discussions with government officials and authorities, he has not seen any meaningful action or progress to resolve the issue. Bolt stressed that simply waiting without applying pressure could mean never getting his money back.

The sprinter also criticized the government's way of handling the case, stating that they have not put in as much effort as Bol would have preferred. While former SSL client relationship manager Ms. Panton has been charged, no other arrests have been made or major breakthroughs occurred in the past two years.

Reflecting on the frustration over the situation, he said:

"At some point, we have to figure out something and make a move. We can’t just lose all of that [money]." (caribbeannationalweekly.com)

Usain Bolt further revealed that he initially stayed silent to protect Jamaica's image but it was to no avail. He mentioned that if the situation does not improve, he is willing to approach international media.