Jeffrey Grayson

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Jeffrey Grayson
Born(1942-05-04)May 4, 1942
Salem, Oregon, U.S.
DiedNovember 27, 2009(2009-11-27) (aged 67)
Portland, Oregon
Alma materUniversity of Oregon
OccupationCo-founder of Capitol Consultants
Spouse(s)Susan Grayson

Jeffrey Lloyd Grayson (May 4, 1942 - November 27, 2009) was an American businessman and criminal. A native of Oregon, he co-founded and later served as Chief executive officer (CEO) of . Grayson made legally questionable loans to and its CEO Andrew Wiederhorn. Grayson was convicted of mail fraud along with his son .

Early life[]

Jeffrey Grayson was born on May 4, 1942, in Salem, Oregon.[1] He and his twin sister Janet were born to N. Philip and Blossom Grayson, though the parents divorced in the 1950s.[1] His father was a small business owner.[1] He attended Duniway School in Portland and later graduated from Cleveland High School, also in Portland.[1] Grayson then attended the University of Oregon in Eugene where he spent one year on the cheerleading squad and was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.[1]

While in college his mother and stepfather were convicted of perjury and concealing assets during bankruptcy in 1961.[1] Grayson graduated with a business degree from Oregon and then enrolled at Willamette University College of Law in Salem.[1] He left after a single year to work for U.S. Bank in securities.[1] Grayson’s twin sister died in a car wreck in 1967.[1]

Capital Consultants[]

In 1968, Grayson and law school roommate Charles Swindells founded Capital Consultants.[1] The company dealt with investment management.[1] The company grew and by 1976 had $140 million in assets under its management including the pensions for Tektronix and county workers in Multnomah County.[1] Capital Consultants was then the largest independent funds manager in the Pacific Northwest,[1] and at one point had $1 billion in assets under management.[2] The company then had a series of legal issues that included a suspension of the company’s trading license by the SEC and an investigation by the Oregon Attorney General.[1]

Grayson was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 42, leading him to join the board of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s local chapter.[1] He also was the chairman of the board for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.[1] Grayson’s pledge of $1.5 million to the University of Oregon and chairing their endowment campaign led to the naming of a building on campus for the Graysons, which was later revoked.[1]

In the late 1990s, the company and Grayson became involved in a scheme similar to a Ponzi scheme.[3] The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued the company and Grayson in September 2000,[4] a judge later removed Grayson from control of the company, and then federal prosecutors filed a charges for 22 separate counts in October 2001.[2] Grayson pleaded guilty to mail fraud and another charge in the case, and could have received up to four years in jail.[3] He suffered a stroke in 2002 that left him unable to appear or testify in court, and prevented him from being sentenced to prison.[3]

Later life and death[]

Grayson blamed the crimes on an attempt to recover the investment losses of his clients.[2] Following the stroke, Grayson was sent to a long-term care facility in Southwest Portland.[2] Jeffrey Grayson died on November 27, 2009, at the age of 67 in Portland, Oregon.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Manning, Jeff; James Long (April 23, 2002). "Losing All That Mattered to Him". The Oregonian. p. A1.
  2. ^ a b c d e Manning, Jeff (November 30, 2009). "Jeff Grayson, investment manager, dies at age 67". The Oregonian. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Manning, Jeff (February 11, 2005). "Salesman's sentence ends Capital Consultants trials". The Oregonian. pp. D1.
  4. ^ "UNITED STATES v. JEFFREY LLOYD GRAYSON". Retrieved November 28, 2005.

External links[]

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