8. Jan Schoch – Knocked From Pedestal
Switzerland's financial sector has rarely seen an entrepreneur of Jan Schoch's stature. Not yet 30 when he co-founded a structured product boutique, Schoch went public with Leonteq and built the little-known firm into a globally-active derivatives player.
Never risk-shy, the former investment bank also turned his attention to another project: a digital wealth manager for the super-rich. Schoch poured nearly 30 million Swiss francs into Flynt Bank – and failed, much like he stumbled at Leonteq. The entrepreneur possesses an unyielding will, but also proved immune to advice, even from long-time associates – qualities which didn't endear him to a board tasked with ensuring good corporate governance.
At Leonteq, this ultimately cost him the CEO job. At Flynt, he was forced to hand over his digital wealth manager dream to others. The hit to his personal finances runs in the double-digit millions of Swiss francs. Just 40, Schoch has fallen swiftly and brutally , but is likely to dust himself off and seek a new opportunity to start a business.
