British entrepreneur Mark Weingard had three near-misses – in New York’s 9/11, the Bali bombing and Thailand’s 2004 tsunami – but fate had other plans.
He speaks to The Sunday Times of Malta about how he went from being a lousy waiter to a successful trader who lost everything, to a millionaire philanthropist with big plans to invest in Valletta.
Mr Weingard laughs as he reflects on people’s scepticism when he recounts how close he came to being a victim in three global tragedies.
“For several years it felt like I was popping up in every tragedy that could come along,” he says of his turbulent three years between 2001 and 2004.
“Being in New York in 9/11, having lost my fiancée in a terrible terrorist attack, and then getting caught in the tsunami felt very Zelig-like,” he adds, referring to Woody Allen’s 1983 American mockumentary film Zelig.
The film depicts a typically ordinary person who seems to turn up with surprising or unaccountable frequency in a variety of settings. Meet Mr Weingard.
“I have to say the Maltese can feel very safe because it’s been 10 years now since there’s been a disaster so I doubt there’s going to be a cyclone hitting the island soon,” he adds, his infectious laugh echoing through the room.
After years travelling the world, the millionaire philanthropist adopted Malta as his home 18 months ago and is looking to invest heavily in Valletta – a three-Michelin-star chef brought over for a 100-day gastronomic experience that will ‘open’ at the Civil Service Sports Club on Thursday; a high-end luxury hotel on Barbara Bastions; and the world’s first gastro hotel in St Paul Street planned for 2018.
The first project is a wild idea to fly in his three-Michelin-starred chef – Eneko Atxa has been voted No. 26 chef in the world – and 12 Thai staff from his Iniala hotel to provide Maltese with a top gastronomic experience.
Working hand in hand with Michael Cauchi and his son, Mr Weingard’s 100-day experiment called Aziamendi will start running from the Civil Service Sports Club that overlooks St George’s Square from Thursday.
The ground floor will be converted into a tapas lounge, with dishes ranging from €2 to €10, while the “heavily reduced” €79 buys the fine dining experience.
“This is just for 100 days. It won’t be a major money earner – we’d be lucky if we break even – and we’ve made it a bit harder by adding another hurdle and contributing five per cent of our revenue directly to five charities in Malta.
“We believe in karma. If you plant the seed the tree will grow,” he says, expressing the hope that Malta will be his base for the rest of his life.
“Everyone is talking about Valletta 2018, but I’m talking about Valletta 2014.
“I want to be part of the city’s future and create something special for Valletta by creating momentum... work is my mistress.”
Watch excerpts of the interview above. Read the whole interview in The Sunday Times of Malta, the e-paper, or timesofmalta.com premium here.