Victor Muller

Victor Roberto Muller
Born	(1959-09-13) September 13, 1959 Netherlands
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, CEO
Known for	Founder of Spyker Cars, former CEO of Spyker N.V. and Saab Automobile AB

Victor Roberto Muller (born September 13, 1959) is a Dutch entrepreneur known for founding Spyker Cars. He has served as the CEO of Spyker N.V. and was previously the chairman and CEO of Saab Automobile AB.

Education and early career

Muller earned his law degree from Leiden University, graduating with an LL.M. in 1984. He began his professional journey as an attorney at the Amsterdam branch of the law firm Baker & McKenzie. In 1989, he joined the leadership team at offshore company Heerema located in Leiden. Following a management buyout, he acquired part ownership of the salvage and towing firm Wijsmuller based in IJmuiden. From 1992 onward, Muller took on leadership roles at several enterprises, including Emergo Mode Groep (Emergo Fashion Group), which later went public on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange under the name McGregor Fashion Group.

Spyker Cars

In 2000, Muller, together with Maarten de Bruijn, purchased the rights to revive the Dutch automobile brand Spyker Cars, reestablishing a name originally associated with car manufacturing in the 1920s. He held the position of CEO until May 16, 2007, when Michiel Mol succeeded him. Muller remained involved as chief designer for some time but resumed his role as CEO later that year after Spyker Cars and Spyker F1 (which became Force India) parted ways; Mol continued as CEO of the Formula One team.

In 2007, Muller was convicted for disclosing insider information. He had emailed Theodoor Gilissen bank, advising them against selling shares used as collateral for a personal loan, mentioning that Spyker was about to issue a positive press release expected to boost share value. Initially fined €96,000, his penalty was reduced to €11,400 in May 2012.

On December 2, 2014, Spyker NV received court-approved financial restructuring from the Dutch court "Midden Nederland" due to liquidity challenges. Victor R. Muller commented that over recent years, Spyker faced significant obstacles linked to the legacy of its Formula One involvement and its acquisition of Saab Automobile AB.

Subsequently, on December 18, 2014, Spyker NV was declared bankrupt by the same court. Muller reflected on their original goal in 2000 to establish a global sports car manufacturer and acknowledged that various demanding ventures had impacted the company’s fortunes and contributed to its downfall.

The subsidiary Spyker Services handled aftersales support for Spyker vehicle owners. In 2019, this company encountered financial difficulties, including unpaid rent for storage facilities in Zeewolde. It was declared bankrupt on March 20, 2020. Later in March 2023, the bankruptcy trustee of Spyker Services filed a claim against Muller for €3.1 million, alleging that British entity Spyker Ltd., with which Muller intended to continue sports car operations, improperly removed assets from Spyker Services.

Saab Automobile AB

Victor Muller also held the position of chairman at Swedish Automobile, the entity established following Spyker Cars' acquisition of Saab Automobile. Saab Automobile was officially declared bankrupt in December 2011. A bankruptcy hearing took place at the District Court of Vänersborg on 16 April 2012. During April 2012, Swedish trustees revealed that after accounting for asset values, SAAB's outstanding debt exceeded US$2 billion.

In March 2011, journalist Jens B Nordström published a Swedish biography about Victor Muller titled Cirkus Muller.

By August 2012, Muller announced that Spyker Cars intended to initiate legal action against General Motors concerning Saab’s bankruptcy. He explained, "Since being compelled to file for Saab Automobile’s bankruptcy in December last year, we have been diligently preparing this lawsuit aimed at recovering damages Spyker and Saab suffered due to GM’s unlawful conduct." However, on 22 June 2013, a District Court Judge dismissed the case. Judge Gershwin A. Drain stated that "General Motors had a contractual right to approve or reject the proposed transaction," and concluded, "The court will grant the motion to dismiss."

Spyker Cars NV subsequently appealed this decision. The appeal was reviewed by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. On Friday, 24 October 2014, the court ruled that GM did not deliberately obstruct the Dutch company’s efforts to sell Saab to Zhejiang Youngman Co, which led to Saab’s insolvency. Judge Eugene Siler noted GM’s actions were not malicious but driven by "legitimate business concerns," particularly regarding who would benefit from Saab’s utilization of GM technology. Siler described Spyker’s claim as "fundamentally flawed."

Since May 2013, Muller has been under suspicion for corporate tax evasion. As of 19 February 2016, Swedish tax authorities proceeded with prosecution against him. In 2017, a Swedish court acquitted him of all charges.

External links

• Profile of Muller on FEM business & finance (in Dutch)