Peter Nygard

Nygard, born in Finland, founded Nygard International in 1967. The maker of women’s wear has expanded to more than 170 dedicated stores in North America. He stepped down from Nygard International in February 2020, after federal authorities raided his home in Los Angeles and corporate headquarters in New York, and major customers dropped his fashion lines. He and his neighbor in Lyford Cay, one of the most exclusive communities in the Bahamas - Louis Bacon - have been embroiled in an epic battle, spending tens of millions of dollars and filing at least 25 lawsuits in five jurisdictions. Mr. Nygard, 78, has spread stories accusing Mr. Bacon of being an insider trader, murderer and member of the Ku Klux Klan. Mr. Bacon, 63, has accused Mr. Nygard of plotting to kill him. Lawyers and investigators funded in part by Mr. Bacon claim that Mr. Nygard raped teenage girls in the Bahamas. Some women said they felt exploited by both men — by Mr. Nygard for sex, and by Mr. Bacon against his enemy. Over the past four decades, nine women in Canada and California have sued him or reported him to the authorities. He has never been convicted.