Ivan Massow
Encyclopedia
Ivan Massow is a British entrepreneur and financial adviser. He founded PayMeMy.com in September 2011; a service which pays back 'trail' commissions - often thousands of pounds a year - to policy-holders themselves, instead of the IFAs who originally set the policies up.
Ivan was also Chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in London. Massow is an advocate of equitable financial services
. His company was the first to provide mortgages and life assurance for the gay community, as well as people in HIV high-risk groups and the first to offer insurance advice to people with mental health issues. He currently lives in London where he is involved in new business projects.
, North London, having failed to find funding for his idea. With his acquired industry experience, Massow was able to source ways for gay people to take-up mortgages and insurance at equal rates, rather than suffer the standard rejection or massive increases in premiums levied by every insurer. By researching how the industry's computerised ‘automatic underwriting' systems operated, he was able to smuggle his clients through the system. It must be remembered that life cover was a mandatory requirement for mortgage applicants until as late as 1997. By 1997, Massow's firm, Massow Financial Services, had become the 10th largest Independent Financial Adviser
in the UK and was valued at £22 million.
as a teenager and was Chairman of his local Young Conservatives aged 14.
In the 1990's Massow's flatmates were for a time current Conservative Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove
and MP and former head of Conservative policy Nicholas Boles
, a situation Massow described as "Tory Friends". In 1999, Massow was Lady Thatcher
's escort at the Conservative Party Conference. Along with his friend Nicholas Boles, Massow planned to use his newfound influence to encourage change and convince the Party to tackle prejudice and support the repeal of Section 28
.
However, Massow, along with many espousing "compassionate conservatism
", was frustrated by the Party's apparent reluctance to alter its stance on gay rights issues and discrimination in general. In 2000, following John Bercow
MP's resignation from the front bench and the defection of Shaun Woodward
MP to Labour, Massow too left the Conservative Party to join the Labour Party
, where he was welcomed by Mo Mowlam
. There was a large amount of press interest in Massow's defection, despite him having never held elected office or even stood for Parliament. By 2004, Massow had left the Labour Party and unsuccessfully attempted to stand as Mayor of London with his own movement "Change London".
Massow is again an active member of the Conservative Party and has been included in the Party's Approved Candidate List since early 2010.
in London. In January 2002, he wrote an article in New Statesman
magazine attacking the predominance of conceptual art
in the art world. He described modern concept art as "pretentious, self-indulgent, craftless tat" and "the product of over-indulged, middle-class [...], bloated egos who patronise real people with fake understanding". He called the ICA a "pillar of the shock establishment". He attacked Tracey Emin
saying she "couldn't think her way out of a paper bag".
Massow resigned as Chairman in February 2002. He has described the art world as "bitchy and superficial", although he claims to actually like much conceptual art and claims he spoke out in order to redress the imbalance between the promotion of conceptual and more traditional art in the British art scene.
's The Big Breakfast
.
He often writes in the UK press, from articles in broadsheet newspapers, including features in The Guardian
, The Daily Telegraph
and the 'Thunderer' column in The Times
, to being an occasional comment writer for magazines ranging from New Statesman and The Spectator
to FHM
and GQ. He also makes regular appearances on national television, having been the 'Entrepreneurial Expert' on Richard & Judy
and a panelist on the BBC
's Question Time
and Newsnight
.
He was the subject of Mind of a Millionaire, a 2003 BBC documentary about entrepreneurship. In November 2005, Massow was the winning mentor on Channel 4's Make Me a Million, a competition between three teams led by prominent entrepreneurs to make £1 million within a year from a start-up company.
In October 2011, Massow starred as part of Channel 4
's The Secret Millionaire, where he worked undercover in run-down parts of Edinburgh. He gave away £91,500 to various local charities and people.
festival at a time when it was largely shunned by commercial enterprises.
Charity involvements and initiatives include founder/sponsor of ‘Insurance for Survivors’, a coalition of four major charities whose aim is to increase awareness within the financial services industry of the problems encountered by those with mental health issues and survivors of cancer and major transplants. Massow was Chairman of Mind's inquiry into mental health and social exclusion and the coordinator of a pre-release scheme helping prisoners to start businesses for The Prince’s Trust. This led to Massow giving lectures at HM Prison Feltham to young offenders interested in entrepreneurship. Massow was a patron of REGARD, a charity and support group helping gay people with physical disabilities. He founded the April Bombing Appeal for victims of the April 1999 nail-bombings in Soho, Brixton and Brick Lane in London, raising funds to provide wheelchair access in homes and financial support for people unable to work as a result of their injuries.
As part of an episode of Channel 4
's The Secret Millionaire, Massow gave away £91,500 to a variety of local Edinburgh charities and people.
' central marketing and fundraising team working on the Ambassador’s Project and is a trained Samaritan.
Massow is a consultant to charities such as Stonewall (UK)
and Galop. He is patron of the Salon des Arts, a gallery devoted to giving unknown artists a forum to showcase their work. He was the main sponsor for the 2001 Stonewall Equality Dinner at the Savoy Hotel
in London.
Massow recently set up Compare for Good, a charity fundraising price comparison website in partnership with Oxfam
.
and then Los Angeles
where he produced, wrote and directed the film Banksy's Coming For Dinner starring Joan Collins
.
Massow is CEO of the Jake Network, a global online social network for LGBT professionals with over 30,000 members. Jake holds regular events in London.
He was adopted by a bachelor businessman, John Massow, taking his surname. Later, after Massow had come out as gay, his adoptive father broke off contact.
Ivan was also Chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in London. Massow is an advocate of equitable financial services
Financial services
Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are credit unions, banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies,...
. His company was the first to provide mortgages and life assurance for the gay community, as well as people in HIV high-risk groups and the first to offer insurance advice to people with mental health issues. He currently lives in London where he is involved in new business projects.
Business career
In 1990, Massow started a financial services business from a squat in Kentish TownKentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of north west London, England in the London Borough of Camden.-History:The most widely accepted explanation of the name of Kentish Town is that it derived from 'Ken-ditch' meaning the 'bed of a waterway'...
, North London, having failed to find funding for his idea. With his acquired industry experience, Massow was able to source ways for gay people to take-up mortgages and insurance at equal rates, rather than suffer the standard rejection or massive increases in premiums levied by every insurer. By researching how the industry's computerised ‘automatic underwriting' systems operated, he was able to smuggle his clients through the system. It must be remembered that life cover was a mandatory requirement for mortgage applicants until as late as 1997. By 1997, Massow's firm, Massow Financial Services, had become the 10th largest Independent Financial Adviser
Independent Financial Adviser
Independent Financial Advisers or IFAs are professionals who offer independent advice on financial matters to their clients and recommend suitable financial products from the whole of the market...
in the UK and was valued at £22 million.
Involvement in Politics
Massow joined the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
as a teenager and was Chairman of his local Young Conservatives aged 14.
In the 1990's Massow's flatmates were for a time current Conservative Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove
Michael Gove
Michael Andrew Gove, MP is a British politician, who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Education and as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the Surrey Heath constituency. He is also a published author and former journalist.Born in Edinburgh, Gove was raised in Aberdeen...
and MP and former head of Conservative policy Nicholas Boles
Nicholas Boles
Nicholas Edward Coleridge "Nick" Boles is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the Grantham and Stamford constituency in Lincolnshire...
, a situation Massow described as "Tory Friends". In 1999, Massow was Lady Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's escort at the Conservative Party Conference. Along with his friend Nicholas Boles, Massow planned to use his newfound influence to encourage change and convince the Party to tackle prejudice and support the repeal of Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
.
However, Massow, along with many espousing "compassionate conservatism
Compassionate conservatism
Compassionate Conservatism is a political philosophy that stresses using traditionally conservative techniques and concepts in order to improve the general welfare of society. The term itself is often credited to U.S. historian and politician Doug Wead who used it as the title of a speech in 1979....
", was frustrated by the Party's apparent reluctance to alter its stance on gay rights issues and discrimination in general. In 2000, following John Bercow
John Bercow
John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....
MP's resignation from the front bench and the defection of Shaun Woodward
Shaun Woodward
Shaun Anthony Woodward is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for St Helens South since 2001. He served in the Cabinet from 28 June 2007 to 11 May 2010 as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland...
MP to Labour, Massow too left the Conservative Party to join the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, where he was welcomed by Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
. There was a large amount of press interest in Massow's defection, despite him having never held elected office or even stood for Parliament. By 2004, Massow had left the Labour Party and unsuccessfully attempted to stand as Mayor of London with his own movement "Change London".
Massow is again an active member of the Conservative Party and has been included in the Party's Approved Candidate List since early 2010.
Contemporary Art
In 1999, Massow became Chairman of the Institute of Contemporary ArtsInstitute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in London. In January 2002, he wrote an article in New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
magazine attacking the predominance of conceptual art
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
in the art world. He described modern concept art as "pretentious, self-indulgent, craftless tat" and "the product of over-indulged, middle-class [...], bloated egos who patronise real people with fake understanding". He called the ICA a "pillar of the shock establishment". He attacked Tracey Emin
Tracey Emin
Tracey Karima Emin RA is a British artist of English and Turkish Cypriot origin. She is part of the group known as Britartists or YBAs ....
saying she "couldn't think her way out of a paper bag".
Massow resigned as Chairman in February 2002. He has described the art world as "bitchy and superficial", although he claims to actually like much conceptual art and claims he spoke out in order to redress the imbalance between the promotion of conceptual and more traditional art in the British art scene.
Relationship with the Media
Massow's relationship with the media started at the age of 21, when he took the role of Financial Adviser at the launch of Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
.
He often writes in the UK press, from articles in broadsheet newspapers, including features in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and the 'Thunderer' column in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, to being an occasional comment writer for magazines ranging from New Statesman and The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
to FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
and GQ. He also makes regular appearances on national television, having been the 'Entrepreneurial Expert' on Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
and a panelist on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
and Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
.
He was the subject of Mind of a Millionaire, a 2003 BBC documentary about entrepreneurship. In November 2005, Massow was the winning mentor on Channel 4's Make Me a Million, a competition between three teams led by prominent entrepreneurs to make £1 million within a year from a start-up company.
In October 2011, Massow starred as part of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Secret Millionaire, where he worked undercover in run-down parts of Edinburgh. He gave away £91,500 to various local charities and people.
Charity work
Massow has been involved with a number of charity initiatives since starting his business in 1990. This includes becoming the first mainstream business to sponsor London's Gay PridePride London
Pride London is the name of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender registered charity which arranges LGBT events in London, most notably the annual gay pride parade which is held in June/July. The most recent Pride London was on 2 July 2011. The 2010 event was attended by 1 million people,...
festival at a time when it was largely shunned by commercial enterprises.
Charity involvements and initiatives include founder/sponsor of ‘Insurance for Survivors’, a coalition of four major charities whose aim is to increase awareness within the financial services industry of the problems encountered by those with mental health issues and survivors of cancer and major transplants. Massow was Chairman of Mind's inquiry into mental health and social exclusion and the coordinator of a pre-release scheme helping prisoners to start businesses for The Prince’s Trust. This led to Massow giving lectures at HM Prison Feltham to young offenders interested in entrepreneurship. Massow was a patron of REGARD, a charity and support group helping gay people with physical disabilities. He founded the April Bombing Appeal for victims of the April 1999 nail-bombings in Soho, Brixton and Brick Lane in London, raising funds to provide wheelchair access in homes and financial support for people unable to work as a result of their injuries.
As part of an episode of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's The Secret Millionaire, Massow gave away £91,500 to a variety of local Edinburgh charities and people.
Affiliations
Massow was a founder member of the ‘Me Too’ anti-violence campaign with Elizabeth Vallance, Rabbi Julia Neuberger and Lord Saatchi. He was a former member of SamaritansSamaritans (charity)
Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their telephone helpline. The name comes from the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, though the organisation...
' central marketing and fundraising team working on the Ambassador’s Project and is a trained Samaritan.
Massow is a consultant to charities such as Stonewall (UK)
Stonewall (UK)
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom named after the Stonewall Inn of Stonewall riots fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying against section 28 of the...
and Galop. He is patron of the Salon des Arts, a gallery devoted to giving unknown artists a forum to showcase their work. He was the main sponsor for the 2001 Stonewall Equality Dinner at the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
in London.
Massow recently set up Compare for Good, a charity fundraising price comparison website in partnership with Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
.
Current projects
From 2006 to 2008 Massow lived in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and then Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where he produced, wrote and directed the film Banksy's Coming For Dinner starring Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
.
Massow is CEO of the Jake Network, a global online social network for LGBT professionals with over 30,000 members. Jake holds regular events in London.
Personal life
Massow was born in Brighton as Ivan Field, the son of a policeman, John Field, whom Massow has described as "abusive". His mother left the relationship and remarried, before giving Ivan up for adoption at the age of 12, aiming to give him a better life.He was adopted by a bachelor businessman, John Massow, taking his surname. Later, after Massow had come out as gay, his adoptive father broke off contact.
External links
- PayMeMy.com/mission founded by Massow in 2011, rebating trail commissions to IFA clients.
- Banksy's Coming for Dinner, Massow's film, which premiered at Marbella International Film Festival 2009.
- Jake, the online LGBT professional social network of which Massow is CEO.
- Compare for Good, a charity fundraising price comparison website founded by Massow in partnership with Oxfam.