James Baillieu

As of December 2021, the BidEnergy share price was down over 80% since Baillieu’s removal as Chairman.

In 2020 EL&C Baillieu was sold to rival firm Ord Minnett after a secret tape recording sting revealed serious wrong doing under the headline “Hubris Killed EL&C Baillieu.

Baillieu settled all maters with BidEnergy in a confidential settlement in April 2020 and Dyer resigned as Chairman after what The Australian described as a “rocky” tenure.

In September 2019 Baillieu became Chairman of ASX-listed Candy Club and made an investment of $3 million. Candy Club was the best performing stock on the ASX that day - up 74% on the news of Baillieu's appointment. In March 2021 it was reported Candy Club shares were up 700% in a year under Baillieu. However, as at December 2021 the shares had fallen back and were only up 200% from their lows.

On 14 June 2019 following a campaign of legal pressure from Baillieu and his lawyers Herbert Smith Freehills urging them to change their name, the stockbrokers agreed to change their name to EL&C Baillieu with effect from 17 June to coincide with their move from 360 Collins Street to 55 Collins Street.

Baillieu was sacked as Chairman of BidEnergy on 21 February 2019. A text message was sent by BidEnergy MD Guy Maine to Baillieu's wife at 12:08 am that night. The share price fell by 33% the day after Baillieu’s removal. On 5 March Baillieu raised questions about the new Chairman's credentials and the Australian Securities Exchange began an investigation. He also said he would be taking further legal action, alleging BidEnergy's directors' decision to remove him from the chairman role was in breach of their duties under the Corporations Act." Baillieu wrote a letter to all shareholders alleging that the new Chairman Dyer had made false and misleading claims about his credentials and apologized to all shareholders for Dyer's appointment to the Board. The stock fell 11% on news of Baillieu's letter. Billionaire Alex Waislitz snapped up 5.85% of BidEnergy.

Updater said on 9 November 2019 that it had reduced operating costs and had decided that a large scale growth round was too risky but was hoping for a deal by the end of the year. It was reported that Baillieu had sold his stake in the company.

From November 2017 to February 2019 he was Chairman of ASX-listed BidEnergy and also its largest shareholder. The Australian Financial Review reported when Baillieu became Chairman the company was foundering. But under Baillieu, BidEnergy was the top performing stock on the ASX in 2018.

He then became an investor in and consultant to early stage technology businesses, and later an investor in and Senior Vice President of Aconex (ASX: ACX) which was purchased by Oracle for A$1.6b In December 2016.

In December 2011, Baillieu and his wife Josephine hosted Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark and Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark as guests for a week in a secret visit to their Mornington Peninsula home.

He then joined management consultants McKinsey & Co for seven years until 2001. He co-authoured a report recommending the dismantling of the New Zealand Wool Board in 2001.

Baillieu practiced law at Mallesons Stephen Jacques in the 1990s.

Baillieu was involved in a dispute over a $12 million share purchase that was later settled out of Court. Aconex's CEO Leigh Jasper and Baillieu worked together at McKinsey in the 1990s.

James Baillieu (born 1968) is an Australian activist investor.

Baillieu was born in 1968 to parents Ian Baillieu, an Australian lawyer, and the art gallery owner Marianne. He is the nephew of former Premier Ted Baillieu and journalist, activist Kate Baillieu and also Olympian Will Baillieu. His grandparents were Diana and Darren Baillieu. His great-uncle was WL Baillieu. His great-great-grandfather was James George Baillieu who swam the Port Phillip Bay Rip and landed in Queenscliff, Victoria in 1853. The Baillieu family office Mutual Trust merged with the Myer family office in 2018 creating a firm with more than $3b under management. He is related to the Myer family including Sidney ('Bails') Myer AC and his son Rupert Myer AO and Marigold Myer AC.

Baillieu attacked the rebrand of stockbroking firm Baillieu Holst, to trade as Baillieu. According to Baillieu, "their rebrand was so dishonest, so unethical and so unlawful that we cannot accept their use of 'Baillieu' at all, they've forfeited it." He further said, "The Baillieu name has a good reputation, earned over 165 years. [Baillieu 1889] are, in my opinion, impostors with a poor reputation,"

The Age described Baillieu as "a bandit with a black pen" and said the "corporate lawyer and company director took a novel approach....to press the point" and that he walked into the foyer of 360 Collins Street and used a black Texta to black out the [Baillieu 1889] name on the building's nameplate. Baillieu said security made no attempt to stop him, and that he was “simply righting what was wrong, which is the misleading use of the family name."  The Australian Financial Review reported that  "the pièce de résistance of this whole affair is undoubtedly Baillieu having last week used black texta to scribble out his family name from the firm's Collins Street placards. Using removable marker, it seems, so you can't technically call it vandalism".