'The Bank of Dave is not for sale' - Netflix star Dave Fishwick responds to Goldman Sachs 'rebrand' story
Lancashire’s Bank of Dave founder has declared his enterprise is not for sale - and never will be - after a surprise mention in a leading finance publication.
Earlier this month, Euromoney.com carried a story about pressure building on Dave Solomon, the head of American investment banking company, Goldman Sachs.
The article praised the work of Burnley Savings and Loans, set up by Nelson’s Dave Fishwick, and although it did not mention a takeover, it carried a picture of the Lancashire premises, with Dave Solomon’s image superimposed on it, with the headline: “Goldman Sachs might wonder if the time is coming to rebrand from being Wall Street’s Bank of Dave (Solomon)”.
Showing article screenshots on social media, Mr Fishwick said: “It appears, Goldman Sachs is interested in buying and rebranding as the Bank of Dave. Let me be very clear to Goldman Sachs: The Bank of Dave is not for sale and never will be at any amount of millions or billions of pounds and will always be there to help real people!
“However, Chief Executive David Solomon, alongside Euromoney, appears to have removed my head from the Bank of Dave picture attached below and replaced it with his own in this Euromoney article. Euromoney is a global financial platform that benchmarks excellence across the financial services industry through its world-leading research.
“Finally, I would like to thank the millions of people who watch our Netflix Movies & documentaries and support my team in Burnley.The Bank of Dave will always be there for those who need us the most.”
Followers called the article ‘cheeky’ and told Mr Fishwick to trade mark the name.
Bank of Dave
Nelson-born Dave Fishwick, who made his fortune in the minibus business, started the community bank Burnley Savings and Loans in 2011 after traditional banks stopped lending to small businesses following the 2008 financial crisis. He launched a one-man mission to provide loans to local people and businesses, which was documented in the 2012 Channel 4 series Bank of Dave and later became a 2023 Netflix film starring Rory Kinnear. The story centers on the challenges of taking on the established banking industry and the "Burnley spirit" of community support.