Nicholas van Hoogstraten (born February 25, 1945) is a controversial wealthy British businessman and property owner. In 1968 he was convicted of paying a gang to attack a business associate.[1] In 2002 he was sentenced to 10 years for the manslaughter of a business rival. The verdict was overturned on appeal but in 2005 he was ordered to pay the victim's family £6 million in a civil case.