While former Enron trader Michael Towarek was throwing a lavish weekend party for his daughter's 16th birthday, liquidators had an appointment with him to discuss the end of one of his Nelson-based companies.

The big bash at Nelson's largest venue, the Trafalgar Centre, on Saturday night was attended by 190 invited guests. The boy band Titanium was flown in to perform and there were activities such as a mechanical bull and a velcro wall, with catering by award-winning chef Kevin Hopgood.

Meanwhile Mr Towarek's flying school company Golden Wings Flight Training is in the hands of Christchurch liquidators Rhys Cain and Bruce Gemmell.

ANOTHER BUSINESS: Through Woodland Holdings, Michael Towarek also owns 60 per cent of Tasman Sparkies.

It was put there by legal firm Duncan Cotterill over an unpaid bill for about $7000.

Mr Cain was unwilling to go into any details yesterday but confirmed that he and Mr Gemmell would be in Nelson on Monday to meet Mr Towarek, who had been sent a list of questions.

He said he was surprised that Mr Towarek, who got Overseas Investment Commission approval to buy a $2.1 million Redwood Valley property in 2007, had let the liquidation go ahead.

"For whatever reason he has decided not to pay them and the company was tipped into liquidation. We'll know more on Monday."

But Mr Towarek - who confirmed that he had been a senior UK trader for Enron, the collapsed US corporate giant which had $63.4 billion in assets and became at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy in US history - dismissed the liquidation.

He said today the company had already cost him "a massive amount of money" and he didn't want to waste any more on it. "Why would I want to write another cheque?"

Liquidators are usually brought in after an application to the High Court by an unsecured creditor.

Through Woodland Holdings, in which he has a 99 per cent interest, or in his own right, Mr Towarek owns a string of Nelson companies.

The same day that the liquidation proceedings were served - July 24 - he set up a new flight school, Pacific Pilot Ltd, with another Nelson man, David Marriott, who also has Nelson Pilot Training Ltd in a 50-50 partnership with James Campbell, of Kina Beach Rd.

He owns Golden Wings Ltd - a charter airline which advertises executive travel throughout New Zealand using a plush Nelson-based Beechcraft 350, bought new in 2010. This year's price is US$6.12 million (NZ$7.34m).

He also owns JMNT Ltd and a majority shareholding in small electrical contracting firm, Tasman Sparkies Ltd, which is based at Nelson Airport.

JMNT Ltd has the bottom floor of Wakatu House in Montgomery Square, which appears to be locked and unoccupied during the day, although the windows are opaque. It was previously marked with the name Redwood Management Ltd, another of Mr Towarek's companies which has been struck off.

In December 2011 a spokesman for Mr Towarek, Bob Deakin, told the Nelson Mail that Redwood Management was a business consultancy that would employ up to 10 people by the middle of 2012.

At that time Redwood Management's 100 shares were owned by Hong Kong company Redwood Management Holding Ltd, but Mr Towarek, who was sole director, became the only shareholder in May last year. It was struck off in May this year.

Approving the Towareks' 29-hectare land purchase in 2007, the Overseas Investment Office said they were from Britain and it was satisfied that they had business experience and acumen relevant to the investment, and were demonstrating financial commitment to it.

They wanted to permanently relocate to New Zealand, primarily for lifestyle reasons, and wished to complete the land purchase through their New Zealand family trust, established that year, the office said.

Today Mr Towarek told the Mail Golden Wings Flight Training's poor performance was an example of his difficulty in finding suitable people to run his New Zealand companies. He tried to help people but had found that in many cases people he hired or funded had sat back to just "click the ticket".

"I tried to compensate people well but every single time I'm being taken advantage of. I'm feeling massively disillusioned - I'm actually pulling almost everything back from here and trying to close almost every company involvement I have here."

He said he was born in Poland but brought up in Wales, and had extensive overseas business interests related to the financial markets.

His Enron role was "history" and he didn't want to comment on it.

"I love New Zealand, I love this place, I think it was one of the best decisions we ever made. Most of the people are incredibly nice, it's a beautiful place, we definitely love it here.

"But it is unfortunately not a place to do business."

He said he had been hoping to quietly wind down Golden Wings Flight Training and close it, but a creditor had stepped in with the liquidation proceedings. He also intended to close his charter airline and the Beechcraft was for sale.

But he liked aviation and had gone into Pacific Pilot Training, with the operators of an existing Nelson flight school.

In a 2002 Wall Street Journal article on the hedge fund trading that brought about Enron's collapse, Mr Towarek was described as a "senior trader" for ECT Investments, the Enron hedge fund, who had since been employed by Goldman Sachs in London.

In a profile for an institutional equity, trading and technology conference in 2005 he was said to be responsible for automation of equity trading, development of algorithmic trading tools and internalisation of equity flows across various businesses. The profile said Mr Towarek had also been head trader at Instinet in London and had served as a director at CBIC World Market in London and Toronto.

MICHAEL TOWAREK Is the sole director of Woodlands Holdings Ltd and holds 99 of the 100 shares.

His wife Julita Arent-Towarek has the other share. This company was incorporated in May 2009.

Owns 51.09 per cent of Pacific Pilot Training Ltd through Woodlands Holdings. The remaining 48.91 per cent of the shares are owned by the sole director, David Marriott.

Is the sole director and shareholder through Woodlands Holdings in Golden Wings Flight Training Ltd (in liquidation).

Owns 100 per cent of charter airline Golden Wings Ltd through Woodland Holdings, and is sole director. Is the sole shareholder and director of JMNT Ltd, incorporated in May last year.

This company's logo is on the ground floor windows of Wakatu House on Montgomery Square, previously occupied by Redwood Management.

Through Woodlands Holdings, owns 60 per cent of Tasman Sparkies Ltd, with the balance owned by Tristan and Louise Fish, David Lindqvist and Donna Leith, each with 10 per cent. Mr Fish and Mr Lindqvist are the directors.