If some on PPRuNe are as good as you convey ..why dont you put your hands in your pockets risk your assets / houses/cars etc etc..and DO IT!
So did you lose your home/car etc when XL or Viking failed Mr Wyatt? Did you have to apply for council housing after you lost your personal fortune when the company went bust? I somehow doubt it, but I'm sure that your previous employees would be interested to know the facts if this is the case.
Now I don't normally believe anything in the daily Mail so I am prepared to be informed if this article is incorrect;
Public enemy number one: The rise and fall of the XL chief - a man who was born to be a high flier | Mail Online This asset could have paid quite a few staff who were not paid wages at the time.
The questions raised by other contributors seem to be about the fundamental viability of the business model that the companies you ran were operating.