Regulator fines PwC £95m over Chinese Evergrande audit
The Hong Kong regulator fined PwC Hong Kong a landmark HK$1bn (£95m) for its role as auditor for the now-liquidated property giant, China Evergrande Group.
Back in Janaury 2023, PwC resigned as Evergrande’s auditor following a series of disagreements with the heavily-indebted property developer over its audit of the firm’s 2021 accounts.
This came after Hong Kong’s audit watchdog, the Securities and Futures Commission, launched this probe into PwC’s audit of the liquidated property developer.
Evergrande then filed for bankruptcy in the US in 2023 with over $300bn in debt.
A Hong Kong court ordered the Evergrande Group to liquidate in 2024 after it was unable to reach a restructuring deal with creditors.
The fine, revealed on Thursday, marks the first time in Hong Kong history that auditors of a defunct company have provided direct compensation to shareholders harmed by misleading financial statements.
The regulator concluded that the Big Four giant failed as a market “gatekeeper” through several critical breaches, including a lack of scepticism, poor verifications, and failure to verify the authenticity of supporting financial records.
Firm settled without admitting liability
The agreement between the regulator and the Big Four firm settles the matter “fully and finally” without PwC Hong Kong admitting liability, and the SFC will take no further action provided the terms are met.
SFC chief executive Julia Leung stated the move sends an “unequivocal message” that both listed companies and their auditors will be held accountable for the reliability of financial disclosures.
Michael Duignan, SFC’s executive director of enforcement, added: “When audit firm personnel actively undermine the very controls meant to ensure accurate reporting, it erodes investor confidence, damages market integrity, and shakes the foundation of accountability upon which our markets depend.”
This comes after Chinese authorities banned PwC China for six months and fined it over the collapsed property developer Evergrande, prompting a double-digit number of partners to leave the firm.
PwC Hong Kong is also facing a lawsuit by Evergrande’s liquidators over alleged negligence and misrepresentation in this audit.