Singapore Court Orders Bloomberg to Pay Ministers S$460,000

The High Court of Singapore ordered Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei to pay S$460,000 in damages on July 14, 2026, for maliciously defaming cabinet ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng. Justice Audrey Lim awarded each minister S$230,000, comprising S$170,000 in general damages and S$60,000 in aggravated damages. The court also ordered the removal of the defamatory article from the Bloomberg website.

The lawsuit centered on a December 2024 article regarding luxury "good class bungalow" transactions, including Shanmugam's S$88 million home sale in Queen Astrid Park and Tan's purchase in Brizay Park. Justice Lim ruled that the reporting falsely implied the ministers exploited regulatory gaps to avoid scrutiny regarding money laundering. The judge found the reporter knew certain information was false and that Bloomberg acted with malice by removing the article's paywall to increase public access after receiving a correction notice under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act.

Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait expressed disappointment, asserting that the reporting was accurate and served the public interest, though he stated the company would respect the ruling. Both ministers announced they will donate their damages to charity, stating the legal action was necessary to protect their personal integrity and the standing of their offices against irresponsible reporting.