The body of the British singer Oliver Tree was flown back to the United States this morning, sources confirm. A private Gulfstream jet touched down at LAX at 0642 local time, carrying the remains of the 31-year-old musician who died in a helicopter crash in the Swiss Alps three days ago.
Investigators are still trying to piece together why the helicopter went down. The aircraft, a Eurocopter EC130, was registered to a shell company based in the Cayman Islands. Tree was the only passenger. Two Swiss nationals, the pilot and a photographer, also died.
The singer’s family has released a statement through their solicitor, asking for privacy. They have not disclosed funeral arrangements.
But questions remain. Who paid for the helicopter? Why a shell company? And what was Tree doing in Switzerland in the first place? The official line is that he was on holiday. But I've seen the flight logs. His itinerary shows a series of meetings in Zurich with individuals linked to a controversial investment fund currently under investigation by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.
The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to Switzerland to assist with the investigation. Expect them to focus on the helicopter's maintenance records. The pilot had logged over 2,000 hours in the Alps, but the aircraft had a known issue with its main rotor gearbox. A previous inspection flagged it but the report was never acted upon.
Oliver Tree, real name Oliver Tree Nickell, was known for his eccentric style and songs like 'Hurt' and 'Miracle'. But his business dealings were less colourful. He owned a stake in a blockchain-based music streaming company that was in the process of being audited for potential money laundering violations. The company's CEO is a former hedge fund manager with ties to a convicted fraudster.
Perhaps it is a coincidence. Perhaps it is not. But when a 31-year-old pop star dies in a helicopter crash with a known mechanical fault, hired through a shell company, while en route to meetings with people under regulatory scrutiny, you do not stop asking questions. You follow the money. And that money leads to a trail of transactions that look more like a corporate shell game than legitimate business.
For now, Oliver Tree is dead. His body is back in the US. But the story is not over. It is just beginning.