Brothel baron John Chow pleads not guilty to threat charge

John Chow, who along with his brother Michael, dominates the sex trade in Wellington. Photo / Michael Craig

Rich lister and sex entrepreneur John Chow has pleaded not guilty to threatening to injure another man.

Chow was due to appear in Wellington District Court today, but entered a not guilty plea from Auckland by phone.

He is charged with threatening to injure Malcolm Keith Walters on February 21.

He will appear in court in Wellington next month.

The Chow brothers dominate the sex trade in Wellington - owning 70 per cent of businesses in the industry in the capital.

The Naenae College-educated brothers, who emigrated from Hong Kong in 1984, are also expanding their business in Auckland, and after battling strong opposition, have gained resource consent for a 15-storey brothel on Victoria Street

Construction is being held up by a stoush with AIG Insurance over an unpaid insurance bill, which is set down for resolution in October in the High Court at Auckland.

Once the brothers' businesses are up and running - in about four years - the Chows will employ 400 prostitutes across five venues, earning them millions of dollars and providing the cashflow for their expanding commercial property interests.

Having achieved an estimated worth of $50 million each, the Chow brothers were included on the NBR Rich List for the first time this year.