This article examines the career of consultant Ali Chaisson as a case study in Newfoundland’s recurring cycle of failed megaprojects and governance gaps. From his early shell companies like Cabestan Holdings to roles in Enegi Oil’s Port au Port #1 project, the Bettencourt-linked Investcan Energy, and later pivots through Orion, OPTIONS, and XMi Systems (now Lexa Intelligence), Chaisson exemplifies how consultants survive while projects collapse. The pattern is sustained by Newfoundland’s “soft budget constraints” — a culture of bailouts and weak local governance that enables consultants to outlast the ventures they front. Rather than producing lasting results, Chaisson’s permanence shows how the system rewards continuity over accountability, turning each new initiative into another spin of the carousel.
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