The dastardly Mr Deedes
More musical chairs at Goldman Sachs where pugnacious chief Lloyd Blankfein, 63, is rumoured to be standing down this year. Company president Harvey Schwartz, 52, has announced he’ll retire next month, possibly as co-president David Solomon, 55, is fancied for the top job. there’s also sniping among senior management after Blankfein rehired former executive Dina Powell, 44, who recently left her role as an adviser to Donald trump. A vipers’ nest, no? But goateed philosopher Nassim Nicholas taleb, 57, surely went over the top last week by remarking: ‘the best thing that could happen to society is the bankruptcy of Goldman Sachs.’
The increasingly pointless Institute of Directors didn’t waste time airbrushing chairman Lady Judge, 71, from its records. Within an hour of resigning on Friday after accusations of racism, sexism, and bullying – all strongly denied – Lady J’s wraith-like profile had been wiped from the IoD’s website.
City law firm Devonshires is accused of ‘mind-boggling’ sexism for inviting female clients attending tomorrow’s Housing Finance Conference in Liverpool for a pampering afternoon of ‘Beauty, Bubbles and Business’. One client, Barbara Spicer, asks facetiously: ‘Do they have a B******s, Beer & Business one?’ the gender debate’s becoming an unnavigable minefield, so isn’t it oddly satisfying to see even the lawyers getting themselves in a muddle?
Boisterous Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary, 56, has two runners in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, which he’s not won in the 15 years his airline has sponsored the race. What would happen if he did? With pilots threatening Easter strikes over pay, their £2.8m-a-year boss could hardly trouser the £300,000 prize money. Then again, this is O’Leary we’re talking about...
Mipim, the annual property conference held in Cannes, kicks off today. the four-day jamboree has been mired by stories of bawdy yacht parties along the town’s Promenade de la Croisette, where developers, bankers and local government officials guzzle champagne and canoodle with bikini- clad ladies of ill-repute. Sounds ghastly, but I thought I’d better head down there and check it out anyway.
Have you any gossip for our City diary? Email: mrdeedes@dailymail.co.uk