The dastardly Mr Deedes
Hedge funder Crispin odey’s head of trading ralph Beckett, son of the 4th Lord Grimthorpe, has retired after 18 years at the firm. Beckett, 61, is a contemporary of odey’s from Harrow but Crispin does enjoy stuffing his Mayfair offices with wellbred landed types. Current partners include Viscount Grimston, 40, the Earl of Sandwich’s son, orlando Montagu, 47, and Lord roborough, 49. a hefty proportion of gorgeous female staff also seem to make it past odey’s vigorous interview process.
Banker Bob Diamond says of former Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie, who memorably dragged him over the coals during the 2012 Libor scandal: ‘There are few people I respect more than Andrew Tyrie. He had a tough job that day. I had a bit of a harder one, but I think he’s a good man.’ Good old Bob. Still a creep, isn’t he?
Creaky investor George Soros, 87, says Barack obama, whose presidential campaign he backed early doors, was his ‘greatest disappointment’. He tells the New York Times: ‘He closed the door on me. He made one phone call thanking me for my support, which was meant to last for five minutes, and i engaged him, and he had to spend another three minutes with me, so i dragged it out to eight minutes.’ Was the Leader of the Free World expected to spend hours drooling over the old toad?
Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein says of his retirement in October: ‘Here’s one thing I look forward to: unrestrained tweeting.’ Most of us would be getting more excited about the £65m payout he’s expected to receive, but perhaps under that gruff exterior bearded Lloyd, 63, is a man of simple pleasures.
Singapore airlines was named best carrier at the annual World airline awards. The title was won last year by Qatar airways, whose chief, Hercule Poirot lookalike akbar al Baker, 56, sullied its crown by suggesting his job couldn’t be done by a woman. He said: ‘of course it has to be led by a man, because it is a very challenging position.’
Delightful glass-half-full remark from a shareholder at troubled Premier Foods’ AGM yesterday: ‘It’s been an absolutely pantomime these past weeks, but at least we’re not Stobart Group!’