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Christopher Bailey and the stars of 2017 in our quiz
Q1JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon said earlier this year that he would fire any of his traders “in a second” if they did a certain thing. What was he referring to?
A: Singing Christmas songs during client meetings
B: Trading Bitcoin
C: Wearing denim in the office
Q2Which pair of City executives both fell for fake emails from pranksters in May?
A: Mark Carney and Jes Staley
B: John Cryan and Xavier Rolet
C: Michael Spencer and Tidjane Thiam
Q3Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley sealed his reputation as one of the FTSE 100’s most colourful bosses during a £14m legal battle this year when a court heard evidence that he vomited in a fireplace. But what caused him to lose his lunch?
A: The thought of having to pay back millions of pounds to underpaid warehouse staff
B: A dodgy vindaloo at his weekly management curry meeting
C: 12 pints of lager followed by spirits chasers
Q4Anglo-dutch consumer giant Unilever saw off a £115bn takeover approach from Kraft Heinz within just 48 hours in the summer. How?
A: Calling WPP boss Martin Sorrell and threatening to withdraw billions of advertising unless his PR firm stopped working for Kraft Heinz
B: Telling Warren Buffett, one of the billionaire backers of Kraft Heinz, that it would be an unwanted hostile takeover with significant political opposition
C: Speaking to U2 frontman Bono about writing a protest song
Q5Marks & Spencer’s revival efforts are thought to have been boosted by hiring turnaround guru Archie Norman, who started as chairman in September. What has he said was necessary for a revamp?
A: Grasping nettles, slaughtering sacred cows and putting out fires
B: To start selling brass-button navy suits once again
C: Bringing back the husky-voiced “this is M&S” adverts
Q6Burberry announced that its “creative visionary” Christopher Bailey would be leaving the company after 17 years. What perks had Bailey become accustomed to?
A: A £440,000 clothing allowance on top of his £3.5m salary and share awards
B: Enlisting celebrity friends including Elton John, Cara Delevingne and Naomi Campbell in Christmas adverts
C: Outsourcing questions about corporate governance or financial results to his finance director despite holding the title of chief executive
Q7What is Lee Kum Kee, the company that bought London’s Walkie Talkie skyscraper this year for £1.3bn, better known for?
A: Manufacturing designer handbags
B: Producing oyster sauce
C: Building the world’s largest swimming pool
Q8The US and parts of the Caribbean were devastated by hurricanes this year. But how was rental company Ashtead called on to help?
A: Providing spotlights for President Trump’s visits to the affected areas
B: Renting out 1,000 urns to make tea for relief workers
C: Providing equipment to keep the animals warm at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida
Q9A union boss said this year that he would “rather smash it to bits than hand it over”. But which company was he talking about?
A: Royal Mail
B: Carillion
C: London Stock Exchange
Q10What was the reason hummus maker Bakkavor gave when it shelved its IPO just a week before doing an about turn and saying it would float after all?
A: A shortage of hummus
B: Market volatility
C: Not enough interest from investors
Q11Gold miner Acacia was laid low this year by a crippling export ban imposed by Tanzania. By what nickname is the country’s president, John Magufuli, known?
A: The Wrecking Ball
B: The Catapult
C: The Bulldozer
Q12The City’s “Mr Gold”, Peter Hambro, was ousted from Petropavlovsk, the miner he founded, earlier this year. What did he do next?
A: Invest in an “eco” weedkiller start-up
B: Join the board of Anglo American
C: Make a fortune in Bitcoin
Q13The best-performing precious metal of the year was little-known palladium. But what is it most used for?
A: Making catalytic converters in petrol cars
B: Gritting roads
C: To decorate Middle Eastern sweets
Q14London’s Millennium Bridge cost £18.2m, or £30m in today’s money. How much was spent on Joanna Lumley’s axed Garden Bridge idea without work even starting?
A: £460,000
B: £4.6m
C: £46m
Q15A Dorset beach hut with no lavatory or plumbing went on sale in summer and even the estate agent, James Ricketts from Denisons, said any buyer would have to be “bonkers”. What was the asking price?
A: £75,000
B: £140,000
C: £280,000
Q16Villa Les Cèdres, a mansion in the south of France, has been dubbed “the most expensive house on earth”. How much is it on the market for?
A: €200m
B: €350m
C: €500m
Q17According to Lonres, how many homes have been sold in London this year for more than £10m?
A: 50
B: 80
C: 100
Q18Roughly how much will housebuilder Persimmon’s chief executive, Jeff Fairburn, receive as a bonus this January thanks to the company’s generous L-tip programme, over which the chairman resigned in protest?
A: £20m
B: £50m
C: £100m
Q19Prime Minister Theresa May promised to take “personal charge” of sorting out Britain’s housing crisis. Which form of housing did she promise to “rebirth” at the Conservative party conference?
A: Trailer parks
B: Bungalows
C: Council housing
Q20Little Ross, a Scottish island, was put up for sale for £325,000 in July – but it has a chilling past. What is it?
A: A group of visitors claim to have seen a ghost on the island
B: One of the island’s lighthouse keepers was murdered by a colleague
C: The island was once home to 550 banished dissidents and criminals