Big issues hold little interest at bank bash

Donald Trump vs Greta Thunberg has been the story of Davos, but Jamie Dimon seemed to dismiss the whole affair at JP Morgan’s bash, saying rather grandly: “I pay no attention to superficial statements made by lots of people.”

After all, why let a little thing like the future of the planet get in the way of the real business of Davos, meeting clients and making money? Crack on, Jamie.

Still, the US bank does pull in the big names. Tony Blair was on deadeyed waxwork duty again to greet attendees with stiff handshakes, while other guests included the owner of Manchester United, Avie Glazer, BT bosses past and present, Philip Jansen and Gavin Patterson, and Standard Chartered boss Bill Winters.

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney – Davos man par excellence – was also holding court near the entrance, while the Bank of France’s François Villeroy de Galhau worked the room.

Blair’s ex-partner in crime and midwife of New Labour Lord Mandelson once said he was “intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich” so he was in good company at the bash at the Kirchner Museum on the Promenade.

But he doesn’t “even know who I’m going to vote for” in the looming Labour leadership contest.

“Probably” Sir Keir Starmer, he reckons – which might not be welcomed as a ringing endorsement from the front-runner’s camp.

Clouds of war forecast

Meanwhile, “Dr Doom” Nouriel Roubini was living up to his nickname.

For him, Davos has been a bit “one dimensional” this year with the focus on climate, when war between the US and Iran might be a bigger concern.

What about an escalation and the possibility of $90 a barrel oil, he pondered, although he admits it’s a “non-consensus view”.

Fingers crossed he’s wrong, although he has been right before.