The dastardly Mr Deedes
ex-private equity tycoon-turned US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross was spotted at art miami this week taking a keen interest in a sculpture based on Ponzi scheme fraudster Bernie madoff. the unusual cast, entitled made off, by artist Fredy hadorn, shows a pair of cuffed hands protruding from a wall, wearing a real Rolex and clutching wads of cash. Ross, 81, requested the gallery email him more information on the piece. this week marks the tenth anniversary of madoff’s arrest. a 150year jail sentence ensures the old crook will never see daylight again. Sky’s decision to withdraw funding from professional cycling isn’t totally surprising following Comcast’s recent £30bn acquisition. The broadcaster’s sponsorship was pioneered by former chairman James Murdoch, who persuaded it to put up £25m in 2010 after developing a passion for the sport. Murdoch, 45, once rode in Italy’s chaotic Maratona dles Dolomites, a gruelling 85-mile race covering seven mountain passes. marks & Spencer called off its Christmas dinner for journalists last night, ostensibly due to the confidence vote in theresa may which kept us hacks busy. Conveniently, it also spared under-the-cosh chief executive Steve Rowe awkward questions about flashy ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King, whose appointment to the board this week looks suspiciously like a wheeze to keep an eye on him. Stop press: asda have now cancelled its dinner tonight. The Bank of England’s Christmas party attracted the usual stagnant grey hairs. Ex-Chancellor Alistair Darling, British Land’s Chris Grigg, Lloyds Bank’s Lord Blackwell. Thank goodness for dazzling Santander emperatriz Ana Botin, a purring vision in red, who ducked and weaved all evening through the throng of admiring dullards. at that bash, Governor mark Carney informed guests he had received literally thousands of suggestions from the public for whose face should appear on the new £50 note. ‘any for Jacob Rees-mogg?’ went up a cry. Carney replied: ‘to be on the note, you have to be actually deceased, not pretending to live in another era.’ Surely pointing out Jacob’s antiquarian persona’s getting a bit old hat now, isn’t it?