The dastardly Mr Deedes
Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam modestly informs France’s Les Echos that at 56 he’s unlikely to land another big finance role. His friend, economist and former Benin Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou disagrees, touting him for the top job at the International Monetary Fund. Incumbent IMF chief Christine Lagarde and her predecessor Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s tenures have been tainted by the whiff of scandale. But it’s most unlikely there’s any skeletons rattling around in Tidjane’s armoire.
Dull dog ex-Starbucks boss-turned aspiring presidential candidate Howard Schultz announces he doesn’t care for the word billionaire. He prefers the term ‘people of means’ to describe mega-wealthy people such as himself. Is Schultz sure he’s cut out for this politics lark? More of this nonsense and he’ll be the most ridiculed candidate since 1988 Democrat clown Michael Dukakis.
Flybe chief Christine Ourmieres-Widener, whose troubled airline has been sold for a massive discount, was yesterday ambushed by Radio 4’s Dominic O’Connell with an email from one of her pilots. It read: ‘Christine, congratulations. You and your incompetent cohorts have managed to destroy a totally viable airline. You should be ashamed of yourself. If you had a modicum of responsibility you would resign.’ It clearly hadn’t yet landed on Christine’s desk. Her hare-in-headlights response: ‘OK, zat is a very interesting email.’
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association’s annual conference in May features some surprising guests. Alongside the usual grey suits, excricketer Freddie Flintoff and rapper Professor Green are speaking on mental health issues. Boris Johnson will also speak, on ‘what’s next for the Conservative party and the country’. As if either feature high on his list of concerns.
Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell was invited to dine at the White House on Monday, his first meeting with President Trump since his appointment last year. Powell, who’s irritated the president with his fondness for interest rate hikes, turned 66 that day. Did Trump, who normally goes to bed at 6.30pm, deliberately sabotage the birthday evening? It wouldn’t be wholly out of character.