Sumo takes London, 100 years of Thatcher and an FT scheduling blip; catch up on the latest gossip in The Capitalist
SUMMIT’S UP
Last week The Capitalist reported on the controversial opening speaker at the Financial Times’s upcoming Africa Summit: the Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, who stands accused of kidnapping and torturing the family of his predecessor.
The FT press office brushed off our suggestion that hosting Nguema on 22 October might not align with the newspaper’s brand values, given its commitment to “protecting human rights”. But less than 48 hours after we ran the story, Nguema mysteriously disappeared from the schedule. His spot remained unfilled until Monday morning, when vice president Alexandre Barro Chambrier replaced him.
The FT had no comment on the late change but City AM understands the official line of the Gabonese government is an unfortunate scheduling conflict with another diplomatic trip. Sponsors including Bank of America and World Bank were conspicuously quiet when we approached them for comment but perhaps they were less taciturn behind the scenes…
The Capitalist also wonders what impact this might have on the investment drive the president had planned during his London trip. According to a document obtained by City AM, Nguema was slated to attend meetings with high-powered potential “investors and partners” during the Africa Summit in a bid to drum up investment into the country.
After deposing former leader Ali Bongo in a 2023 coup, the Gabonese president has been accused by the Bongo family of kidnapping and torture, including “electrocution”, “drowning” and “strangulation”. Noureddin Bongo, the son of Ali, was held for almost two years by the regime over allegations of corruption, which he denies. He was released this year following help from fellow Old Etonians Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith. Noureddin’s case is subject to a pre-trial investigation in a French court; Nguema’s regime denies the accusations.
The FT’s Africa Summit website bios of both Nguema and Chambrier fail to mention the 2023 coup, although it did praise Nguema’s “brilliantly obtained” baccalaureate, which feels to us like missing the lede.
HAWKSMOOR PINS DOWN SUMO STARS
After falling into the red this autumn, London steak restaurant Hawksmoor was likely grateful for a temporary sales boost this week thanks to a visit from four guests with famously large appetites. Ahead of the Grand Sumo Tournament kicking off at the Royal Albert Hall last night, participating wrestlers, who rarely leave Japan for tournaments, have been photographed lapping up the London sights in a tour that has quickly gone viral.
On Tuesday night, it was a stop at Hawksmoor Seven Dials, where the wrestlers are reported to have dined out on oysters, lobster, prime ribs, mash and steak carpaccio, along with some mac and cheese on the side, though the restaurant would not disclose the size of the bill. It’s just as well; back at the Royal Albert Hall, the catering order for the wrestlers has reportedly been so large, their wholesaler actually ran out of noodles.
NO SUCH THING…
Would you pay to have lunch with the same person every week? One man thinks the answer is yes. In a Linkedin post, former Sun City editor Damien McCrystal has suggested that company chairmen “need” someone to have lunch with every week, as part of “coaching in how to be a grand ambassador for the company… a bit like those posh spinsters who paid traveling companions to be their educated dogsbodies in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.”
But just who exactly should a chairman pick as their loyal luncheon companion? “I can be that helper,” McCrystal modestly volunteers. If that offer sounds appealing, the Capitalist would be happy to put you in touch.
POTATO POTAHTO
Following the sudden withdrawal of news site Tech Crunch from Europe, a new media organisation called Pathfounders has risen from the ashes, set up by former staff member Mike Butcher. The veteran tech commentator sought to drum up interest for his new venture with an exclusive interview with Press Gazette.
Unfortunately for Butcher, Press Gazette butchered the name, mistakenly referring to it as “Pathfinders” – a name that reminded the Capitalist of the “fourth sector pathfinder initiative” in the Thick of It TV show, in which fictional minister Nicola Murray tries to flog a failed policy aimed at what she called “quiet bat people”. The Capitalist is sure Pathfounders will fare much better than Pathfinders did.
HBD MRS T
Parts of City AM’s newsroom may sometimes resemble a Margaret Thatcher fanclub, but even our HQ could not compete with the fanfare taking place just down the road on Monday night. In honour of the Iron Lady’s 100th birthday, 500 Thatcher devotees, including Joan Collins, Boris Johnson and Richard Tice, gathered at the Guildhall for a black-tie dinner, advertised by The Margaret Thatcher Centre as ‘THE centenary celebration’ where “glamour meets gravitas”. Duly, in between toasts for Mrs T, there was a fair bit of political jousting. Introducing Dame Joan, Conor Burns gave a fitting preamble: “Her performances are known to everyone in this room… The Wayward Bus, the Bitter End, Tales from The Crypt, Seven Thieves, Rally Around The Flag Boys, The Bitch, An Orgy of the Damned. It’s almost as though she was chronicling the modern Conservative party.”