As the corona virus spreads around the world and the death toll rises, the varying reactions by the various governments show their differing levels of concern. This goes from President Trumps ‘there’s no problem’ stance to the Swiss authorities ban of public events with more than 1000 attendees, affecting sports events, concerts and the internationally […]
Retailers in dire straits
With increasing regularity the British high street hit the headlines over the past few months and years with store closures and retailers going bust. According to the British Retail Consortium, employment on the high street fell for 4 straight years, with some 57‘000 jobs having been lost in 2019. And the new year didn’t get […]
A Swiss spy story
You wouldn‘t necessarily associate Switzerland with the thrills of the clandestine world of secret services and espionage, yet the story that recently broke here is worthy of a John Le Carre story. Crypto AG was (it was split into two separate entities in 2018) a Zug based company which used to sell encryption equipment used […]
The supermarket
Now all those of you who think that this is about the place where you do your weekly grocery shopping, you couldn’t be more wrong! This is about a Chinese banker and his very personal supermarket. A five-episode documentary that apparently recently broadcast on Chinese state television tells the tales of Lai Xiaomin, the former […]
At what age is a banker old?
Investment banking is definitely a young man’s game, consisting of long working days in a high pressure environment. A very very long time ago, I used to work as a trader for a firm of Swiss private bankers and one if its investment management companies and thus experienced this lifestyle to some extent myself before […]
Having your cake and eat it
Well, it doesn’t work like that, does it, having your cake and eat it too. It doesn‘t work for us mere mortals, and the proverb applies just as much to royalty, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have found out. In a statement released on the evening of 18 January, her Majesty the Queen […]
Swiss diplomacy
That the USA and Iran are not exactly on best terms is a well known fact, and the events of the last few weeks certainly have not helped deescalate the situation. What is less well known, however, is that since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the US and Iran use a secret back channel through […]
Greta v Roger
Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish climate activist has an axe to grind with Roger Federer, our Swiss tennis champion! And to be honest not only her, but many other young activists from around the world have been criticising Roger Federer for jetting around the world (some 80’000 kilometers apparently since the ATP tournament in Shanghai […]
Cars of the future
I am clearly getting old since I don’t understand this world anymore! Many years ago, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), an annual event taking place each January in Las Vegas, used to be about the latest trends in computer technology and – as the name says – consumer electronics. They are still there this year, […]
Family trouble
I am sure she wasn’t best pleased, her Majesty the Queen, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be stepping down from or at least much reducing the royal duties and sharing their time now between the U.K. and North America. Apparently no member of the royal family was consulted over […]
The grumpy older man 