Here's a Bloomberg headline that’s even more inscrutable than usual: “At Davos, Rising Stress Spurs Goldie Hawn Meditation Talk”.
That would be the actress of Private Benjamin fame who will be expounding on the benefits of meditation tomorrow. She isn’t the only Hollywood type in town: fresh from his turn as young lover to Michael Douglas’ Liberace, Matt Damon is plugging Water.org, the charity that works to improve sanitation in Africa and Central America. Damon is also expected to appear at a philanthropic session chaired by another matinee idol, Tony Blair.
Mrs Carney banks on the shuttle bus banks
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney’s wife Diana arrived ahead of her husband at the Davos World Economic Forum. City Spy’s mole spotted her last night on board the complimentary shuttle bus up the “magic mountain” from Zurich airport.
No doubt her husband did not have to slum it when he arrived later. Not only is Carney addressing British business leaders with a speech after lunch on Friday, but he is also on a panel on monetary policy with the man who hired him — Chancellor George Osborne. Carney may have to watch what he says.
He’s back on stage on Saturday afternoon, discussing the global economic outlook with the usual suspects: European Central Bank president Mario Draghi and Christine Lagarde, the IMF managing director.
* Meanwhile, there was no private jet to Davos for Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland, spotted on board the Swissair flight from Heathrow on Wednesday. Unfortunately, it was delayed for two hours due to fog. But Bolland looked unflustered. “Not a hair out of place,” reported Spy’s mole.
* Former UBS chief economist George Magnus is getting into the spirit of things. “Davos dread already set in,” he tweets. Come off it, George, you love it.
The perfect place for lounge lizards
The sign above one of the exclusive relaxation areas for the global elite at Davos proclaims: “Members Lounge”.
Are they too posh for apostrophes in the Members’ Lounge?
Communications chief Adrian Monck took to Twitter to mount a defence of the grammatical solecism.
“It’s a request,” he argued. Nice try!
* Delegates often turn up to Steve Forbes’ Davos nightcap for words of wisdom from the two-time Republican Party presidential candidate. Tonight they might also hope to glean some intelligence on how the sale of the business magazine founded by his grandfather is faring.
Reports suggest it will be an overseas buyer that lands the title, which has suffered from falling circulation. Fosun of China, Spice Global of Singapore and Axel Springer of Germany are all in the frame for the £300 million deal.
Enough to pay for a few bottles of Cristal next year, Steve?
