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Celebrities wheel and deal for City charity day
Jonathan Prynn, Consumer Business Editor11 Sep 2009
They are figures that staggered even transfer market maestro Sir Alex Ferguson. With a phone thrust into his hand for once it was the Manchester United manager who was on the receiving end of the hair dryer treatment.
“Get him to trade,” yelled one dealer and a few seconds later Britain's most successful football manager had dealt “a yard of three month at 60”.
In English that's £1 billion of sterling lent by Allied Irish Bank to French bank BNP until December. “He's just sold Rooney,” shouted one Tottenham supporting dealer.
In pictures: Celebs take over the trading floor
Nearby Alistair Campbell's eyebrows shot up at the sound of the BNP. Why on earth was the hated right wing nationalist party borrowing a “yard”.
It was that kind of day. A bizarre juxtaposition of the equally surreal worlds of celebrity and City wheeler dealing.
One minute Rory Bremner was selling rouble swaps “as” Prince Charles, the next, Bungle from Seventies childrens show Rainbow and the Honey Monster were wandering across the trading floor looking for deals to close. Odd.
They were among dozens of celebrities wheeled around the trading floor of Canary Wharf brokers BGC Partners today for their annual Charity Day to commemorate the 9/11 attacks.
BGC was formerly part of Cantor Fitzgerald, the firm that lost 658 employees in the World Trade Centre attacks.
All commission earned by the brokerage today go to 26 charities with around £5 million raised last year.
Sir Alex's £1 billion trade alone generated £10,000 for his nominated charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Meanwhile a huge scrum followed Jonathan Ross around the pulsating dealing room as traders scrambled to get perhaps the day's biggest star on the end of the phone.
The screaming on the interest rate options desk was so daunting that even the £6 million a year BBC motor mouth was cowed.
“If we've got phones why are we all shouting?” he pleaded, retiring to the relative calm of the gilts desk. “I prefer gilts, this guy's not shouting, I've found my niche.”
Meanwhile muscle bound Gladiators Enigma and Doom, wearing scanty leather outfits that surely did not meet with BGC's company dress code were struggling to agree a price for a deal on the Equities Derivatives Desk.
“Hi, It's Doom from Gladiators. Will you take 955? Come on, it's for charity, are we going to do that deal? I can always come round and strangle you otherwise.”
His hot pant wearing colleague Enigma took up the negotiations with a more conciliatory approach.
“Come on, you can't be the only one who doesn't trade with me. What? You'll only do 947? You're mean, come on go to 948.” Pause. “No that's not the number I'm looking for.” But no deal.
They're tough these City boys. Nevertheless desk trader Francesco Coppola was impressed. “I thought they did very well. They could be either brokers or Gladiators. Me, I can only be a broker.”
In pictures: Celebs take over the trading floor
Reader views (2)
trading is the most difficult thing in the world. Unless you've done it you don;t know and anyway bankers are not traders they are BANKERS NOT TRADERS. The two are as different as binmen and airline pilots.
- Darius Mathers, London, 13/09/2009 22:00
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OK so these 'Celebs' come in off the street and just trade. Is this the skill and expertise bankers require to justify their 7 figure salaries?
You have to pay the money to get the talent ,my backside.
- Paul, Kent, 11/09/2009 15:43
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