A Hedge Fund Manager Hits Back

John Veals is the villainous hedge fund manager in Sebastian Faulks’ best-selling credit-crunch novel “A Day In December.” He is a man with no friends, no culture, no interest in anything other than making money. His nefarious machinations lead to the failure of a major British bank, enabling him to make huge profits from his short positions. Other characters in the novel include Gabriel Northwood, a virtuous lawyer, and Roger Malpasse, a retired banker of the old school.

By Peter Tasker |
Articles Culture Finance Politics

I Am A Digital Cat – A Story Of The Future

I am a digital cat. I was designed in Mumbai and manufactured in Shenzhen. Where I live digital cats outnumber children. That’s because they are much cheaper. If you cannot afford the latest version, you can buy a second hand product at a shop called CATOFF.

By Peter Tasker |
Articles Culture

China rushes towards a Japan-style bubble

Emerging markets, it seems, have had a good crisis. In contrast to the debt-ridden G7 economies, they have quickly resumed their growth trajectory. No surprise, then, that US emerging market mutual funds are experiencing record inflows. The stellar performance of the Brics markets – Brazil, Russia, Indian and China – is due to continue into the distant future.

By Peter Tasker |
Articles Culture Finance

A French Kiss from Japan

There’s more to Japan’s new first couple than meet the eye. The prime minister’s wife, Miyuki Hatoyama, claims to have befriended Tom Cruise in a previous life when he was, apparently, Japanese. Meanwhile the prime minister himself has been behaving like the re-incarnation of a French intellectual.

By Peter Tasker |
Articles Culture