20 of the world’s largest donors 1 BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION US The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was formed in 2000 through the merger of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, adopting their previous agendas of improving global health and education. With offices in the US, India, China and UK, the foundation has a global [...]
Ten top City of London givers MICHAEL SPENCER BROKING The Icap Charity Day celebrated its 20th anniversary this December, raising £11m for charities in the process. The annual pre-Christmas event is a celebrity-studded occasion on which all revenues and commissions from the world’s leading interdealer broker are donated. Chief executive Michael Spencer has played a major role in the success of [...]
Putting philanthropy at the top of the City’s agenda Look out your office window and you will see a “philanthroscape” – the City’s bridges, hospitals, schools, prisons, alms houses and churches we walk past everyday were built on the donations of the wealthy businessmen of yesteryear, including its most famous lord mayor Dick Whittington. The City’s rich philanthropic tradition continues today – but quietly. [...]
Elegance and opulence in Rutland December 20, 2012 Built for George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham in the 17th century, Rutland’s Mansion House was severely damaged by Parliamentarians in the civil war. It was resurrected by Daniel Finch, second Earl of Nottingham and sixth Earl of Winchelsea, in 1694. The “new house” was built over the next six years. It was even considered for [...]
London Barometer December 20, 2012 DIRECTOR OF DOUGLAS & GORDON There are 30 per cent fewer highly saleable houses coming to the market in London compared to this time last year. This is a result of concerns over the economy and jobs, people having no other place to put their money and expectations of price increases in the £1-2m price [...]
Top 10 new year’s eve hang-outs December 20, 2012 New Year’s Eve in London is one of those nights so quick-paced and freighted with expectation that it can quickly overwhelm. However, done correctly it can be the best night of the year. Booking one of the following parties is a good place to start. 1. Home House Marylebone The legendary members’ club is throwing [...]
Cash And Go can pay for the Christmas turkey December 20, 2012 TOMORROW’S highlight at Ascot is the Ladbroke Hurdle at 3.10pm, one of the richest handicaps in Europe. Alan King trains the likely favourite, Balder Success, who I’m sure is going to prove much better than his current mark of 147. However, this is going to be a brutal contest in the ground and 11st 4lb [...]
Riverside is the better option in the long run December 20, 2012 NICKY Henderson has an enviable recent record at Kempton’s William Hill Winter Festival, despite only winning the highlight, the William Hill King George VI Chase, once two years ago with Long Run. Robert Waley-Cohen’s seven-year-old is the favourite for this year’s renewal, but to me he seems a horse that is regressing and I don’t [...]
The Champ – AP McCoy December 20, 2012 Looking at the William Hill King George VΙ Chase, it’s not a surprise to see Long Run heading the market. If the ground stays testing then he is the one guaranteed to really stay. There are plenty of horses that have won over the three-mile trip, but for some like Finian’s Rainbow and Cue Card [...]
ICE snaps up NYSE Euronext in $8.2bn deal December 20, 2012 IncontinentalExchange (ICE) has today agreed an $8.2bn (£5bn) cash and shares deal to buy NYSE Euronext. Atlanta-based ICE will acquire the New York Stock Exchange owner to create a “premier global exchange operator” across markets including commodities, credit derivatives, equities and foreign exchange. The transaction is valued at $33.12 for each NYSE Euronext share, a [...]