Chapter 13: Getting in the Groove, Running the Business

There were some interesting benefits that I had been accruing over the first six months of my stewardship of The Trust; not the least of which was as people began to understand my position and how wealthy I was, I was getting invitations for a variety of gatherings.

Sometimes, it was just for a party. Other times it was to industry conferences. I began getting invitations to speak at colleges and universities. I generally turned down the speaking invitations — I felt that I had not had enough experience yet, and that there would be plenty of times in the future to share my (limited) wisdom! I think most of them really wanted money from me in any case.

There were a couple of rather noteworthy things that happened in those first months that convinced me that there were definite advantages to being rich and in a powerful position!

I want to mention something a little off topic, and that is about the residences that The Trust had around the world.

The Trust actually owned large mansions in the U.S. (my current ‘home’), an estate in the English countryside, a vineyard in France with a mansion on the property (that was something of a ‘vanity’ project of my uncle’s, but it made excellent wine and a profit, so I would keep it, at least for now), and villas in Lichtenstein and Tuscany. Other places The Trust leased, such as a flat in London, an apartment in Paris, and the flat in Lima. Other places, like the houses in Namibia and Alaska, and soon to be the flat in Chile, were smaller and used as much as offices as living spaces. But they were there for me when I did my regular tours of the properties, but I wasn’t staying there for extended periods. We did own a small fleet of aircraft for business, but that were also available for pleasure travel for me and other top executives. We did not, though, have any mega-yachts, and we didn’t buy any islands or those kinds of frivolous displays of excess wealth. Again, I tried to keep a low profile.

Still, word got around among the wealthy elites.

After the meeting I mentioned earlier, of members of several of our joint ventures, I had retreated to the estate in the English countryside, along with Mrs. Gray, who was almost always with me coordinating events and maintaining my calendar. I was quite surprised when a government official showed up at the estate with an invitation.

It seemed that the Queen was having a reception for some foreign (meaning non-British) industrialist and was inviting a variety of people, other businessmen, some well known entertainers, members of the Royal Family and other Aristos, to impress the gentleman (and even more so, his wife) with how much the Brits wanted his factory/office, or whatever it was, to locate in the U.K. She was softening him up before the sharks of The City came to strip the flesh from his bones.

That was how I ended up being driven in a limo up to the Queens palace, Windsor Castle, through the gates, past St. George’s chapel, and around the curving street up to the front entry of the palace itself. Oddly, security seemed rather lax as I strolled up the stairs and into the building, but I suppose that no one who had not already been vetted made it this far.

Most of us, including minor members of the Royal Family and various Dukes, Earls, entertainers, ad infinitum, were led to an antechamber, where we were served drinks and little tidbits to eat. After about 45 minutes of mingling, the doors were opened to the dining hall. Due to the size of the crowd, there were several long tables set up, and members of the Queen’s staff led us individually to our places. I found myself towards the end of the first table, seated between a member of the Knights of the Garter (a retired Admiral, as I recall), and an older woman, who was a world famous singer, actress, and celebrity. She was in quite good shape for a woman who had to be in her 60’s, and while I’m sure that she had her share of touch ups by the finest plastic surgeons, she looked completely natural, and more like a woman in her mid-40’s than in her 60’s.

We introduced ourselves, and I’m sure that she was completely unimpressed by me. I was just a young businessman. She pretty much ignored me, as the Admiral was explaining all of his medals to her. She was surprisingly polite for someone not known for being polite, cultured or refined. But she made the best of it.

Finally, the Queen entered the room and we went through all of the rigmarole that entailed. I went along with what I had been instructed to do, still curious as to why I was there at all!

What can I tell you about the reception? Almost nothing. I can’t remember anything of great importance being said or done. The dinner was very good, making a lie of the slanders against British chefs.