KILLING KITTENS ORGY ORGANISER WHIPS HER BUSINESS UP A NOTCH
THOSE Londoners with a persistent naughty streak have probably heard of Emma Sayle, the founder of sex party organising firm Killing Kittens.
Up until now, Killing Kittens has specialised in what Sayle likes to describe as “eyes wide shut orgies”, with club members – vetted for attractiveness – gathering in private townhouses to get to know one another more intimately.
But I hear that Sayle is now gunning to take the business to the next level, and is in advanced-stage talks with a Canadian technology multi-millionaire who wants to take a hefty stake in the company.
On the menu if the deal goes ahead is an ambitious upscaling of the Kittens franchise. Quite apart from selling merchandise such as sex toys, underwear, CDs, raunchy books and the like, Sayle is also planning to launch an online dating forum to run alongside the party-organising branch, using the same physical membership criteria.
“Parties are what we are known for, but that part of the business is at capacity,” she tells me. “Currently, we only hold about one party a month, but the problem with holding them more often is that they would lose their excitement and allure and become more mainstream. That’s not something we would relish.”
Well, quite. Prudes had better turn the other cheek: we haven’t seen the last of Sayle yet.
BEAUTY CONTEST
Speaking of beautiful people, count this as another call to the financial community to send in nominations for The Capitalist’s upcoming competition to find the ten hunkiest gents and loveliest ladies in the City.
The inbox has been flooded with talent since nominations opened last week, and there’s not long to go before judging commences.
If you, your colleagues or friends have what it takes, email thecapitalist@cityam.com with your nominations – plus flattering photographs, of course.
TIME OUT
A near-70 per cent collapse in a share price and a warning of a breach of banking covenants is usually enough to send a company’s spinners into overdrive. Bizarrely, that wasn’t the case yesterday with property group Connaught. Upon enquiring after group PR manager Paul Haines early yesterday, baffled hacks were informed he had taken the morning off…
MOVIE STAR
Quite how this passed under the radar for so long is a mystery, but those who are fascinated, awed, angered or appalled at Goldman Sachs – or all of the above – can now look forward to an actual movie about the banking behemoth, in which chief executive Lloyd Blankfein is set to make a cameo appearance.
Filmmaker Ric Burns was first approached about the documentary project three years ago by Goldman itself, which has full editorial control. Goldman is overseeing the film via its marketing team and is only preparing to show it to its own employees. That’s Hollywood, Goldman style.
CHOP, CHOP
UKFI still has at least a year to go before it will be given the green light to start selling down the taxpayer’s stakes in the banks, according to government ministers, so perhaps the organisation should use the downtime to get up to speed on some simple housekeeping matters.
On checking the composition of the senior management team on UKFI’s official website yesterday, The Capitalist was informed that Tim Sykes holds the position of head of market investments and strategy and Sam Woods that of chief operating officer. This despite Woods having accepted the role of secretary of the government’s new banking commission earlier this month and Sykes having left the building after resigning in May. Better hop to it, pronto.
CHOC FINGERS
Perhaps Armajaro’s Anthony “Choc Fingers” Ward should consider upping his personal security after snapping up seven per cent of the world’s cocoa bean supply.
Chocolate activists have been up in arms ever since Ward made his move, arguing that he’s planning to hold chocolate makers – and, by association, seasoned chocoholics – to ransom by driving up the price.
Now, we’ve even got an outraged Facebook page dedicated to his downfall, depicting his face superimposed onto a cartoon pig, greedily eyeing a trough full of chocolate. And if there’s one thing we’ve learnt from Tony Hayward’s debacle at BP, it’s not to underestimate the power of public vilification.
REST IN PEACE
And finally, some sad news for the stockbroking community this week, after James Rodger passed away from leukaemia on Sunday.
Rodger, who tragically welcomed his first baby daughter into the world just a week ago, was a market maker at HSBC for many years and had recently left to join Fox-Davies Capital later in the summer. He will be sorely missed by all whose lives he touched.