From banker to barman: the man behind Boujis February 13, 2011 CHUCKLING at Prince Harry falling out of a nightclub just wouldn’t be the same if the club wasn’t a club like Boujis. Its reputation for exclusivity and A-list guests make it the ideal setting for high-class drama. Matt Hermer, the owner and entrepreneur behind the bar, however, is not as starry eyed about the place. [...]
Chrysalis in £107m takeover deal November 26, 2010 LONDON music group Chrysalis has today agreed a £107.4m takeover deal, ending weeks of speculation over its discussions with potential buyers. The publisher, which owns the rights to songs by artists such as David Bowie and Michael Jackson, is being bought by BMG Luxco, a joint venture formed from German media group Bertelsmann and private [...]
HMV shares plunge as its losses mount December 9, 2010 HMV shares dropped nearly 17 per cent yesterday as poor trading figures laid bare the company’s failing turnaround plan. The music, DVD, games and books retailer posted a worse-than-expected widening in first-half losses. Its share price dropped 16.57 per cent yesterday, to 36.50p HMV made an underlying pre-tax loss of £41.3m for the six months [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS October 31, 2010 Marriott Harrison The City law firm has taken on Hadleigh Graves as a partner in its media and technology practice. Graves was previously a partner at music specialist law firm Statham Gill Davies and also an M&A and private equity lawyer at Ashurst. He has particular expertise in music industry-based M&A and joint ventures, as [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING November 3, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES PRIVATE EQUITY PLANS €10BN OF PASS-THE-PARCEL DEALS Private equity groups are working on bids for European companies owned by rival buy-out firms worth more than €10bn ($14bn) in total as the industry looks set to keep churning assets through “pass-the-parcel” deals. MIZUHO EXECUTIVE ARRESTED IN FSA PROBE A Mizuho International executive has been [...]
Irresponsible strikes will hit London September 5, 2010 BARRING a last-minute reprieve, commuters will be subjected to much chaos from 5pm tonight as Underground workers go on strike. Tomorrow will be especially tough. This strike is irresponsible. It is being caused by selfish militants who cannot face losing some of their privileges at a time when everybody else in Britain is being forced [...]
CITY GYM LAUNCHES FAT BANKER CHALLENGE October 6, 2010 HOT ON the heels of last week’s much-lauded “Best Dressed Banker” award, and The Capitalist’s own rundown of the top ten hunkiest gents and loveliest ladies in the City, published in the summer, comes another, err, extra-curricular competition for London’s financiers. Matt Roberts, personal trainer to the stars, is on a mission to help the [...]
GRAINGE IS?NO.1?AT?UNIVERSAL MUSIC February 10, 2010 LUCIAN Grainge, who has helped nurture artists such as Duffy, Amy Winehouse, U2 and Elton John, is to become the chief executive of Vivendi’s Universal Music Group. Grainge, who has been chairman and chief executive of Universal’s International division, which operates in more than 50 countries, will take over the New York-based top job at [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS March 15, 2010 Universal Music Max Hole has been promoted to the position of chief operating officer at Universal Music Group International (UMGI). Hole, who will take up his new role on 1 July, is currently executive vice president of UMGI and president of the group’s Asia Pacific operations. He joined the firm in 1998 from Warner Music [...]
Vivendi cuts losses but stays cautious March 1, 2010 Europe’s largest entertainment group was cautious yesterday despite posting better than expected results. In the last three months of 2009, Vivendi posted a net loss of €958m (£868m), narrowed from €1.38bn a year earlier. The buoyant results were boosted by strong performances from its gaming and telecoms operations. Revenue for the quarter was €7.61bn, down [...]