The highest earning author of 2013, Erika Leonard James raked in £33.3 million that year and £10.6 million in 2012. Her Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy has had readers hooked but despite her wealth this adult romance writer continues to live modestly in west London. With over 500,000 followers on Twitter, James has set the record for the fastest selling paperback of all time yet modestly stated: “The explosion of interest has taken me completely by surprise”.
Tag: 2014
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Erika Leonard James (E. L. James)
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Felix Dennis (1947 – 2014)
This maverick publishing legend and poet founded Dennis Publishing in 1974 and was the first person to say the word “cunt” on live British television in 1970 on David Frost’s The Frost Programme. Born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Felix Dennis was jailed but subsequently acquitted in a trial relating to a sexually explicit Rupert the Bear cartoon strip during his time working at the OZ underground magazine and went on to create great titles such as Maxim and The Week. He planted over 1,000,000 native saplings in his attempt to establish a large native forest in Warwickshire and owned one of the largest collections of original bronze sculptures. Dennis – who was said to be worth in excess of £750 million – famously once spelt Che Guevara’s name wrong and once stated: “Making money is certainly the one addiction I cannot shake”. He is to be “buried in a linen wrap in a cardboard coffin in [his] forest with an oak tree planted on [his] head”. -
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (AKA “The Winklevii”)
Born in The Hamptons, the 6’5” tall Winklevoss twins have achieved success in both rowing and online ventures. Their long-running legal wranglings with Mark Zuckerberg over who founded Facebook scored them a settlement of at least $65 million and they used this to In 2012, they established Winklevoss Capital and after discovering bitcoin whilst partying in Ibiza the very same year, they bought up around 1% of the currency before launching Winkdex, a financial index that tracks the price of bitcoin, in 2014. Aside from their entrepreneurial activities the brothers have rowed at both the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Boat Race in London and used bitcoins to purchase flights on one of Virgin Galactic’s space flights. -
May Fernbridge finally be investigated
As police raid the offices of Lord Janner, we urge those running Operation Fernbridge to step up their game
The revelation in the Sunday People that Labour peer Lord Janner has had his House of Lords office raided by the police comes as no surprise following on from our having received many messages about this individual via Twitter for the last year. That this story has now finally been outed is progress but what needs to happen next is for the unconnected Operation Fernbridge to finally be given the resources it requires (more…)
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Mansions for £1
An English country house that sold for a £1 and a Scottish mansion with an asking price of just £1
Downton Abbey addicts take note: For the same price as a double cheeseburger on McDonald’s saver menu you could live like the Earl and Countess Grantham if you bought a Georgian mansion in Chirnside in Berwickshire (more…)
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Picture of the Week: The Lying Scotsman
An appropriate description of the SNP leader
The biggest donors to the campaign for Scottish independence thus far have been Colin and Chris Weir, a couple who won £161 million in the EuroMillions lottery in 2011. They’ve funded 79% of the ‘Yes’ campaign and now as Scotland prepares to vote on this stupid gamble, we had to make an image shared with us by Peter Burrell our Picture of the Week. (more…)
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Charity and Chavin
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Cinematic bliss
Former home of film director Richard Attenborough for sale for £12.75 million
The Academy Award winning actor, producer and director Lord Attenborough is best known for his roles in such hits as The Great Escape, Gandhi and 10 Rillington Place but it was at Old Friars, his home of many years in Richmond, Surrey, that he was able to enjoy watching films in privacy due to the house having its very own private cinema. (more…)
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Anna Soubry MP
In discussion with UKIP’s Nigel Farage MEP in June 2014, “lighthearted” Soubry suggested that some people who raise concerns about immigration are “frankly racist”. Immediately disowned by Downing Street, this former television presenter turned Conservative politician is a single mother of two children and a supporter of the legalisation of cannabis. In December 2013, she described Farage as looking “like somebody [who] has put their finger up [their] bottom and [who] really rather likes it” whilst earlier that year, the Speaker told her “to sit there and be quiet or to leave the chamber” after she heckled a fellow MP. She’s not easily silenced. -
A fine classical country house
£8 million Morley Hall combines traditional style with a home fit for modern living
Morley Hall is a Georgian country house to the east of Ware in Hertfordshire. This fine residence is worthy of note as it was remodeled in the Palladian style by the renowned classical architect Raymond Erith (more…)