Tag: interview

Jack Turner – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with English born, Los Angeles based actor and musician Jack Turner

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

Treat people well. Try and learn your blind spots.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

Be nice, but don’t get shat on.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

Everything seems to be acceptable. People are being absolutely despicable because of messaging they see from those in power. Perhaps the only unacceptable thing is calm and clear discourse.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

My family and Weymouth Beach.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

Everyone having some.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

That, and the political system (similar principles), make me most unhappy to be an atheist.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“Reach out”. The word I maybe most love is “tosspot”.

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I think there’s a threshold of financial and social safety below which there is no hope to ascend, and that people below that threshold need help. What we have in the UK and US would be considered a ludicrous luxury in many places. I personally just donated a pretty solid sum to Syria and Somalia.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

I wish my phone would blow me up. These devices are ruining people’s presence, empathy, and ability to talk. I just read a great summary of the evidence linking socialization and our neurobiology. When you consider socialisation is being replaced by phones, I fear sociopathy will rise massively. Put the fucking phone away, or on silent if you just can’t be without it, you tosspot.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

People without phones, who can like each other even if they disagree. I pick my girlfriend and my mate Monte. Anyone else is welcome. That should ignite some fun.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

Curry from Mirch Masala in Tooting, and bitter. Followed by red velvet cake and some Law Estates Cab.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

Not so much a case of “Is this acceptable?” as: “Will my body reject this now?”

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

I don’t know what a Negroni is. Martinis are frightening. So I’ll go for some tea, please.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Those I curate carefully to avoid tosspots. Because I loathe tosspots.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My girlfriend. I’m lucky enough that this is a pretty competitive decision, but she takes the cake.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Aforementioned red velvet cake. And guitars.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

I don’t like tattoos, which I think sums me up.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

Public transport or a bicycle. I now realise both sound dirty.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

To my shame I didn’t know what an incredible singer she was. I thought she was just a host. That surprised me. I’m a terrible singer. Which maybe makes it surprising that I was in a great band and continue to make music. Check out our old stuff if you’re interested – Cable Car on Spotify, iTunes, etc.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Our place isn’t fancy enough to have a mantlepiece. However, we do have a cupboard, upon which we put meaningful things. My mum potted me an Oscar statue, which we call ‘Oscar’. Probably unoriginal, but, I think it’s very sweet, and I’ll take what I can get.

Jack Turner grew up in Weymouth, Dorset, where he was a dubiously-skilled mackerel fishing tour guide. He studied psychology at Oxford before working for Google in London and San Francisco. He’s now an actor in Hollywood and has starred in Netflix’s ‘The 10 Year Plan’ and Hallmark’s ‘My Summer Prince’.

Follow him on Twitter at @jackoturner and Instagram at @jaxonturner.

May 4, 2017
Breaking with Boris

Breaking News – Rachel Johnson explains why she ditched the party of her Foreign Secretary brother Boris and defected to the Lib Dems

On this morning’s Andrew Marr Show on BBC1, Rachel Johnson was interviewed about her decision to defect to the Liberal Democrat Party.

Explaining her rationale for ditching the Tories and the party of her Brexit supporting Foreign Secretary brother, Boris Johnson, Rachel Johnson commented:

“This is single issue election. We could be going over a cliff on a hard Brexit… Everything on the table from last June is now off the table. Business needs to stay in the Single Market. It’s all lose, lose, lose… A second referendum gives the country another go”.

Answering a question about whether she plans to stand as a candidate herself, Johnson, a columnist for the Mail on Sunday, remarked:

“This is my paper making mischief to embarrass me… [But I am] not ruling anything out”.

Later, in the segment, she tempered this further by adding:

“I am very tempted to campaign in my constituency of Kensington and Chelsea”.

Given her comments, The Steeple Times urges Rachel Johnson to join with us to support Gina Miller’s Best for Britain tactical voting campaign and suggests she also throws her campaigning efforts behind the Liberal Democrats’ Annabel Mullin for Kensington and Louise Rowntree for Chelsea & Fulham.

#BritainDeservesBetter #MakeJuneEndOfMay

Louise Rowntree (left) pictured with Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times and Annabel Mullin in Chelsea last week

The Johnson clan – Stanley Johnson (far left) with his children: Rachel, Boris and Jo

April 30, 2017
Wally of the Week – Sir Michael Caine

Actor Michael Caine claims to be “a socialist” in spite of having been involved in a tax avoidance scheme and previously leaving Britain to avoid the top rate of tax in the 1970s

Sir Michael Caine, CBE is a man who flip-flops like no other and whose political views are best described as “chaotic”. Though a man known for fleeing Britain for America to avoid high taxes in the 1970s and a man named as an investor in a tax avoidance scheme named Liberty in 2014, the pro-Brexit actor has this week called himself a “socialist” and went as far to say: “I wouldn’t live in a country that didn’t pay income tax”.

In an interview with the Catholic newspaper The Universe, Sir Michael remarked:

“I’m a socialist, basically. I want as much money as possible for poor people, to help whoever’s in trouble. I wouldn’t live in a country that didn’t pay income tax”.

“What you have to do is keep emotion out of it. You can’t say: ‘We hate these rich people, we’re going to tax them to smithereens’. You’ve got to have them stay in your country and pay the tax”.

A public supporter of Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron and even Tony Blair, Sir Michael was forced to pay a significant sum to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs after being exposed as part of the Liberty scheme and also made a fool of himself in another regard. The actor also told The Universe:

“In order to do something good, I don’t just do work which is no good. I don’t do commercials’.

In 2013, he was paid a six-figure sum to film a commercial for Sky television. How conveniently the man forgets.

April 25, 2017
What a Difference a Day Makes

Twenty-four hours ago Arthur Collins was the toast of OK! magazine; he’s now on the run and a wanted man

Twenty-four hours ago, the Mail Online gushed about Ferne McCann and Arthur Collins, a couple most of our readers will never have heard of. Now, that article is gone and instead the press are focusing on the fact that Mr Collins is on the run in the wake of a police raid on his home.

Ferne McCann and Arthur Collins in happier times

A mugshot of Arthur Collins issued by the Metropolitan Police and an image of him captured on CCTV at Mangle, the Dalston Club where he is alleged to have been involved in an acid attack

“Bad boy Arthur”, as The Sun today refer to the 25-year old scaffolder, is alleged to have been involved in an acid attack in a London club on Sunday in which sixteen people were injured. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Collins and when they visited his home, they discovered cannabis plants, cultivation equipment and illegal firearms.

OK! magazine feature an interview with the couple in their current edition. In it, Miss McCann, a “reality television star”, referenced how she and Collins were planning on moving in together and commented:

“We spend every night together anyway. Moving in is definitely the next step. And I know that seems a bit rushed, but when you know, you know”.

“Arthur is moving in the day after I get the keys! I get them on May 5^th, he’ll move in on May 6^th. So I just need 24 hours to settle in and put my stuff down”.

Such an occurrence now seems highly unlikely and here, indeed, is an example that never has the adage “what a difference a day makes” been truer.

April 19, 2017
Martin Raffa – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with Paris based fashion designer Martin Raffa

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

The search beauty and harmony. From an early age, I understood the importance of both in my entourage.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

“Beauty is interior”.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

The mediatic terrorism of the Kardashian family.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

Palm trees and tropical rainforest vegetation.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

For God to grant me an obedient heart.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

I don’t understand much about finance, but I think the worst thing of all is that there is a lack of help to help small entrepreneurs since they are the true wealth creators.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“It’s impossible to achieve”.

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

Personally, I work with friends to create an association protect animals. I especially like protecting dogs.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

Being connected is great, but do not be connected for too long.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

I would invite Andy Warhol so we could have great pictures, Truman Capote to enjoy great conversations, Marvin Gaye for the music, Ferran Adrià to have great meals and my French bulldog, Batman.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

Soy risotto with oysters and black truffles at Le Sur Mesure by Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

It depends on the city. In Paris, it would be 6pm with my team at the office at the end of a long, productive day.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A martini, always.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

I enjoy my own pool parties the best.

Who is the most positive person you know?

Milagros Schmoll, my muse. She is an Argentinian artist and international model.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

To stay in bed in the morning playing with my dog Batman when I have a thousand things to do.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

A very fine line on my arm that could only be read with a magnifying glass. It would say: “The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” (Oscar Wilde).

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A black Aston Martin DB4 Zagato.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

When I was young, I spent three years in the navy. I was honoured as a submariner.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Books about the photographer Steichen, a candle by Cire Trudon, lithospheres from Bernardaud and a big bottle of Sycomore by Chanel.

Martin Raffa was born in Argentina of Italian origin. He was the first Argentinian designer to present a collection during the haute couture shows in Paris. He now works for private clients around the world. Contact him at [email protected]

‘Like’ his page on Facebook by clicking here.

April 17, 2017
Alexander Newley – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with contemporary artist Alexander Newley

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

Eros, anger, anxiety, love – in perfect and contradictory admixture.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

When fate raises its sword to make you tremble, go forth into it and you will find bliss.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2017?

Who’s that? Cancer/Steve Bannon – basically the same thing…

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

No missing – still on target.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

I have no material wealth. Health and creativity is ALL, although I’d like some new drapes in the kitchen.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

The dollar rocketed when Trump came in. Need we say more?

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

“The UK” delivered in a peppy, north London accent and “Your call is very important to us, please stay on the line…”

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

I couldn’t agree more. Everything is a spiral: work from the centre out. I have just raised a fair bit for the St. Martin-in-the-Fields homeless charity through the auction of my paintings.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

A necessary evil. Can you imagine life before? The carousel goes faster and faster and we have to find a way to stay on it. That said, the counter-revolution: silence, mindfulness, not giving a fig is pretty good, too.

Portraits of Dominick Dunne (1925 – 2009) and Sir Nigel Hawthorne CBE (1929 – 2001) by Alexander Newley

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

Shakespeare (of course), Oscar (of course), Churchill (large brandy in hand), Chaplin (tearing tickets), my father (Anthony Newley), Sheela (my love), Ava (my daughter), Freud x2 (grandfather and grandson) and the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (for perfect Surrealism).

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

A tuna melt with ketchup, on the undercliff in Lyme Regis, watching the sun sink on a balmy summer’s eve.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

10:45am (if it be a mixture of German dessert wine and seltzer).

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

Tea please, milk, no sugar (although I want the sugar).

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

I rarely enjoy them because I don’t go to enough, and you have to invest in the social whirl before it pays back. I’m still working on that—but I did have a pretty good time at Hugh Hefner’s once.

Who is the most positive person you know?

Myself, although periodically encumbered by massive humbug.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

The occasional bout of self-love.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

A minotaur rampart on a bed of roses.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A prototype Isotta Fraschini. Only two were made and one crashed at very high speed.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I can identify almost anyone from the back; the habit of a portraitist.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

Two vases of anemonies, one tall one short.

Alexander Newley is a contemporary artist. His subjects have numbered Steven Berkoff, Christopher Reeve, Oliver Stone, Gore Vidal and Billy Wilder and his work features in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Follow him on Twitter at @alexandernewley.

April 13, 2017
Lee Brahim Murray-Lamrani (AKA ‘Lightning Lee’ and ‘The Stopwatch’)

The “mastermind of Britain’s biggest cash robbery”, “from the streets kid” and “scary son of a b**ch” Lee Murray was born in Greenwich and nicknamed (much to his displeasure) ‘The Alien’ by fellow members of what was known as the ‘Buttmarsh Boys’ gang. He “liked punching people almost at random in the street”, turned to crime in his teens and most notably received a sentence of twenty-five years in prison in 2010 for his part in the robbery of £53 million ($64.6 million, €61.1 million or درهم 237.4 million) in cash from a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent in 2006.

After what many called “the crime of avarice of the decade”, 6’3” tall Murray – a one-time rising star mixed martial arts fighter and “friend and rival” of Katie Price’s ex-husband Alex Reid – fled to Morocco (where his father had been born and attempted to claim nationality to avoid British justice) but was convicted of drugs offences in Rabat in 2007. A bid to return him to Britain in exchange for a suspected terrorist wanted in regard to the 2003 Casablanca bombings later came to nothing.

In 2011, “caged cage fighter” Murray – who is said to have fathered a child “by a woman visitor who was not his wife” inside Salé prison and was put in “the hole” for six months due to being caught with a laptop computer in his cell – was amazingly able to give an interview via text message from his cell to the Middle Easy website. In it, he claimed being in a Moroccan jail is “better than being in a UK prison any day”, thanked those who’d created ‘Free Lee Murray’ T-shirts (but claimed he’d only instead wear one saying: ‘Free OJ’) and stated: “I have no regrets on any part of my life, the way I lived my life has made me the man I am today I’ve done a lot of things a lot of other people would regret but I don’t think you should regret anything in life, just learn from it instead”.

Less than half the money stolen by Murray and his associates has ever been found and still to this day the former drug dealer, when asked, is said to state: “I was a millionaire before that heist, my friend”.

March 7, 2017
Unlikely Bedfellows

Sarah Palin’s attempt to gain the support of Julian Assange shows that conventional politics have been consigned to history

In a post Wednesday on her Facebook account, batty Sarah Palin did an about turn and apologised to Julian Assange – a man she’d described as “an anti-American operative with blood on his hands” in 2010.

In a missive to her followers, the dimmest politician on the planet stated the Wikileaks founder had “exposed the truth” about what Assange had described as “the Obama administration’s attempt to delegitimise Donald Trump”. She went on to claim the fugitive, who remains holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in Knightsbridge, had shared “important information that finally opened people’s eyes to Democrat candidates and operatives” and concluded: “This would not have been exposed were it not for Julian Assange”.

That Republican firebrand Mrs Palin said such a thing is yet another example of conventional politics being turned on its head. The election of Donald Trump and Brexit in Britain seemed bonkers but that this unhinged woman is seeking out the support of a man who is an evader of justice and a self-appointed crusader of vanity is something one simply could never have made up.

2017 looks set to be the year when the loopy people of the world unite. God help us all.

Sarah Palin’s Facebook post in full:

To Julian Assange: I apologize.

Please watch Sean Hannity’s interview with Julian Assange (Wikileaks).

Exposing the truth re: the Left having been oh-so-guilty of atrocious actions and attitudes of which they’ve falsely accused others. The media collusion that hid what many on the Left have been supporting is shocking. This important information that finally opened people’s eyes to democrat candidates and operatives would not have been exposed were it not for Julian Assange.

I apologize for condemning Assange when he published my infamous (and proven noncontroversial, relatively boring) emails years ago.

As I said at the time of being targeted and my subsequent condemnation, though, the line must be drawn before our troops or innocent lives deserving protection would be put at risk as a result of published emails.

Julian, I apologize.

Sarah Palin

P.S. If you get the chance, catch the movie “Snowden.” That movie and Hannity’s interview tonight are quite enlightening.

January 5, 2017
Daphne McKinley – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with businesswoman and founder of the Sean Edwards Foundation Daphne McKinley

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

My guiding force is my son Sean who drives me forward since his death to make real changes in motorsport in order to stop unnecessary deaths.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

Follow your heart, live by the truth, stay strong, don’t let fear get in the way and live today as tomorrow may never come.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2016?

That there is poverty in the world.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

My son.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

To have him back.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

Probably true – I think unrestrained greed was the cause of the collapse and for our current financial state which is good for the individual but not for the society in which that individual lives. I believe that the regulatory framework that has now been set up is not stringent enough and still doesn’t ensure another collapse.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

#

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

My belief is that charity should begin at himself. I believe that we should take care our family, friends, and others first before taking care of anyone else especially the old and the young.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

Get rid of them as much as you can. They fry your brain in more way then one.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

Jesus Christ, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Mozart, Van Gogh, Mohammad, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin and my family – Natasha and Jeremy Dillahunt and Jade Edwards.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

A bottle of good red wine whilst kneeling and praying for a miracle.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

After 6pm.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A martini.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

Dinners at home with family and friends as they have meaning.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My dog, Mr Darcy.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Chocolate.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

“F*** off”.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A Ferrari.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

I’m probably mad.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

The ‘Throphy wife’ by Alexander de Cadenet, candles, photos of my family, a large plant, a book titled Fuck The Resume by Jeremy Dillahunt and my daughter Jade’s film script.

Businesswoman and mother of three Daphne McKinley was born in Ireland and grew up on a stud farm. She has a broad commercial background and decades of property development experience and also founded the Sean Edwards Foundation in honour of her late son.

Follow her on Twitter at @DaphneMcKinley and the Sean Edwards Foundation at @SeanEdwardsF.

December 5, 2016
Emir Bahadir – What’s on your mantelpiece?

A 20-question interview with 25-year old New York based BHDR real estate brokerage and development firm founder Emir Bahadir

The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force?

My driving force is being able to bridge the gap between international investors and local markets. Being a member of the fifth generation of my family, my guiding force is maintaining the business standards set forth by my ancestors.

“Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

‘More is more, work smart not hard’ and ‘Well done is better than well said’.

Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2016?

This is relative depending on the realm of the industry you are in. Two of the things that I find unacceptable are dishonesty and lack of communication.

Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

I miss my high school days when I had no responsibility and was surrounded by intellectual people. Maybe this has a lot to do with my young age and my active business life, even then. I feel I never got to be reckless after graduating from high school in Switzerland and became very responsible and focused instead.

What might you swap all your wealth for?

I would swap my wealth for helping end hunger and poverty throughout the world. Most people don’t have awareness of what the world’s real needs are.

Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank”. What’s your view on the state of the financial system?

Based on that comment, that statement is truthful. Based on that statement, today the banking system is changing for the better. I believe in the short-term we will see a lot of improvements.

What phrase or word do you most loathe?

I used to think: “The worst thing in life is to end up alone”. It’s not: “The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone”. The reason why I hate this phrase is because it is so true.

In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home”. What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

Charity does start at home. Growing up, my parents emphasised the importance of charity and then it became a way of life, a routine. I have volunteered in Zambia to help build schools and teach kids. Whilst there, we also took 500 mattresses to the schools in different tribes. Today, my family’s foundation helps hundreds of children with scholarships to study and become successful members of their communities.

The judge in Law Abiding Citizen states: “I can pretty much do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

There is always a risk using any kind of technology regardless if it is security based or not. However, I think there is a strong need for technology, especially with the fast pace of the business world these days.

If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

Benjamin Franklin, Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln, Mozart and Picasso.

If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

I hope that won’t be my reality ever. However, to answer your question, I would like to eat the judge who sentenced me to death.

What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

Lunchtime usually is the time to start. However, at weekends, noon bellinis are acceptable.

A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

A martini; a very, very dirty martini.

Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

I do enjoy my own parties because I pay so much attention to the details prior. It means that, during the event itself, I can put all my energy and efforts into entertaining my guests.

Who is the most positive person you know?

My grandmother is one of the most positive people I know and my COO, Tanya, always calms me down when I get a little wound up.

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

Eating chocolate late at night.

If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

Even though I have a tattoo of the OHM sign, it does not really sum me up. I wish it did. My other one, Dum Spiro Spero (When I Breath I Hope), would be the one to describe me. I tend to hope and dream and work hard to make my dreams come true.

If you were a car, what marque would you be?

A Bentley – Fast and furious, yet classy and comfortable.

Cilla Black presented Surprise, Surprise. Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

That I am humble and relatable to is a surprise to most people. Considering my background and my current motivation to succeed on another level, people don’t expect it.

What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

I have a small sculpture by Jeff Koons.

Emir Bahadir is a 25-year old entrepreneur based in New York. He was educated at the American School in Switzerland and New York University. Bahadir is the founder and CEO of the BHDR real estate brokerage and development firm, invests in tech startup firms and is also an art collector.

Follow him on Instagram at @emirbahadir and use his own hashtag, #bahadiring

October 18, 2016