Money
Making money
You can't take it with you - Philip Green's lavish party
You've worked, you've saved, you've invested wisely and, well, now you have a little money in hand. Why not spend it? After all money can't buy you happiness, but it might buy you a little fun, writes Julian Champkin
Spend it on what? Nothing too frivolous, nothing too extravagant. Perhaps a picnic on the beach. Maybe throw a party. Perhaps a surprise party, like the one you will recall Sir Philip Green threw for his 55th birthday in March, which included a picnic on the beach. It wasn't quite Blackpool beach, though.
Sir Philip, of course, owns Topshop, and he has a bob or two for a party. One-hundred and fifty-odd guests were invited. They were told only to turn up at Stansted airport, to set aside five days for the business, and to 'bring shorts'. The rest they would find out when they got there.
Was a private jet waiting for them at Stansted? Oh no: nothing so vulgar. Two private jets were waiting - or, according to some press reports, three. The guests were flown off to Mahe in the Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, where they transferred to a seaplane. They ended up on a private tropical Indian Ocean island which just happens to be owned by an Old Etonian friend of David Cameron's. It describes itself as "the simple original 'Robinson Crusoe' environment", though since it has seven restaurants and bars for its 65 guest cabins, since its 'Jungle Reserve Suite' features a private gym and a treehouse from which guests can descend on a waterslide into their own private pool, and since faxes are delivered in specially-constructed designer bamboo containers, Robinson Crusoe might have felt himself a little bewildered. He might also have had trouble finding the £2,000 a night the most expensive rooms cost.
The beach picnic, on the birthday itself, was on a neighbouring island, an uninhabited one. Then back to the slightly-more-inhabited island one for the party. A 35-foot granite statue of Buddha had been specially erected at one end of the dancefloor, (the locals are Muslims, not Buddhist, and were reported to be a little upset), while Sir Philip held court at the other.
Three concert stages were set up, one at each end of the island and one in the middle. Topless dancers circulated (another reported upset to the sensibilities of the locals) before, during and after the firework show. Entertainers were laid on, in the form of J-Lo and George Michael who were both specially imported to sing to the guests. George Michael left the island as soon as his gig was over. The bill for his one-night-only appearance was said to be £750,000. And armed guards patrolled the shore to keep out gatecrashers - though you would have had to be some gatecrasher to fly 8,000 miles without an invitation.
It wasn't one of those parties where the invitation ends 'P.B.A.B. - Please Bring a Bottle.' Bottles were provided - at the rate of 30 bottles of champagne per head, 3,000 in all. Estimated cost: a mere £20 million and, according to the Daily Mail at least, most of the A-list celebs rumoured to have been invited didn't turn up. Kate Moss, Simon Cowell, and Jemima Khan were all mentioned, but did not appear.
Ah, poor little rich boy. We hope it didn't spoil his day.
