Each year, the Evening Standard auctions off a load of prizes on eBay, several with a City flavour. Last year, the winning item was a ping-pong game with John Varley, CEO of Barclays Bank.
That cost £10,500 ($15,000).
This year, it's even more mind-boggling as the top prize went for £14,600 ($20,000).
That was £400 ($600) more than the closing bid for a personal shopping experience with Kate Moss and Sir Philip Green.
What could top that?
A boiler room deal with Prince Harry?
A massage from Keira Knightley?
A snort with George Michael?
No.
£14,600 buys you a game of table-tennis with Michael Sherwood, co-CEO of Goldman Sachs International.
Yep, that's the same Goldman Sachs posting a $2 billion loss, their first since 1929.
Yes, that's the Goldman Sachs who are laying off staff willy-nilly.
Nothing like a bit of frivolity whilst London burns ...
... mind you, lots of other items were auctioned relevant to the City.
For example, a grand ($1500) gets you lunch with the BBC's Robert Peston.
Apparently, there are several bids around the City to find out where that lunch will take place, so that they can get Mr. Peston into the kitchens ... not to cook, but to be cooked would be the likelihood.
£460 ($700) gets you a bottle of House of Commons whisky signed by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and Chancellor, Alastair Darling. Apparently Gordie signed it "Merry Christmas" ... yea, right.
Finally, £2,000 ($3,000) gets you lunch with supermum fund manager Nicola Horlick.
Yes, that's the same Nicola Horlick whose fund, Bramdean Alternatives Ltd, just lost £13 million with Bernie Madoff.
Mind you, that's nowhere near the millions lost by the European banks, including Santander, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC.
Just goes to show it's a very, very, madoff world ...
Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...