The villain in the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale, is a private banker. This will not come as a surprise to many IFAs who view private bankers as one of their natural competitors.
The private banker in question, Le Chiffre, acts as a banker to numerous terrorist groups. He also tries to profit from terrorist actions by selling short stocks of companies that are about to be attacked. Even though this has effectively been made as the first-ever Bond film, it is topical in having not only a prominent private banker but also hedge fund investment techniques at the centre at the plot. Of course, private bankers would no doubt be keen to stress that their discrete and personal banking services are as far removed as it is possible to be from the high profile and corrupt L...
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