1. Wealth
November 2, 2010

At the Sharp End: Robert Gaines-Cooper

By Spear's

Entrepreneur and scourge of HMRC Robert Gaines-Cooper faces the Spear’s questionnaire

Entrepreneur and scourge of HMRC Robert Gaines-Cooper faces the Spear’s questionnaire

Q What would your other career be?
A I would have enjoyed being a star like my co-shareholder Tom Jones.

Q Who is your greatest influence?
A My mother — she told me to go into business for myself.

Q What is your biggest fear?
A A major downturn in my shareholders’ fortunes.

Q What is missing in the world?
A These days, honesty and fair play.

Q In a year, the UK economy will be…
A …still challenging, but hopefully following in Singapore’s footsteps.

Q How many assistants do you have?
A A sufficiency.

Content from our partners
How Guernsey’s private trustee structures can protect assets 
Luštica Bay: The Adriatic's most coveted address
AI, growth and public policy: What is the future for Britain?

Q Who makes your shirts?
A I don’t believe clothes maketh the man.

Q Philanthropy should be…
A Discreet.

Q My business mantra is…
A Don’t plan profitability — plan success.

Q Which watch do you wear?
A Omega(s).

Q Where do you summer?
A On the Tweed in Scotland.

Q Favourite hotel suite?
A Banyan Tree, Mahe, Seychelles.

Q What is your guilty pleasure?
A Breadfruit chips.

Q When I drive, I drive…
A Tropicalised Rolls-Royces and Mercedes.

Q Money lets me…
A Save lives. Our Laryngeal Mask Airway has been used in over 300 million operations.

Q My greatest success in business was…
A Floating Orthofix on Nasdaq.

Q My greatest failure in business was…
A Caused by the threat of secession of Quebec from Canada.

Q Which restaurant is indispensable?
A Food on Singapore Airlines.

Q Where in the world are you happiest?
A In the Seychelles with my family.

Q How did you earn your first pay cheque?
A Selling hamsters with a school friend.

Q To me, wealth means…
A My luck has not yet run out!

Q Spear’s is sharp and to the point. I am…
A Tenacious and hard-working.

Photography by Acuity Reputation



At the Sharp End is sponsored by KPMG

Websites in our network