My good wishes to journalist William Cash on the news of his latest betrothal - to Venezuela-born socialite intellectual Vanessa Neumann, last seen frolicking with Mick Jagger. In ES magazine he relates the most amusing episode of his proposal to her on New Year's Day in Mustique - where else? - with novelist Jay McInerney and new wife Anne Hearst stepping in valiantly as branded name-droppees for din-dins.
All this excitement leads William - founder of Spear's Wealth Management Survey - to wonder how much a chap should spend on an engagement ring. "Tradition has it that it should be two months' salary," he informs (news to me), so I can understand why he nearly keeled over when in 2002, on a visit to a Bulgari store in Bond Street, with his now ex-wife Ilaria Bulgari (the Bulgari heiress), he was quoted £670,000 for one of the "smaller rings" in the glass cabinet. He reveals disarmingly: "I calculated I would have to write at least 5,000 pieces" to secure the bling. This is shocking. I hadn't realised that a man as preoccupied with money as Mr Cash laboured so cheaply - that works out at a mere £134 a piece. Surely this breaches minimum wage laws?
With his cute nose pressed up against the glass windows of expensive shops he cuts a rather poignant figure in my mind. Suddenly I quite like him. And let this be a warning to aspiring hacks as they dream in their colleges ...
6 comments:
Why is he a serial marrier ? and can it really be true that Taki the Greek is going to marry Mary Wakefield, both of the Spectator of that ilk ?
No, Taki is not marrying Mary. She has too much sense.
William is emotionally immature hence the many alliances with money.
He has dated Vanessa for about 5 weeks. The way he is spending his money (and what he is spending it on) he should be broke by the end of next year, just in time for his next divorce. He was broke a year ago, and only through his divorce and company sale does he have any money- and one can argue he got very little from his divorce. One wonders if Vanessa wasn't wealthy if william would have taken the plunge. The Bulgaris, I am sure, are thankful that he is out of their lives, but the Cash's may want to talk to the Stirling's, who were very happy to see the back of Vanessa when she was briefly engaged to Will Stirling. Sad to say, but Cash is actually the nicer of the two. His friends are appalled.
Interesting to hear recently from friends and press that all is not well in the 'Cash' marriage. She's upped and gone back to NY whilst he licks his wounds and prattles on to anyone who'll listen about her apparent infidelity. I'm just glad to see an end to the sickly 'I'm in Love' ES columns. This guy's life is a car crash and sadly everyone has lost interest.
I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't such a pathetic freak.
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