
Are we worth it?
An expensive acquaintance
In early 2006 I was at the wedding of a good friend in the home town
of his bride outside Chicago. At the reception I sat next to the bride’s
charming aunt, Mrs Straw. Mrs Straw had lived in the small town all her
life and her husband was a couple of years from retiring from the local
sub-supplier for one of the Detroit auto companies. She had not worked
for a decade. Soon the conversation turned to what I did for a living.
‘I work at an investment management company,’ I said.
‘Oh, interesting. Like a mutual fund?’ she asked.
‘Sort of. It’s called a hedge fund but it is quite similar in many ways.’ ...