Cashing in with a hedge fund? In 2010? Really? In this climate, is offering increased access to politicians really ethical? For many it's going to appear as though Blair is helping the troubled hedge fund industry to gain additional power and support inside the political machine. Helping a hedge fund receive more beneficial treatment after cashing in on the fall of the British banks is not likely to be viewed positively but he doesn't care as long as the cash arrives. He hasn't had any issues working for JP Morgan, so this is not much more of a stretch.
The real Blair shows more and more every day. It's always about Tony Blair and nothing or no one else.
Tony Blair will add to the riches he has made since leaving office after agreeing to become a paid speaker for Lansdowne Partners, a London-based hedge fund managed by a major Tory party donor.
Blair will give some private speeches to staff of the Mayfair-based fund this year, potentially earning him hundreds of thousands of pounds, it has emerged.
The former prime minister's spokesman declined to comment on his fees, although he is reported to earn as much as £180,000 for 90 minutes for his thoughts on geopolitical matters in countries from Spain to the Philippines. That works out at about £2,000 a minute.
