As Rishi Sunak insists that he will remain an MP and not join the Silicon Valley gravy train, Sir Nick Clegg has demonstrated how staggeringly lucrative it can be.
I can disclose that former deputy prime minister Clegg has added to his riches by pocketing £6.1million from the sale of some of his stock holdings in Meta.
The ex-Liberal Democrat leader disposed of 13,833 shares in the American tech giant this week and last, according to stock market filings. The sale netted up to £454 per share.
It comes on top of the £8.7million worth of Meta holdings that Clegg disposed of in August. Since 2022 he has sold other shares in the firm worth around £12million, taking his total profit to £27million.
And there’s more to come, as he retains a further £13million in share options.
Clegg is president of global affairs for Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. He is said to be paid a yearly salary of more than £15million.
Having worked for Meta since 2018 and with the sale of his stock holdings, Clegg’s total earnings add up to £117million so far.
In addition, he bagged a £3.6million profit from the sale of his Californian mansion when he moved back to the UK in 2022 after a three-year stint in the US.
Nick Clegg (pictured) has added to his riches by pocketing £6.1million from the sale of some of his stock holdings in Meta, Richard Eden reports
Rishi Sunak (pictured during PMQs) has insisted that he will remain an MP and not join the Silicon Valley gravy train
Clegg is masterminding the roll-out of Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) model across the globe, but the software has hit a brick wall in Europe
Clegg is masterminding the roll-out of Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) model across the globe, but the software has hit a brick wall in Europe.
This has led the arch-Remainer to wail about regulations in his once-beloved European Union.
‘Unfortunately, we still can’t roll it out in the EU because of the regulatory uncertainty we face there,’ he said.
Clegg had previously warned sanctimoniously of a ‘disorderly’ and ‘chaotic’ exit from the EU and even published a guide entitled How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again) after the referendum.
Blanc’s British sense of humour
Having lived in Britain for more than half a century, Raymond Blanc is in no doubt as to the differences between Britain and his native France.
‘Being in England, I’ve learnt to laugh about myself,’ says the celebrated chef, who turned 75 on Tuesday.
‘Ask a French man to laugh about himself and it will be a ‘No’. It doesn’t exist unless he’s lived in England for a long time.’
Raymond Blanc pictured attending the Country & Town House’s Journey To Zero event
Grace Kelly’s iconic chocolate brown skirt
Vintage clothing is certainly on-trend right now – so imagine having access to Grace Kelly’s wardrobe?
To celebrate Monaco’s National Day on Tuesday, November 19, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, 25, wore a chocolate brown skirt suit that belonged to her grandmother, the Hollywood star who married Prince Rainier III in 1956.
Princess Grace wore the satin outfit to the same celebration in 1960.
Grace Kelly pictured on a balcony in 190 wearing the chocolate brown skirt suit
Princess Alexandra of Hanover wearing grandmother Grace Kelly’s outfit for Monaco National day
Jude Law poses for the GQ Men of the Year Awards
It’s a hard life being a film star, but Jude Law seems to be doing just fine.
The Talented Mr Ripley star, 51, looked like the cat who got the cream as he posed with Halina Reijn at the GQ Men of the Year Awards on Tuesday, held at The Roof Gardens in Kensington.
He starred with the Dutch actress in Obsession at the Barbican in 2017, and they seem to have retained their sizzling chemistry off stage.
At the time, Halina described Jude – who is married to psychologist Phillipa Coan – as ‘physical, strong’ and ‘technically talented’.
Halina Reijn and Jude Law attend the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2024 at The Roof Gardens
Tate Britain exhibition features celebrity photographer Martin Parr
Celebrated photographer Martin Parr’s images are featured prominently in Tate Britain’s new blockbuster exhibition, The 80s: Photographing Britain, which opens today.
But Parr has hit out at the Tate for adopting a ‘woke’ agenda. ‘The Tate is so woke at the moment, they probably plumped for that more hardline, Left-wing agenda of Ten.8 and Camerawork [1980s photography magazines],’ he says of their selection process for the exhibition.
The publications are indeed included. Parr gave his collection to the Tate in 2017, but how long before he is cancelled by the gallery?
Martin Parr at the opening of Photo London, the UK’s largest ever photography event
Saoirse pleased her comments humbled actors
Saoirse Ronan says her startling comments on The Graham Norton Show last month regarding women’s safety left the rest of the panel – actors Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and Denzel Washington – ‘humbled’.
In response to Mescal questioning whether someone would have time to take out their phone to use as a weapon when being attacked – something Redmayne learned in self-defence training for a role – the Little Women star said, to applause: ‘That’s what girls have to think about all the time.’
Speaking about the men’s reactions on the Table Manners podcast, Saoirse, 30, says:
‘They were very humbled… I’m incredibly refreshed and proud that we’re actually talking about this and we can do it in a calm manner.’
Saoirse Ronan at the 2024 ELLE Women In Hollywood Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles