CHAOS AT SXSW LONDON: FIST FIGHTS IN RESTAURANTS AND EXTORDIANT BREAKFASTS: A SNEAK PEEK AT THE WEEK'S NEWS FROM THE CAPITALIST
SXSW LONDON: £1K TO JOIN THE ABBA QUEUE AT THE IDEAS FESTIVAL
High-Priced Audience Absence: ABBA Icon Holds Discussion in Near-Empty Venue at SXSW London Despite £1k Ticket Holders Remaining Outside
The worldwide-renown ideas festival, SXSW, has touched down in London. Pass-holders are swarming the streets of Shoreditch, rushing to talks with global entrepreneurs, musicians like the legendary Björn from ABBA, and actors such as Idris Elba. For a whopping £1,300, the Platinum pass guarantees getting into the most exclusive gatherings, according to the website. However, snaking queues resembling Brick Lane almost a mile long suggest otherwise. "It's a shitshow," one insider admitted. An especially furious bunch of attendees queuing outside Björn's talk would have been even more infuriated to find him performing to an almost empty room, with hundreds of empty seats surrounding him. Organizational issues filling the hall meant that even the attendees who'd spent an hour waiting weren't let inside the venue in time. Luckily, we here at The Capitalist breezed right in with our VIP press pass.
HIGH-END DINING DROPS TURBOT: PRICEY CATCH PUSHING RESTAURANTS TO THE BRINK
Alas for those who still savor the finer tastes in life: an increasing number of chefs are removing the King of Fish, turbot, from their menus. Turbot is becoming too expensive to turn a profit on, with one chef telling The Telegraph that pre-pandemic he paid £18 per kilo but now it can be as much as £65. Soaring labor, energy, and shipping costs have elevated seafood prices to stratospheric heights, making expensive delicacies like turbot beyond reach for many restaurants and customers. Fortunately, some City eateries are willing to eat the cost in order to keep this celebratory fish dish on their menu. Craig Johnston, head chef at Michelin-starred Angler, shares our sentiment: "we're taking a hit for our diners, offering them the best." A noble gesture indeed.
REFORM MAKES A SCENE AT THE SHARD
Reform, an ambitious party promising to put the working class first, recently treated London journalists to a lavish crypto-themed press breakfast on the 34th floor of The Shard. The stage was set for the launch of their Cryptoassets and Digital Finance Bill, which aims to establish the UK as the world's premier hub for blockchain innovation. Exquisite English fare was on offer, complete with sausages that seemed to symbolize the UK's Brexit struggles. In the absence of Reform's leader, Nigel Farage (who was off in Las Vegas at Bitcoin 2025), party chairman Zia Yusuf shared his vision for a thriving crypto landscape without sliding into an alt-coin scam zone (perhaps they'll develop a Reformcoin one day?). To further demonstrate its commitment to cryptocurrency, Reform announced it will now accept donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital coins. We couldn't confirm what currency The Shangri-La bill was paid in.
THE HONEY OF THE CITY: LORD JOHNSON'S Buzzy Beekeeping Chronicles
City financier and Tory Party chair, Dominic Johnson, shared a spellbinding LinkedIn video of his beekeeping exploits, using a heated blade to scrape honey from a warm tray. While the mesmerizing honey extraction might have been more at home on TikTok, Johnson couldn't resist offering a political allegory. "Just like beekeeping, when the state takes too much honey, the colony perishes," he mused. A potentially valuable lesson.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: WILFRED FROST LAUNCHES MASTER INVESTOR PODCAST
Recently, renowned Sky News anchor Wilfred Frost praised his legendary father, Sir David Frost, for his ability to constantly innovate and adapt throughout his remarkable career, during which he interviewed some of the most powerful figures on the planet. Frost Jr is now carrying on the legacy, launching a new Master Investor podcast in partnership with top investor Jim Mellon. The teaser episode dropped last week, and Frost Jr tells us that he's securing some of the biggest names in finance for upcoming episodes. We'll be tuning in.
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The Cryptoassets and Digital Finance Bill, a key policy of the Reform Party, was unveiled at a lavish crypto-themed press breakfast on the 34th floor of The Shard, in an attempt to position the UK as a global leader in blockchain innovation. Meanwhile, in the world of finance and entertainment, celebrated television host Wilfred Frost has launched a new Master Investor podcast, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Sir David Frost.
City financier Dominic Johnson, now Tory Party chair, has shared a captivating LinkedIn video of his beekeeping exploits, offering a political allegory that the state taking too much honey can lead to the colony's demise. As expensive delicacies like turbot disappear from high-end dining menus due to rising costs, some Michelin-starred eateries continue to offer it to their diners at a loss, maintaining the tradition of serving this celebratory fish dish.
