Simon Murray is a straight talker. That is the best that can be said for the interview given by the new chairman of the Switzerland-based commodities company Glencore this week. After describing his native England as “economically absolutely shambolic” the 71-year-old gave his crusty opinions on women’s attitudes to work.
“Women are quite as intelligent as men,” Mr Murray told The Sunday Telegraph. “They have a tendency not to be so involved quite often and they’re not as ambitious in business as men because they have better things to do. Quite often they like bringing up their children and all sorts of other things.”
That, unmistakably, is the voice of the taipan – one of the British businessmen who rose to the top of the Hong Kong hongs such as Jardine Matheson and Swire in the 20th century, and looks back at the old country with contempt. “You can’t say that,” his scandalised audience thinks as the old boy expounds on how things have gone downhill, but he does.