View all newsletters
Have the short, sharp Spear's newsletter delivered to your inbox each week
  1. Wealth
December 3, 2012

At the Sharp End: Guy Pelly

By Spear's

The youthful nightclub entrepreneur, whose hot new nightspot Tonteria has opened on Sloane Square, and potential godfather to William and Kate’s baby allows Spear’s to sneak some questions past his doormen

Guy Pelly, the youthful nightclub entrepreneur, whose hot new nightspot Tonteria has opened on Sloane Square, allows Spear’s to sneak some questions past his doormen

Q. My greatest success in business was…
A. Creating Public nightclub from scratch.

Q. My greatest failure in business was…
A. Having the licence of Public taken away within eighteen months!

Q. What would your other career be?
A. A guide in Africa.

Q. Who is your greatest influence?
A. Nick Jones, creator of Soho House Group.

Q. What is your biggest fear?
A. Fun and laughter being cut out of my life.

Q. What is missing in the world?
A. Nuclear fusion.

Content from our partners
HSBC Global Private Banking: Revisiting your wealth plan as uncertainty abounds
Proposed non-dom changes put HNW global mobility in the spotlight
Meet the females leading in the FTSE

Q. In a year, the UK economy will be…
A. Sadly pretty similar to what it is now.

Q. Favourite hotel suite?
A. One of the Babington House suites.

Q. Is business a pleasure?
A. Total pleasure… if you are lucky to love what you do, which I do.

Q. Who makes your shirts?
A. Gieves and Hawkes usually.

Q. How many assistants do you have?
A. One that I share with my business partner.

Q. Philanthropy should be…
A. Well directed.

Q. My business mantra is…
A. Be unique.

Q. Which watch do you wear?
A. I don’t wear a watch.

Q. Who do you have on speed-dial?
A. My business partner and my three best friends.

Q. Where do you summer?
A. In a perfect world, Africa and Ibiza.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure?
A. Power ballads.

Q. When I drive, I drive…
A. With loud music on.

Q. Money lets me…
A. Have fun.

Q. Which restaurant is indispensable?
A. Santo on Portobello Road, Notting Hill.

Q. Where are you right now?
A. At my desk in my flat.

Q. Where in the world are you happiest?
A. Kenya.

Q. How did you earn your first pay cheque?
A. Picking beans.

Q. To me, wealth means…
A. Opportunity.

Q. Spear’s is sharp and to the point. I am…
A. Trying to be imaginative and creative always.

Read more interviews from At the Sharp End

Don’t miss out on the best of Spear’s articles – sign up to the Spear’s weekly newsletter

Select and enter your email address The short, sharp email newsletter from Spear’s
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network