mitt romney

On your high horse: behind the scenes of dressage

October 31, 2014

Racing? So passé. Eventing? So last season. Dressage is the equestrian sport getting the wealthy chomping at the bit, and more newcomers than ever are ready to spend big to get involved.

Those who followed Republican Mitt Romney’s run for the 2012 US presidential elections will remember the multi-millionaire’s bumbling attempts to connect with the working classes. So imagine the Democrats’ glee when it emerged his wife was the co-owner of a million-dollar dressage horse, Rafalca, which was preparing to compete at the London Olympic Games. The couple, it emerged during the campaign trail, spent $77,000 (€61,300) annually on the German-bred mare – $50,000 more than the average US salary.

The new gilded age

November 1, 2012

In capitalism, wealth surges to the top but only trickles to the bottom, as was illustrated between 1870 and 1900 when a band of US industrialists became enriched beyond the realms of avarice.

Over the last 30 years, the scale of wealth enjoyed by entrepreneurs, friends and families has grown further and faster.

The multi-billion-dollar question is whether the hunger and envy that led to uprisings in late 19th century America is set to repeat itself.

Romney is better for family businesses, poll

September 27, 2012

Mitt Romney might be struggling to engage with certain sections of the US electorate, but one group prefer him much more than Barack Obama – family businesses.