The Most Charming Man In Washington
A profile of Yousef Al Otaiba, the Ambassador for the United Arab Emirates to Washington, by many accounts a supreme political operator who has access at the highest echelons of US government.
Chairman of Everything
A profile of China’s leader that makes makes an unusual comparison – to Phillip II of Spain, “on whose desk in a palace near Madrid all the problems of his 16th-century empire landed”. An insight into the very highest echelons of Chinese political life.
The Most Potent, Permanent and Elusive Figure in British Politics
A fascinating January 2016 profile of Jeremy Heywood, the man heading the UK civil service. He has been an instrumental part of government during the reign of the last three Prime Ministers, and reportedly has a seat at every table that matters.
Top Gun
A 2003 profile of Gaston Glock, the inventor of one of the most widely used handguns in the world, and something of an unusual character.
The Art of Larry Gagosian’s Empire
A revealing profile of one of the preeminent art dealers of our times, estimated to sell over one billion dollars of art each year.
The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign Policy Guru
A fascinating peek behind the scenes in the Obama White House, through a profile of one of his key speechwriters.
Homo Orbanicus
A look at how Viktor Orban has created an autocracy in Hungary, a “Fuhrer democracy” at the heart of Europe. Orban was re-elected with a large majority a few days after this article was published.
David Foster Wallace on John McCain: “The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys and the Shrub”
David Foster Wallace spent a week with the late Senator John McCain during his 2000 Republican presidential primary battle against George W. Bush for this perceptive and nuanced profile.
Dacre’s Paper
Look past the provocative headline and you find an indignant, coruscating profile of The Daily Mail and its pugnacious editor Paul Dacre.