Market herd’s greed will keep me in business: Steve Sedgwick

Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Skyscrapers including the Lloyd’s of London headquarters; the Leadenhall building, also known as ‘the Cheesegrater’; and 30 St Mary Axe, also known as ‘the Gherkin’ in London, U.K.

I know I don’t look old enough but this summer will mark my thirty years in the City of London.

It was back in 1988 that I first stepped on to the trading floor of Kleinwort Benson at 20 Fenchurch Street and I’d like to think that that day was the start of a steep learning curve. A curve which I’m still on, by the way.

One of the early lessons that senior traders, and then more latterly senior journalists, tried to teach me was how to spot a rat. Rats come in various shapes and sizes but one’s ability to spot one early enough to act upon does tend to ensure longevity in the cut throat Square Mile.

From Nick Leeson blowing up Barings to Marconi’s slow-motion car crash, from Iceland becoming the world’s most dangerous hedge fund to cryptocurrencies, some impending disasters are easier to spot than others.

Of course I’m not pretending to have either dealt perfectly upon all of these hiccups in the early days or shown great reporting prescience more latterly every time a rat comes along, but sometimes you just can’t fail to get a win.