"In the contest for economic supremacy between the US and China, 'we’ve already lost,' Blackstone chairman Stephen Schwarzman said on Thursday night. 'China is creating 10 million jobs a year. The US has been flat,' Schwarzman told the crowd at the China Arts Foundation dinner at Le Cirque.
Schwarzman said he is afraid Americans will start blaming the Chinese for their economic malaise, having already condemned financial institutions and the dreaded One Percent. To foster better relations between East and West, Schwarzman launched Schwarzman Scholars, which will send worthy American college graduates to Tsinghua University in Beijing, much as Rhodes Scholars go to Oxford University in Britain. Steven C. Rockefeller Jr. — whose family donated a huge collection of Chinese porcelains to the Metropolitan Museum of Art — was also applauded by dinner host Angela Chen, Fortune magazine’s Andrew Serwer and George Landegger of Parsons Whitman Capital." (Richard Johnson)
"Howard Stern celebrated his 60th birthday in trademark excessive style at Hammerstein Ballroom Friday. Among celebs high and low, Gov. Chris Christie reminded everyone the Super Bowl is in New Jersey, 'on the left side of the Hudson River.' He then introduced 'one of Jersey’s favorite sons,' Jon Bon Jovi, who played 'Dead or Alive.' Emcee Jimmy Kimmel cracked, 'Howard had the same effect on broadcasting that Picasso had on art . . . [he’s] the most profoundly self-obsessed person on the planet . . . we know everything about him, even his penis size.' Guests included Robert Downey Jr., Steven Tyler, Larry King, Robert Kraft, Rosie O’Donnell, Harvey Weinstein, David Spade, Steve Tisch, Johnny Knoxville, Joan Rivers, Dave Grohl and Tracy Morgan." (PageSix)
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"Another very cold day, yesterday in New York with midnight temperatures in the low teens. It was a bright and sunny frigid day; and it was Wednesday so it was Michael’s. I had been there the day before and while it was just about fully reserved, it was sedate. Yesterday it was back to its popular pandemonium. The roar of the crowd. I was lunching with Ambassador John Loeb. Across the way from us Rikki Klieman (Mrs. Bill Bratton) was lunching with Norah O’Donnell. At the Table One in the bay, Bonnie Fuller and Gerry Byrne of Penske Media were holding one of their Wednesday lunches with cross-section of New York media including Christine Romans of CNN, Jill Zarin of “New York Housewives,” PR guru Maury Rogoff, Chris Ariens of Mediabistro, Michael’s Mayor and veteran media wiz, Joe Armstrong, Paul Sinclaire of Joe Fresh, Brian Balthazar of AOL, Samara Finn of Marina Mahar Commuications. Next door Real Estate Brokers to the billionaires Eva Mohr and Serena Boardman were lunching with a friend. Andrew Stein was lunching with James Tobak and Montel Williams. At the corner table, Gayle King of CBS This Morning; next door, uber-literary agent Esther Newberg. Across from her: Da Boyze (minus one), Dr. Imber, Messrs Kramer, Greenfield and Bergman. Next door to me, Self magazine’s Lucy Danizer. Around the room: Andrew Ross Sorkin and guests; Joan Gelman with Joan Hamberg and Robert Zimmerman; next to them Judy Price of National Jewelry Institute and Barbara Cirkva; Gordon Davis and Diane Coffey; Estee Lauder’s Alexandra Trower; Dini von Mueffling; Adam Platzner of Cornelius Capital who went to school with John Loeb’s son Nicholas Loeb, creator and marketer of 'Onion Crunch.'" (NYSocialDiary)
"Gary Shteyngart was sipping a vodka tonic in a roomful of writers at PowerHouse Arena in Dumbo last night. It was a particularly cold evening, so I asked him how the weather in New York compared to St. Petersburg, where Mr. Shteyngart was born. 'This is getting close,' said Mr. Shteyngart, who emigrated to the United States at age seven, as he details in his new memoir, Little Failure. 'We’re not there yet. It should be closer to zero, but we’re getting there.' 'I like coldness,' Mr. Shteyngart added. 'I come home, I snuggle with myself. It’s important.' How does one go about fighting the cold, though? 'I would set parts of myself on fire,' Mr. Shteyngart said dryly. 'These hipster boots are very flammable,' he told me, gesturing at the pair of grey sneakers he was wearing.
What are those—Vans? 'I don’t know,' he said. 'Some bullshit.' Mr. Shteyngart was playing host at a party organized by the PEN American Center to celebrate those who published books in 2013. 'Who knew there was a market for literary memoirs?' Mr. Shteyngart said of his own book. 'Jesus Christ. What’s wrong with this planet?'" (Observer)
"If a catastrophic avalanche were to crush the Davos convention hall where the fat cats of this world were meeting recently, I’m afraid there would be a lot of discreet raising of glasses by many so-called populists, who are basically envious 'haves' that have plenty but don’t particularly like people who have more than they do ... 'There is nothing wrong with inherited wealth unless one uses it to make other people unhappy.' Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder, is a serious man who means well and tries to keep the bling and glitz out of his forum, but with people such as Sean Parker throwing nonstop parties in order to self-promote, his is a Sisyphean task. It now costs 70,000 greenbacks just to be invited to attend meetings in Davos, and you’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay this amount just to be able to say they were there. Basically the people who do this try to network with bigger fish, and there are even some who go there just to attend gatherings not under the auspices of WEF. I remember the American tycoon Barry Diller stopping over in Gstaad on his way there some years ago and sort of boasting what his next destination was. When I asked him how much he had paid for the invite, he didn’t look best pleased; neither did his yes men.
Still, the WEF is a good thing and many good people attend it and the world’s economy is better off for it. No matter how the envious types wish for the avalanche to hit, there will always be those richer and more fortunate, either through their intellectual capabilities, their hard work, their luck, or—dare I say—their background." (Taki)
"On Saturday, January 25th, 2013, more than 250 guests gathered at the Pierre Hotel in New York City for the 54th Annual Quadrille Ball, one of the few white tie events and an annual staple of the New York Ball Season. This year’s honoree, Mr. Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner of Meyer Werft, has earned an international reputation for the construction of large, modern cruise ships including Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines. His newest and largest ship, the Norwegian Getaway, just came to port in time to host more than 4000 visitors for the Super Bowl. Ball guests included the German Consul General, New York, Busso von Alvensleben and his wife Maria-Theresia, the Rector of Technical University of Dortmund and head of the Board of Trustees of Krupp Foundation Prof. Dr. Ursula Gather, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Mrs. Angela Kane, the CEO of the German American Chamber of Commerce Dietmar Rieg, Count Victor Dijon von Monteton with his wife Katharina, the President of the Germanistic Society of America, Prof. Dr. Barbara Elling, and Quadrille Ball Committee Chair Irmintraud Jost. They all enjoyed silent auction, cocktails, dinner and dancing until 4AM. The highlight of the evening was the traditional performance of the Quadrille, a 17th century court dance, performed by twenty pairs of young professionals. The Alex Donner Orchestra provided the musical backdrop for the evening. Mr. von Alvensleben also celebrated his Birthday that night along with Quadrille Benefactor David W. Detjen. " (NYSocialDiary)
"If a catastrophic avalanche were to crush the Davos convention hall where the fat cats of this world were meeting recently, I’m afraid there would be a lot of discreet raising of glasses by many so-called populists, who are basically envious 'haves' that have plenty but don’t particularly like people who have more than they do ... 'There is nothing wrong with inherited wealth unless one uses it to make other people unhappy.' Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder, is a serious man who means well and tries to keep the bling and glitz out of his forum, but with people such as Sean Parker throwing nonstop parties in order to self-promote, his is a Sisyphean task. It now costs 70,000 greenbacks just to be invited to attend meetings in Davos, and you’d be surprised how many people are willing to pay this amount just to be able to say they were there. Basically the people who do this try to network with bigger fish, and there are even some who go there just to attend gatherings not under the auspices of WEF. I remember the American tycoon Barry Diller stopping over in Gstaad on his way there some years ago and sort of boasting what his next destination was. When I asked him how much he had paid for the invite, he didn’t look best pleased; neither did his yes men.
Still, the WEF is a good thing and many good people attend it and the world’s economy is better off for it. No matter how the envious types wish for the avalanche to hit, there will always be those richer and more fortunate, either through their intellectual capabilities, their hard work, their luck, or—dare I say—their background." (Taki)
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Consul General Busso von Alvensleben and David
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"On Saturday, January 25th, 2013, more than 250 guests gathered at the Pierre Hotel in New York City for the 54th Annual Quadrille Ball, one of the few white tie events and an annual staple of the New York Ball Season. This year’s honoree, Mr. Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner of Meyer Werft, has earned an international reputation for the construction of large, modern cruise ships including Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines. His newest and largest ship, the Norwegian Getaway, just came to port in time to host more than 4000 visitors for the Super Bowl. Ball guests included the German Consul General, New York, Busso von Alvensleben and his wife Maria-Theresia, the Rector of Technical University of Dortmund and head of the Board of Trustees of Krupp Foundation Prof. Dr. Ursula Gather, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Mrs. Angela Kane, the CEO of the German American Chamber of Commerce Dietmar Rieg, Count Victor Dijon von Monteton with his wife Katharina, the President of the Germanistic Society of America, Prof. Dr. Barbara Elling, and Quadrille Ball Committee Chair Irmintraud Jost. They all enjoyed silent auction, cocktails, dinner and dancing until 4AM. The highlight of the evening was the traditional performance of the Quadrille, a 17th century court dance, performed by twenty pairs of young professionals. The Alex Donner Orchestra provided the musical backdrop for the evening. Mr. von Alvensleben also celebrated his Birthday that night along with Quadrille Benefactor David W. Detjen. " (NYSocialDiary)
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