How the self-described 'mighty' have fallen. It was a month ago when we first heard [2] of this mysterious British FX trader who dropped $300k in a Liverpudlian nightclub on a bottle of champagne that weighed more than the models he was 'dating' that night. The 'talented, charismatic, and likable' Alex Hope has been arrested by London's Financials Services Authority (FSA) in connection with an investigation into a suspected unauthorized FX trading scheme [3]. As City A.M reports [4] this morning, Hope's publicist confirms he is the 23 year old in question - though he 'obviously' denies all allegations. The schadenfreude on London's FX 'trading' desks (as opposed to bucket-shop retail-mauling FX 'brokerage' shops) is palpable from what we hear as 'it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy' echoes off the City's pub ceilings. As yet no charges have been filed - we await with baited breath for the sad truth to be outed.
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