Goldman Sachs Returns to Monaco

 

File this under things that make sense.

New York-based multinational investment firm Goldman Sachs is setting up shop again in Monaco, expanding operations for HNWI's as part of its “regionalization strategy”.

Many of the world's super-wealthy own a home in Monaco, where almost a third of its 39,000 residents are millionaires.

The lush Mediterranean playground, which covers an area smaller than New York’s Central Park, doesn’t typically impose taxes on income or capital gains and is the scene for the famous Monaco Grand Prix and one of the biggest luxury yachts shows around. 

The American financial services company reportedly received approval last month and will re-establish a private wealth unit branch here, six years after it closed a former location.

Two Barclay’s veterans, Arnaud Caussin and Thibaut Lambert will be in charge of the new office, and wealth advisor Serge Olive will also be joining them from the British bank.

The company’s private-wealth unit has added numerous key advisers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in recent years as part of a strategy outlined by Chief Executive Officer David Solomon to make one of the world’s largest banks less reliant on trading.

“The opening of our presence in Monaco is critical to delivering on our regionalization strategy and overall growth plan,” Chris French, co-head of private-wealth management for EMEA, said in the statement. “Monaco represents a significant jurisdiction for our Private Wealth business in Europe.”

The return of Goldman Sachs to Monaco puts them in good company, joining other global institutions such as UBS Group and Citigroup.

In February 2020, Swiss private bank Pictet opened a banking branch in Monaco in response to rising demand from the region’s private clients.

Goldman joins global banks including Citigroup Inc. and UBS Group AG in having a presence in Monaco. Revenue at Goldman’s wealth-management and consumer unit rose 25% to $7.5 billion in 2021 from a year earlier. It had about $751 billion of assets under supervision at year-end.

LGBTQ Cote d'Azur Yacht Charter Holiday

Word on the street in the French Riviera of late has been that summer 2022 is going to be a big one.

With all kinds of Covid19 restrictions currently being lifted globally, including here in France, every indication through my business partners, emails, messages, and DM’s from clients suggests that although last summer was a very good one, most everyone will be traveling in full force this upcoming season.

Anticipation and expectations are high. And compared to last summer when people were booking their holidays very last minute since restrictions could change practically on a whim, there is now more of an air of positivity to be felt when it comes to travel.

Honestly, at the moment it feels like before the pandemic hit, with people booking their vacations months ahead again to be sure everything is ready to go and so that they won’t be disappointed to find their favorite luxury villas or the location they love are fully booked out.

I thought since part of this article was already on my business blog last year, I’d update it here as an option for those of us in the LGBTQ community as well.

When planning a holiday, we all love to have our choices open and available in hopes that we will have both a relaxing and entertaining time away, but most of all, it’s about a memorable experience.

For just over the past 11 years, clients have come to us at Experience The French Riviera for luxury villa rental options, which we are more than happy to provide.

 

We have found clients generally want to be in the prime areas of the French Riviera so that they can be close to all local amenities that enable them to indulge upon their every whim while on vacation.

Since Covid19 was thrust upon us, this means life, in general, had changed for the moment and we have already seen how the villa rental world is evolving with what has all taken place in the past couple of years.

Without hesitation, as soon as borders opened, many who booked a property rental last season but who had to cancel due to the Coronavirus situation have been able to carry that stay over to this summer, meaning rental stock became low immediately after travel restrictions started to be lifted yet new requests still had to be filled.

For us, since we have over 60 partners throughout France that we work with, this has been a benefit when seeking out a villa rental. Of late, we have also started to suggest other alternatives, that maybe even our guests haven’t considered and that will offer the “Wow” factor for their trip.

One of them is, how about a yacht charter rental for your holiday stay?

The Cote d’Azur is known worldwide for its yachting industry and we are well connected within it. In this part of the globe, as many will attest to, yachts come in a variety of styles and sizes to suit the requirements of everyone.

Best of all, on a holiday yacht charter, you can wake up in a different location along the French Riviera every day if you choose while exploring numerous natural settings within a short amount of time. More so than one would with staying in one place at a villa and from a new vantage point, and always with a magnificent sea view.

Like luxury villa rentals, rates and services can be very much the same, only on a yacht, you are more mobile.

Want to check out a specific cove, beach, or diving area? Want to taste the local cuisine at a seaside restaurant? Need to do a little shopping? Let your captain take you where you want to go.

The calming clear blue Mediterranean Sea will consistently soothe your senses both day and night while also providing you with the utmost social distancing benefits with no worries of unexpected guests stopping by to interrupt your private holiday stay.

With those few ideas, we’d like to introduce you to Inge Nielsen, founder of the Inge Nielsen Collection. Curator of spectacular moments at Inge Nielsen Collection.

Not only is Inge an exceptional business partner in the villa rental industry but she is also an expert in the yachting world. With 10+ years of experience, able to offer all the aspects and services one might not even be aware of when chartering a yacht.

Together, as in what we do daily in the realm of luxury villa rentals, we will work as your team with you directly on how you envision your yacht charter stay looking, with everything from the gourmet food and drink choices, locations to discover on your journey, to the suitable size of the yacht charter you will require so that everything is responsibly set up for the minute you arrive in the Cote d’Azur.

Let our combined years of experience and services make your yacht charter holiday wishes come true.

Connect with us today.

Lou Queernaval 2022

 

 

Cancellations and Covid19. Both have been going hand in hand with life as we all know it for the past couple of years.

Finally, after the past two years of cancellations due to Covid19 and the pandemic, perhaps not quite at its usual full tilt, but still happening. Queernaval will be making its LGBTQ presence known at this year’s carnival on opening night.

We are pleased to announce the participation of a delegation of Queernaval at the opening ceremony of Carnival 2022 on Friday, February 11 at 6:30 pm on the Place Masséna.

A small but strong contingent of entertainers will be on hand: gogo dancers, drag queens, members of LGBT associations in costume ... who will parade among King, Queen, and their entourage, flowered floats, flag bearers, musical troops, dancers, and visitors.

Celebrating diversity and tolerance among everyone, you will see an array of sequins and rhinestones attached to some of the most amazing costumes along with rainbow flags, a feeling of extravagance, and a surge of happiness and love for all.

 

Lasting one hour, this free ceremony is the official kick-off of the Carnival of Nice with an outstanding sound and light show.

 

Information:

Tickets are to be collected at the Ticket Office of the Paillon - Promenade du Paillon from 10 am to 6 pm (except on 6/02) and on 11/02 until 7 pm.
Access to the grandstand: Zone A only.

For any further information please consult the following link: https://www.nicecarnaval.com/programme-officiel

The participation of this delegation will give all the spectators a forecast of what will be in store for Queernaval 2023!

Sunset Nice Bar & Restaurant

It takes a lot of balls to open up a restaurant during a pandemic but if anyone can do it, it’s the owners of Le Sunset Nice.

When Covid19 hit France and the lockdowns went into effect in the middle of March 2020, the owners of L'Omega Club had to temporarily shut their doors to the public.

As time went on and as restrictions started to be eased, the same people associated with the nightclub, used their entrepreneurial skills and opened Sunset Nice on the edge of Vieux Nice along the famous Promenade des Anglais.

Although still limited in their capacity of what they wanted to provide customers at first, they followed the Covid19 guidelines set into place and were allowed to serve a variety of drinks and take away food items out front of their establishment.

Quickly, Sunset Nice became known as a safe gathering place for those both in and out of the LGBTQ community to meet up outside and garner at least a small amount of human interaction during the pandemic.

Becoming increasingly popular while restrictions continued to be lifted. Before long, Sunset Nice was the place to hang out both day and night and still is today.

Given its prime location, The Prom (as us locals call it), is always active with people strolling by or heading to the beach, and with the opening of Sunset Nice, things just became that much more positive and brighter during Covid times.

The bar-brasserie-restaurant offers more than delicious drinks and a wide range of splendid food items at reasonable prices to enjoy. Here, it’s not unusual for a cabaret night to take place, a DJ to spin music alongside the crowd, or for the most memorable occasional outdoor drag show to happen.

You can sense the enthusiasm behind the owners, with a fresh, ever-changing menu to go with the seasons, and a happy, attitude-free environment, Sunset Nice is a welcoming venue for everyone to enjoy.

As a side note: L’Omega Club was still able to open when the lockdowns got lifted during the pandemic and will be open again this month. Très excité !


Photos courtesy of Sunset Nice