Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
Open side navigation menuOpen search bar
Financial Times
SubscribeSign In
  • Home
  • World
    Sections
    • World Home
    • Middle East war
    • Global Economy
    • UK
    • US
    • China
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Markets
    • Europe
    • War in Ukraine
    • Americas
    • Middle East & North Africa
    Most Read
    • The UK should press ahead with the inevitable on tax
    • Linda Yaccarino steps down as chief executive of X
    • Britain, France and the necessary relationship
    • Dutch pension funds set to sell €125bn of government bonds
    • Nvidia becomes first company to reach $4tn in market value
  • UK
    Sections
    • UK Home
    • UK Economy
    • UK Politics
    • UK Companies
    • Personal Finance
    Most Read
    • The UK should press ahead with the inevitable on tax
    • Britain, France and the necessary relationship
    • Don’t believe the myth: Britain’s services have been hit hard by Brexit
    • UK landlords quit sector as number of homes to let falls, survey says
    • Reeves to launch permanent mortgage guarantee scheme
  • Companies
    Sections
    • Companies Home
    • Energy
    • Financials
    • Health
    • Industrials
    • Media
    • Professional Services
    • Retail & Consumer
    • Tech Sector
    • Telecoms
    • Transport
    Most Read
    • Linda Yaccarino steps down as chief executive of X
    • Moët Hennessy sexual harassment case shines light on company’s culture
    • F1 boss Christian Horner sacked from Red Bull Racing
    • Dutch pension funds set to sell €125bn of government bonds
    • Nvidia becomes first company to reach $4tn in market value
  • Tech
    Sections
    • Tech Home
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Semiconductors
    • Cyber Security
    • Social Media
    Most Read
    • Linda Yaccarino steps down as chief executive of X
    • Nvidia becomes first company to reach $4tn in market value
    • Musk’s Grok AI chatbot praises Hitler on X
    • Revolut in talks to raise new funding at $65bn valuation
    • Europe just years away from uncrewed fighter jets, says defence start-up Helsing
  • Markets
    Sections
    • Markets Home
    • Alphaville
    • Markets Data
    • Crypto
    • Capital Markets
    • Commodities
    • Currencies
    • Equities
    • Monetary Policy Radar
    • Wealth Management
    • Moral Money
    • ETF Hub
    • Fund Management
    • Trading
    Most Read
    • The UK should press ahead with the inevitable on tax
    • Dutch pension funds set to sell €125bn of government bonds
    • Nvidia becomes first company to reach $4tn in market value
    • Revolut in talks to raise new funding at $65bn valuation
    • A new twist on an old bet with Buffett
  • Climate
  • Opinion
    Sections
    • Opinion Home
    • Columnists
    • The FT View
    • The Big Read
    • Lex
    • Obituaries
    • Letters
    Most Read
    • The UK should press ahead with the inevitable on tax
    • Britain, France and the necessary relationship
    • Don’t believe the myth: Britain’s services have been hit hard by Brexit
    • Why carmakers need to bring back buttons
    • Manchester prepares to welcome home Oasis
  • Lex
  • Work & Careers
    Sections
    • Work & Careers Home
    • Business School Rankings
    • Business Education
    • Europe's Start-Up Hubs
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Recruitment
    • Business Books
    • Business Travel
    • Working It
    Most Read
    • Memo from Paris: Simon Kuper takes a dip in the Seine
    • TALA founder: ‘We weren’t going to make payroll — so I sold my car’
    • Networking hots up in the yoga studio
    • Hot tickets: the rise of London’s day-festival scene   
    • How to make work more fun
  • Life & Arts
    Sections
    • Life & Arts Home
    • Arts
    • Books
    • Food & Drink
    • FT Magazine
    • House & Home
    • Style
    • Puzzles
    • Travel
    • FT Globetrotter
    Most Read
    • Why carmakers need to bring back buttons
    • Manchester prepares to welcome home Oasis
    • Lululemon vs Costco: the fashion copycat fight
    • The return of the superstar pianist
    • Salade Niçoise, but make it spicy
  • HTSI
MenuSearch
  • Home
  • World
  • UK
  • Companies
  • Tech
  • Markets
  • Climate
  • Opinion
  • Lex
  • Work & Careers
  • Life & Arts
  • HTSI
Financial Times
SubscribeSign In

James Max

Property expert and radio presenter

James Max, a former investment banker with Morgan Stanley, was a candidate on the first ever British TV series of the The Apprentice, making the semi-final before he heard the words “you’re fired”. He has presented current affairs radio shows for the BBC, LBC and TalkSPORT and TalkRADIO. A former board member of BNP Paribas’ UK real estate business, he currently acts as an adviser to Stanhope, and is a trustee of the Royal Albert Hall.

@thejamesmax  on Twitter (link opens in a new browser window)
  • Thursday, 10 July, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    What makes a great party?

    Forget chandeliers in trees and expensive portable toilets, the perfect event is about good times and human chemistry

    Illustration of a table with party canapés, drinks and candles, in a room with an elegant lamp, a string of decorations, and a dog wearing a party hat
  • Friday, 30 May, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsPersonal Finance
    How rich is rich, anyway?

    Earning a six-figure salary is enough for the government to strip you of benefits and allowances — but it hardly makes you wealthy

    Illustration of a woman in an open top car racing a man on horseback with a boat sailing by and a palm tree in the background
  • Saturday, 26 April, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Is my pool really the problem?

    Water companies forcing pool owners to splash out more would signal the latest drift from regulation to retribution

  • Saturday, 29 March, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    You can’t grow an economy by crushing aspiration

    Few will weep for second-home owners paying extra council tax — but the successful know when they’re not wanted

  • Friday, 21 February, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Is it any wonder more Europeans don't buy American cars?

    They’re boring, too big and not designed for our roads

    Illustration of a huge American car with quaint European style houses in the background
  • Saturday, 25 January, 2025
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Does a 50-something need to be brand aware?

    There’s something deeply undignified about a man of a certain age wandering around in labelled streetwear

  • Saturday, 30 November, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    How do I stop getting annoyed by everything?

    Rising taxes, public video callers and influencers making a ton of money out of thin air . . .  but getting angry is to miss the point   

  • Friday, 1 November, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Bodge it yourself? No, send for the experts

    After too many disastrous repair attempts, I should leave the toolbox well alone

    Illustration of a living room with a fallen chandelier
  • Friday, 4 October, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Was buying the Rolls-Royce a mistake?

    Servicing costs are crippling, but it’s an investment, right?

    Illustration of a hand putting money into a Rolls-Royce with money flying out of the exhaust pipe.
  • Saturday, 21 September, 2024
    FT SeriesThe FT Magazine’s Guide to the Business Lunch
    The FT’s favourite business lunch restaurants in London

    17 venues in and around the City worth rescheduling your 2pm for, and the best tables at each

    A stylish restaurant interior with round tables covered in white tablecloths, surrounded by wicker-backed chairs. Two black-and-white framed portraits hang on the wall
  • Friday, 30 August, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Why I won’t be joining the clamour for Oasis tickets

    The excitement is real; but let’s face it, stadium gigs are never worth it

  • Friday, 26 July, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Can we afford to have another dog?

    Vet bills, food, accessories and collateral damage. It’s an expensive business

    An illustration of a pampered dog floating in a swimming pool and a waiter presenting a bill
  • Thursday, 27 June, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    At 54, where do I start looking for a new job?

    The trouble is, my CV looks a bit schizophrenic

    Overhead view of a flower maze
  • Friday, 24 May, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsPersonal Finance
    How to throw a lavish party (without wasting an extravagant amount of money)

    Forget parties on boats and the ice sculptures, the music and fizz are what’s important

  • Wednesday, 24 April, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsPersonal Finance
    Which kitchen gadgets are worth shelling out for?

    My coffee machine looks amazing. For £3,000, it should do

  • Friday, 29 March, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Who picks up the bill for a business lunch?

    Financial constraints threaten midday networking over a classy meal

    Two businessmen facing each other across a restaurant table in a scene from the TV series ‘Mad Men’
  • Thursday, 22 February, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsMusic
    Should I throw away my old hifi?

    I could spend tens of thousands on new set-ups, but I’ve got a better solution

  • Thursday, 25 January, 2024
    Rich People’s ProblemsPersonal Finance
    Should I be clothes shopping in the sales?

    Good luck finding your size. Discounts are for the very thin, very tall or very fat

  • Thursday, 28 December, 2023
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    You only live once, so I need two mortgages

    I could reduce my debts by selling assets, but where’s the fun in that?

  • Wednesday, 22 November, 2023
    Rich People’s ProblemsUK consumer credit
    The best things in life are anything but free

    So how can you continue to enjoy the luxuries life has to offer?

  • Friday, 27 October, 2023
    Rich People’s ProblemsUK banks
    Should I trust online financial recommendations?

    Those reviews are not the same as feedback for restaurants and wine

  • Thursday, 28 September, 2023
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Should I renovate my house?

    Like puppies, builders make a mess and seriously damage your wallet

    A builder has fallen through a ceiling. Only his legs are visible
  • Friday, 25 August, 2023
    Rich People’s ProblemsInsight & Comment
    Life insurance? I’d rather save the cash

    Cover can make sense for those with little or no savings who are only just managing

  • Friday, 28 July, 2023
    Sport
    Rich People’s Problems: Is sports coaching worth the money?

    I’m never going to be Carlos Alcaraz, yet I spend £1,500 a year on tennis lessons

  • Thursday, 29 June, 2023
    Insight & Comment
    Best of FT Money 2023: Rich People’s Problems: Can I cut costs in the garden?

    You can’t avoid the price of your bit of paradise

    A group of gardeners from the 1930s digging a large hole
Previous page1Next page

Useful links

Support

View Site TipsHelp CentreContact UsAbout UsAccessibilitymyFT TourCareersSuppliers

Legal & Privacy

Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyManage CookiesCopyrightSlavery Statement & Policies

Services

Share News Tips SecurelyIndividual SubscriptionsProfessional SubscriptionsRepublishingExecutive Job SearchAdvertise with the FTFollow the FT on XFT ChannelsFT Schools

Tools

PortfolioFT AppFT Digital EditionFT EditAlerts HubBusiness School RankingsSubscription ManagerNews feedNewslettersCurrency Converter

Community & Events

FT Live EventsFT ForumsFT Leaders Academy

More from the FT Group

Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2025. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.
The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.
Edition:UK
International
Subscribe for full access

Top sections

  • Home
  • World
    • Middle East war
    • Global Economy
    • UK
    • US
    • China
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Markets
    • Europe
    • War in Ukraine
    • Americas
    • Middle East & North Africa
  • UK
    • UK Economy
    • UK Politics
    • UK Companies
    • Personal Finance
  • Companies
    • Energy
    • Financials
    • Health
    • Industrials
    • Media
    • Professional Services
    • Retail & Consumer
    • Tech Sector
    • Telecoms
    • Transport
  • Tech
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Semiconductors
    • Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Markets
    • Alphaville
    • Markets Data
    • Crypto
    • Capital Markets
    • Commodities
    • Currencies
    • Equities
    • Monetary Policy Radar
    • Wealth Management
    • Moral Money
    • ETF Hub
    • Fund Management
    • Trading
  • Climate
  • Opinion
    • Columnists
    • The FT View
    • The Big Read
    • Lex
    • Obituaries
    • Letters
  • Lex
  • Work & Careers
    • Business School Rankings
    • Business Education
    • Europe's Start-Up Hubs
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Recruitment
    • Business Books
    • Business Travel
    • Working It
  • Life & Arts
    • Arts
    • Books
    • Food & Drink
    • FT Magazine
    • House & Home
    • Style
    • Puzzles
    • Travel
    • FT Globetrotter
  • Personal Finance
    • Property & Mortgages
    • Investments
    • Pensions
    • Tax
    • Banking & Savings
    • Advice & Comment
  • HTSI
  • Special Reports

FT recommends

  • Alphaville
  • FT Edit
  • Lunch with the FT
  • FT Globetrotter
  • #techAsia
  • Moral Money
  • Visual and data journalism
  • Newsletters
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • News feed
  • FT Schools
  • FT Live Events
  • FT Forums
  • FT Leaders Academy
  • myFT
  • Portfolio
  • FT Digital Edition
  • Crossword
  • Our Apps
  • Help Centre
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In