Stuart Wheeler was a true original. I was lucky enough to be a friend (we met playing bridge), and will miss him greatly. He was often referred to as a spread-betting ‘tycoon’ but the word feels quite wrong: he was modest and unassuming, and his fierce intelligence was matched by a childlike guilelessness.
While his political views could be contentious, there was no doubting his integrity: unswayed by fashion, he relied on logic and probability to guide him. Indeed, his whole life was about calculating odds and taking risks — hence his passion for gambling. He was also extraordinarily generous. After selling his shares in his company, IG Index, he bought Chilham Castle in Kent, where he entertained large groups of friends every weekend for decades. A few years ago, I asked him whether he could afford to keep up this level of hospitality indefinitely.
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