Inner Circles

Inner Circles

Inner Circles
The Monegasque is the authority on Monaco's modern society, providing ordinary citizens a window on the prerogatives -- and peccadilloes -- of some of Monaco's most privileged citizens and showcasing exceptional people and exclusive places.  Here, the latest in the world of the wealthy, the powerful and the socialites of the principality.
MONACO’S GATEWAY TO THE GULF

Monaco’s Gateway To The Gulf

DUBAI’S POPULATION has grown from 3.3 million in 2020 to over 3.7 million today. By 2030, projections point toward five million. For the investors who got there early, the arithmetic has been generous. For those arriving now, the question is no longer whether Dubai works, it is whether you have the right entry point. Monaco’s investor class has been...

Sovereignty of Form: The Purebred Arabian on the Mediterranean

SALONS

Sovereignty Of Form: The Purebred Arabian On The Mediterranean

The arrival of the Global Champions Arabians Tour at Port Hercule on July 9–10, 2026, offered a study in historic continuity, bringing one of the world’s most ancient equine lineages into the structural landscape of the Principality. To observe global sporting exhibitions over five decades is to und...

DIGITAL DEITY

PERSON OF INTEREST

Digital Deity

IT WAS A MORNING that promised nothing, and in the high-speed world I inhabit, “nothing” is the rarest luxury of all. There was no grand design, no digital plan spread across a mahogany table, and certainly no communication strategy for the “birth” of a legend. If you had asked me a...

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RACING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

WAY OF LIFE

Racing Towards A Sustainable Future

FORMULA 1 HAS LONG been synonymous with high-octane excitement, but in an era of climate change when urgent action is needed, this pinnacle of motor sport is shifting gears to prioritize environmental sustainability. Its bold commitment to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030...

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THE INNOVATION DIVIDEND

SIGNALS

The Innovation Dividend

CLIMATE CHANGE AND climate policy have been sidelined in public debate for a while. These days, geopolitics and the erratic and confrontational U.S. administration dominate the news and capture our attention. This is not all bad, however,...

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BLUEPRINT FOR AUTHORITY

Inner Circles

Blueprint For Authority

IN KEEPING WITH ITS COMMITMENT to localized expertise, The Monegasque™ is pleased to announce the expansion of its editorial board with the appointments of H.R.H. Prince Felix of Luxembourg as Oenology Editor and H.R.H. Prince Michel of Yugoslavia

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VANISHING ACT

SIGNALS

Vanishing Act

THERE ARE STORIES in the automotive world that border on folklore, tales whispered in the rarified air of concours lawns, exchanged between collectors as one might trade legends of lost empires. Yet few possess the alchemy of fact, myth, and melancholy that surrounds Bugatti’s most...

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The Clause Collector

PERSON OF INTEREST

The Clause Collector

The email arrived at 11:47 P.M. from a law firm account with one of those polite, tidy signatures - Best regards, followed by a wall of phone numbers. Marjorie saw it while standing in her kitchen, rinsing a wineglass. Marjorie ran development at a mid-sized American cultural institution with an im...

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THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION

CAPITAL

The Journey Is The Destination

THE FASTEST BUSINESS JET in the world has taken off, and it's proving that the journey is just as exciting as the destination. Channeling more than eight decades of craftsmanship and expertise, the Montreal-based manufacturer Bombardier has tailored its latest offering to the most...

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LEGACY, INFLUENCE, AND A VERY BIG NIGHT

SALONS

Legacy, Influence, And A Very Big Night

There are evenings that merely punctuate the social calendar - and then there are those rare nights that quietly recalibrate it. The second Annual Gala of The Monegasque™, held on December 3 at the Yacht Club de Monaco, belonged decisively to the latter. Set against the maritime modernism...

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VALDÉS IN MONACO

SALONS

Valdés In Monaco

  IT'S BEEN 60 YEARS since the founding of Equipo Crónica, the influential collective that contributed to post-war Spanish art and launched Manolo Valdés’ prolific career. Blending political resistance with bold visual language, Equipo Crónica laid t...

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BANKING ON SOCIETY

Inner Circles

Banking On Society

One of the things we considered was that a key to making banking’s gains sustainable is reinvestment and effective regulation. Profits that are responsibly reinvested in growth benefit shareholders, clients, and society alike. Effective regulatory frameworks are crucial and can enable growth and...

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RICH IN RESPONSIBILITY

Inner Circles

Rich In Responsibility

THIS YEAR MARKS two deeply meaningful milestones for our family and for Caudwell Children. We are celebrating the charity’s 25th anniversary and the 10th edition of the Butterfly Ball Monaco - a decade of hope, impact, and giving with purpose. When I founded Caudwell Children in 20...

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THE OTHER KELLY GIRL

Inner Circles

The Other Kelly Girl

  KELLY POWERS - née Helen Jeanne Kelly - was the flame-haired, forever flirty and famously funny half of the “Kelly Girls”. The other half was Grace Patricia Kelly. Not sisters, not cousins, not even remotely related by blood, the two women were like chalk a...

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A ROYAL UNCOVERING

Inner Circles

A Royal Uncovering

Every summer, until we were 11 years old, my twin brother and I vacationed at our family’s 16th-century Medici villa, Pratolino, on the hills of Florence. I found a notebook handwritten in 1957 by my grandmother expressing her feelings and reflections on th...

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THE BEAUTY OF PERSONAL DISASTER

Inner Circles

The Beauty Of Personal Disaster

IT’S THE GREAT GATSBY’S 100TH BIRTHDAY, the perfect pretext to spur discussion about how Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age novel resonates, a century later. Why are we still obsessed with Jay Gatsby? He lies about his past, conducts shady business on the side, and indulges in the showies...

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DISHING OUT LIFESTYLES

CAPITAL

Dishing Out Lifestyles

IN THE VERDANT HILLS of Romania’s Bihor County, where the air hums with possibility, Cosmina Măhăra is rewriting the script on what it means to live well. As the co-founder and general manager of Agriro Fresh, Cosmina is not just serving up salads - she’s dishing out a lifestyle, on...

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THE SEED INVESTING PLAYBOOK

CAPITAL

The Seed Investing Playbook

AFTER 16 YEARS, I left my role running capital markets in Asia for a European investment bank. I had spent my entire career in derivatives, eventually running all public markets of a European investment bank in Asia. But when it came time to invest my own money, I invested in privat...

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THE SINGLE HOUSE

CAPITAL

The Single House

THEY SAY MONACO’S name comes from the Greek word Monoikos, “single house,” and legend has it that Hercules himself landed here, alone, building a temple to honor his arrival. As a Greek, that story always struck a chord with me. Maybe it was destiny. Or maybe just the right moment b...

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THE SHOE MAKER

SIGNALS

The Shoe Maker

IT WAS A LONG JOURNEY from founding Reebok in 1958 to becoming the number one global sports brand in 1987, outselling Nike as the most popular athletic shoe in the world. Sadly, during that journey, I lost my brother Jeff at a very critical time. I was in the U.S. when he was taken...

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The Prince from Place Vendôme

CAPITAL

The Prince From Place Vendôme

In the dazzling world of high jewelry, few names are as synonymous with exclusivity and artistry as Guy Baruch. At his discreet bench in Place Vendôme, Paris’s legendary square for luxury jewelry, he creates fewer than thirty pieces each year. Each piece, meticulously crafted by hand, is a unique bl...

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THE NECKLACE

CAPITAL

The Necklace

JATUAL PARIS was founded with a clear vision: to craft a new language of luxury for women who embody both tradition and transformation. At the heart of this vision lies the Grand Royal Collection—a curated ensemble of twelve singular, one-of-a kind high jewelry necklaces, each inspi...

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TO RACE OR TO NOT RACE?

PERSON OF INTEREST

To Race Or To Not Race?

SPRING HAS DESCENDED upon the sun-dappled streets of Monaco, where the air hums with the promise of the Grand Prix. The Principality is alive with anticipation: marketing savants devise ever more ingenious ways to capitalize on the adage “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” while sponso...

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THE KING OF CLAY

PERSON OF INTEREST

The King Of Clay

AS WITH MOST ATP GAMES he played, Rafael Nadal perfectly remembers his first win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on April 17, 2005. “That was an amazing match, special for many reasons,” says the tennis legend. “Guillermo Coria was the player in the best form and the man to beat on...

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FLOATING DREAMS

WAY OF LIFE

Floating Dreams

ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO, I encountered a concept that captured my imagination: The World, the first and—so far—only ship offering permanent residences on board and continuously circumnavigating the globe. The idea fascinated me. I remember looking at the floor plans, explori...

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THINKING OUTSIDE THE Shoe BOX

SIGNALS

Thinking Outside The Shoe Box

Jeff and Joe Foster founded Reebok running shoes in 1958. The industry wasn’t entirely new to the brothers in Bolton, England. Their grandfather’s company, J.W. Foster & Sons, had been in the business since 1895 and their shoes were worn by Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell at the 1924 Paris Olympics...

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Monaco’s WAIB Summit 2025

SALONS

Monaco’s Waib Summit 2025

On June 27 and 28, 2025, Monte Carlo will host the WAIB Summit Monaco at the prestigious One Monte-Carlo, near the iconic Place du Casino. This two-day event marks the Principality’s first major convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and Web3, bringing together visionaries, industry leaders, an...

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WHEN SCOTLAND YARD COMES KNOCKING

PERSON OF INTEREST

When Scotland Yard Comes Knocking

LOGICALLY, given the media relevance of the tape produced by Mohamed Al-Fayed’s attorneys, we unveiled the truth surrounding a bodyguard who mysteriously vanished and was exiled from British services to Australia—never to be heard from again. I was particularly attentive to what I...

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THE WOMAN BEHIND THE WHEEL

CAPITAL

The Woman Behind The Wheel

MANNHEIM, AUGUST 1888. Carl Benz just finished building his Patent-Motorwagen III, considered one of the world’s first automobiles. Satisfied by its advancement, he believed the next step would be welcoming customers coming en masse to buy this technological prowess. Carl B...

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THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ‘ENGAGEMENT RING’

PERSON OF INTEREST

The World’s Most Famous ‘Engagement Ring’

Princess Diana was undoubtedly the most memorable personality associated with the House of Repossi in the late 1990s for the astonishing transformation that unfolded before my eyes—from a tale of love into a Greek tragedy of global proportions. As one of the leading French newspape...

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Rodomontade

SIGNALS

Rodomontade

Monte Carlo, Monaco —In a world where excess is the norm and luxury often comes swathed in the familiar hues of tradition, one new publication has emerged, boldly defying expectations. Rodomontade, a fresh high-fashion and art magazine, made its debut at an event so glittering and audacious...

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A Green Affair: Helga Piaget’s Flowers4Art

SIGNALS

A Green Affair: Helga Piaget’s Flowers4Art

Monte-Carlo’s Hôtel Métropole played host to a dazzling crowd this past weekend as the inaugural Flowers4Art took root, a three-day event curated by Helga Piaget, the passionate founder of the Monegasque association Passion Sea. The initiative, aimed at promoting sustainabi...

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CELEBRITY KILLS

WAY OF LIFE

Celebrity Kills

WHAT DO AMERICAN WRITERS F. Scott Fitzgerald and Joyce Carol Oates—who won this year’s prestigious 13th annual literary award, Prix Fitzgerald, held at Hotel Belles Rives on the Cap d’Antibes—have in common? At first glance, not much. Look again, and you’ll see how both seem fascina...

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BRANCHING OUT

Inner Circles

Branching Out

FROM AN EARLY AGE, I had a great admiration for jewelry. My background afforded me close encounters with some of the most beautiful jewels from, among others, the Dutch Royal House, where each piece tells a special story. During my early childhood, this fascination for jewelry, craf...

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CLOUT OF AFRICA

Inner Circles

Clout Of Africa

THE FIRST CONTACT I had with Africa was in 1969, accompanied by Gio, my first love. We were going on a photographic safari in Kenya after a short, rather disappointing seaside stay in Malindi, a town on the coast. We had returned to the capital, Nairobi, by train, all made of mahogany and silver, st...

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GRACE THE MUSICAL

PERSON OF INTEREST

Grace The Musical

BEFORE HER DEATH more than a decade ago, “Kelly” Van Remoortel was well-known in Monaco as the wickedly-droll owner of Le Texan, the restaurant she founded not long after the loss of her long-time “bestie,” Princess Grace, in 1982. She and the princess had met in New York when Grace Kelly was an asp...

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A TALE OF RENAISSANCE, REVIVAL AND CROATIA

SIGNALS

A Tale Of Renaissance, Revival And Croatia

I HAVE, OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES, organized many gatherings called the Lopud Seminars, where I brought together artists, conservationists, anthropologists, architects, and museum professionals from all over the world to debate and challenge our respective programs for the upcoming...

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NAVIGATING NET ZERO

CAPITAL

Navigating Net Zero

It is with great pleasure that I begin writing for The Monegasque™. What could be better to celebrate my move to Monaco with my family? I am eager to share my experiences in yachting and boating, and I hope the special readers of this remarkable publication will enjoy my contributions. The Future o...

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MAY THE BRAND BE WITH YOU

Inner Circles

May The Brand Be With You

WHEN THE CONCEPT for The Monegasque™ was birthed as a premier magazine, its profound essence was underestimated. What was initially overlooked is now crystal clear: the name itself wields a potent, almost mystical force. For those of us residing in Monaco, the word “Monegasque” is more than just a m...

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IT IS ROCKET SCIENCE

Inner Circles

It Is Rocket Science

JANUARY 18, 2024, marked my sixth journey beyond the bounds of Earth, as I embarked on another exhilarating mission to the International Space Station (ISS) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Leading the charge as Commander of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3), I felt a familiar thrill as our SpaceX Crew Dragon spaces...

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THE GRAND KID

SIGNALS

The Grand Kid

WHEN I WAS ASKED by the commune of Beausoleil if I wanted to get involved in the “Village Charlot” project, there was never a doubt in my mind. The plan to transform a beautiful Belle Epoque property into a cultural center with free access for everyone appealed immediately to my creative nature. Wha...

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ROCK THE BOAT

SALONS

Rock The Boat

On Saturday June 29th, the day kicked off with a warm welcome breakfast in the Riva tunnel in Monaco for all participants, followed by a briefing on the rules of the regularity race course and elegance contest. Excitement filled the air as the GEBCO seabed project 2030 was introduced, offering one l...

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The Roaring 2020s

Inner Circles

The Roaring 2020S

IN 2024, JULIUS BAER’S Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report is published against a complex global background. Although the impact of the global pandemic has now settled into a new normal, inflation, rising living costs and increased geopolitical tensions continue to impact prices and priorities in eve...

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ARE ROBOTS REALLY A THREAT TO ARTISTIC TALENT?

Inner Circles

Are Robots Really A Threat To Artistic Talent?

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence are impacting businesses across the globe, with no sector left invincible to the allure of automation. Nowhere is this threat felt more strongly than in theentrepreneurial sphere, where talent has faced an inordinate number of obstacles even before robo...

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GLAM	AND GREEN

Inner Circles

Glam And Green

BEYOND THE LUXURIOUS façades and renowned Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco has become a playground for the super-rich seeking more than the ephemeral thrill of material indulgence. Inspired by high-end adventures that defy the limits of conventional luxury, these discerning individuals se...

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ADDING LUX TO THE COTE DE PROVENCE

Inner Circles

Adding Lux To The Cote De Provence

Tucked away in the idyllic landscape of Provence lies the timeless elegance of Château les Crostes. The vineyard makes for a compelling story where tradition meets innovation, with a history dating back to the Middle Ages coupled with a modern transformation.                   The Château les Cr...

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BEHIND THE WHEEL

SIGNALS

Behind The Wheel

Born in Monaco in 1927—four years after Prince Rainier, and on what is today known as National Day (see box “It’s A Date!”)—Francis Wright’s childhood consisted of walking from his home at Rue de la Source to Lycée Albert 1er up on the Rock, every morning, lunch and...

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KING OF THE ROCK

SIGNALS

King Of The Rock

IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE that I write for The Monegasque™, reflecting on my brother, Michael Jackson, and the enchanting Principality, a country that has long held a special place in my heart and often reminds me of the times I’ve had the privilege to call it home. With 20...

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THE BOWL OF PORRIDGE JUST RIGHT

Inner Circles

The Bowl Of Porridge Just Right

MAGNETISM. EITHER YOU HAVE IT OR YOU DON’T.   Luiz F Costa Macambira, founder of The Monegasque™, definitely has it. “I had Jermaine Jackson on one phone and Adele on the other,” I remember him saying at our first meeting, a job interview back in September 2018 when he was...

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A PALACE THAT WORKS

WAY OF LIFE

A Palace That Works

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I had a Kodak Instamatic point-and-shoot camera but with only 12 to 24 photos in a film cartridge, you had to be very careful not to waste a single shot. It was not until 2009 when I was starting a new business that I got back into photography. An Antibes-based business coach, Nic...

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The Monegasque Chronicles

SIGNALS

The Monegasque Chronicles

  In the realm of luxury publications, The Monegasque™ stands out as a beacon of uniqueness and exclusivity. Boasting a roster of contributing writers that reads like a who's who of prominent personalities and celebrities, many of whom call the Principality of Monaco home, it cont...

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TROUBLED WATERS

Inner Circles

Troubled Waters

EVERY DAY YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH WATER from the early morning until late at night. You will find it in the shower; at breakfast you will drink it as milk, orange juice or coffee. Outside you see it as clouds in the sky, dew, rain, snow, fog or in the ponds, rivers, lakes and ocean...

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The Original

Inner Circles

The Original

IN A WORLD that has seen rapid transformations in the last few years, from pandemics to conflicts causing vast worldwide migrations, it is remarkable how the human spirit finds solace in creativity. A year ago, the concept of this magazine was non-existent. Today it is a period of r...

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Appreciating Taste

Inner Circles

Appreciating Taste

IN THE EARLY 1930s, Zurich, a city teetering on the brink of metamorphosis, sets the stage for our tale. At the city’s pulsating heart, a young man of 22, recently bequeathed with a substantial fortune, found himself standing at life’s crossroads. Rather than embarking on a journey of reckless expen...

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Lifestyle Maintenance

Inner Circles

Lifestyle Maintenance

AGAINST a backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis, soaring energy costs, rampant inflation and geopolitical tensions, the top priorities among affluent individuals and families across the globe are a contrast between financial stability and personal resilience. Wealth is now as much abo...

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