Where is she now?

[topum]

I stumbled across a mention of Lucy Gao, probably the most famous City intern whose 21st birthday invitation email did the rounds at investment banks and business schools all around the world.
She is now a VP at EFG Bank in Singapore, which is a relatively modest speed of career progression. I expected more from the author of the most famous e-mail ever sent out by a City intern.

That's what The Guardian wrote at the time:

It was an invitation in the style of the most pernickety celebrity. Not only were the select few who were emailed about the birthday party at the Ritz Hotel told what to wear and what to say, they were also given a 15-minute slot in which they must arrive.

Bridling at the fact that the instructions were not for an Elton John charity ball or dinner at Beckingham Palace, but an invitation to the 21st birthday of a financial services trainee, one of the 39 guests forwarded Lucy Gao's message.

Her helpful advice "that the more upper-class you dress, the less likely you shall be denied entry", and her insistence that all queries should be directed to her personal assistant "between 8.30pm to 10pm", has now become the latest excruciating personal email to be dispatched around the world. Ms Gao, an engineering graduate of Oxford University who works at Citigroup in Canary Wharf, east London, wrote that colleagues should announce to hotel staff "I am here for Lucy's birthday party at the Rivoli Bar" on arriving at the Ritz in central London.

Marvelling at Ms Gao's delusions of grandeur, one unkind colleague praised her email as the "best yet", while another wrote in the forwarded email: "As previously discussed ... maybe we need to revisit the intern selection criteria. I think the emphasis on control may be too high!"

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2006/aug/26/news.uknews

'21st Birthday Party at The Ritz Hotel London

Friday, 18th of August

9pm Champagne Reception
10pm Photo Shoots
10.30pm Blowing Candles

Mid-night Pangaea, Mayfair

I have arranged the Ritz to host a Champagne Reception with a selection of Ritz Champagne for all my guests, this will be on me so please come and indulge.

A specially made birthday cake has also been ordered and the Ritz waiters will kindly serve you each a generous slice with Ritz cutleries, etc....also on me.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTRY

*When you arrive, take the Hotel entry on the opposite side of the Green Park tube station (Please refer to your arrival time at the end of this email)

*When asked "how can I help you Sir/Madam ?", you reply "I am here for Lucy's Birthday Party at the Rivoli Bar"

*You will be escorted to the lounge area next to the Rivoli bar, where you will hopefully see a gorgeous group of ladies.

If you experience any issues getting in or getting to the Ritz, please call my mobile on **** *** *** and my PA Ms *** will kindly deal with your queries between 8.30pm to 10pm.

STRICT DRESS CODE:

Gentlemen: Jacket, shirt, and please also bring a tie (no jeans, trainers, flip-flops, polo-shirts)

Ladies: skirt/top, cocktail dress (no denim, mini-skirts, flip-flops, bad tastes)

Advise 1: It goes without saying that the more upper-class you dress, the less likely you shall be denied entry.

Advise 2: Photos will be taken between 10pm and 10.30pm, and these will be distributed when processed, therefore you may want to be well-groomed! (wink)

Finally...
I will be accepting cards and small gifts between 9pm and 11pm... (wink wink) hehehe

I very much look forward to seeing you all at the Ritz this Friday.

ARRIVAL TIMES (Please stick to these as best you can, thank you)
9pm: (list of 9 names)

9.15pm: (list of 9 names)

9.30pm: (list of 11 names)

9.45pm: (list of 4 names)

10pm: (list of 6 names)'.

Comments

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Bit of a control freak isn't she? 

Pffftttt the Ritz..That's no fun.  Too many stuffy old rich people. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot of a pretentious control freak.
But she was quite young, she is probably way more chilled now.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Yes perhaps the ghost of Christmas future paid her a visit. 

Athena

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

I've got to say that whilst the Ritz Mayfair element wouldn't be me [we're talking more Nandos and Walkabout] the level of panicky control freakness I can certainly relate to. I've definitely sent emails when arranging other people's parties that go into this level of "x will be here at 15:50" and "x, x , x to bring this" detail and "the nearest tubes are these, if you get lost call one of these three mobile numbers"......because people are useless. Although also I usually make a sheet of timings and detailed directions because I'm so drunk I can only follow basic commands. So it says things like "LEAVE 11:52" if we have to leave to get the last tube back. I do have some level of empathy for the control freak element of this plan.

[topum.livejournal.com]

I can't relate to it at all, when I go out I leave everything to chance, otherwise it is not fun for me because it is not different enough from my day-to-day. Early morning kebabs, night busses, missed stops and then cabs for the price of a flight to Spain are just part of it. But I do have quite a number of friends whose whole personalities are built around that control freak element and I am not new to it, but I have never seen it executed so inelegantly.

[sleepybadger.livejournal.com]

So many parts of this strike me as so odd. I'm curious to know how many people showed up (and how many of them were just there to see the drama). Why the 15 minute intervals? Is it supposed to look like 39 people just casually happened to show up at different times to celebrate? Or are there some people she thought she wouldn't want to spend as much time with? Is this bar so fancy that they will deny you entry if you're not appropriately dressed? I assume it's the bar that would deny you entry to the establishment as opposed to Lucy denying you entrance to her party.

[topum.livejournal.com]

I remember that 34 out 39 actually showed up. Ritz is posh, yes. Wikipedia starts its article on Ritz with " A symbol of high society and luxury, the hotel is one of the world's most prestigious and best known hotels." I think the different arrival times were supposed to make it easier for her to greet everyone properly on arrival and divide her attention between the guests.

Lucy

[(Anonymous)]

Test

Re: Lucy

[topum.livejournal.com]

OK.