| Perfect Knowledge is one of London's most secretive | | | | office then. |
| service which caters for the multimillionaires and | | | | Other jobs have involved picking up several expensive |
| dignitaries. Welcome to the secretive, hush hush world | | | | pieces of jewellery and watches to be repaired at |
| of the Gentleman Fixer. | | | | Harrods; establishing a finance company; setting up a |
| Of all the services available to the super-rich, that | | | | warehouse from scratch for a client who wanted to |
| which is offered by a Private Fixer is perhaps the | | | | store high value goods; negotiating with yacht brokers, |
| most intriguing. Even the job title carries an aura of | | | | and chaperoning an extremely rich but ill client to see |
| mystery. I am reminded of the John Travolta character | | | | her sister. "One gentleman has asked me to sell three |
| in the movie Pulp Fiction, or a Philip Marlowe-like figure | | | | Picassos, which he doesn't want to do through the |
| skulking about in the shadows in classic film noir. But | | | | auction houses. I don't know anything about art," smiles |
| there is no cigar or bowler hat in sight as Ifzaal Khan, | | | | Khan, "but I'm a fast learner." |
| an articulate and charismatic thirty-something, settles in | | | | Khan offers these services through his Chelsea-based |
| front of me in a luxury hotel in Chelsea. | | | | company, which he set up over a year and a half ago. |
| "My clients are high net worth individuals," explains | | | | Asked how long he has been a fixer for, he says |
| Khan from "Mostly CEOs, MDs, titles and aristocracy. | | | | mischievously, "Since I was 16 and growing up in |
| Yes, I look after a few celebrities too, but they tend to | | | | Oxford. I was always fixing things for people - |
| be too high profile, so normally I deal with people from | | | | whether fellow students or visiting friends." Before |
| the international high society. Most are English, but | | | | setting up his company, he researched the job for two |
| some are American, Arab, Russian, and a few are | | | | years and built up an enormous contacts book. Having |
| Asian. Many are not even listed in the Sunday Times | | | | a clear vision of what you want to achieve is |
| Rich List because they might have most of their | | | | imperative, he says, as preparation met with |
| money held in trusts or assets. They come to me | | | | opportunity is the key to success. |
| because I'm not part of their staff, I'm on the outside, | | | | Khan works with six colleagues, who between them |
| and they may not want their staff to know everything. | | | | are based in London, Oxford, Devon, Geneva and |
| They could just be visiting for three or four weeks, and | | | | Dubai. They are all childhood friends whom he trusts |
| there are often financial incentives in asking an outsider | | | | implicitly. "I would never reveal my clients' names, not |
| to do things." | | | | even to family or friends, and as each person is given |
| Khan explains that his job is part of a long tradition of | | | | a unique code even my colleagues don't find out who |
| private secretaries, PAs and courtiers, but it is not a | | | | they are. Privacy, confidentiality and discretion are key |
| concierge service. So what does a Private Fixer | | | | to this job. Many of my 18 clients came to me via |
| actually do? "It depends on what a client wants, really," | | | | word of mouth recommendations, a few I approached |
| says Khan. "For example, I might help somebody | | | | myself when circumstances were right. It takes a long |
| source and buy properties off market. One person | | | | time to build up trust. We don't want people selling |
| asked me to find him an off-market property for | | | | stories to the papers." |
| £20 million, and I knew somebody who wanted to | | | | Other qualities needed for a job like this are diplomacy, |
| sell, so I liaised between the two. Another asked me to | | | | the ability to get on with a wide range of people and, |
| find a £4 million house in Chelsea for his daughter. | | | | as Khan puts it, "Knowing when to listen and when to |
| Somebody has also asked me to set up a property | | | | talk. These are highly successful individuals who know |
| company, so I'm currently in the process of doing that. | | | | the industry they're working in inside out. They don't |
| Commercial property is where the money is, so I've | | | | want unsolicited advice." Indeed so important is the |
| been trying to get more involved in that and it's really | | | | client-fixer relationship that Khan, who combines a |
| taken off in the last few months." | | | | deep knowledge of the super-rich lifestyle with street |
| The job isn't only to do with property though; it also | | | | savvy and common sense, says he's turned down |
| involves providing a personal courier service. Khan | | | | projects from those who he believes would be |
| relays this wonderful anecdote:"A client left his rare | | | | demanding and make his job difficult in the long run. |
| 1930s £200,000 Rolex in the penthouse of a five | | | | So whether accompanying multi-millionaires to top |
| star hotel in London. It had been in his wife's family for | | | | venues like Cipriani's, Scott's, Mark's Club, or Harry's |
| generations and she had given it to him, so it had | | | | Bar - or indeed 'summer season' events like Ascot or |
| sentimental value. He asked me to pick it up and take | | | | Wimbledon there is plenty of variety. "I juggle many |
| it to Luton Airport. When I got there. I was directed to | | | | things, sometimes working up to 20 hours a day, and I |
| Harrods Aviation, which is a private aviation service for | | | | admit the job encroaches on my private life." says |
| businesses. As I arrived, I was told to board a plane | | | | Khan, who previously worked at the Home Office for |
| and was flown to Geneva, where a chauffer-driven | | | | seven years, "but I could never work nine to five again. |
| car was waiting to take me to the client's house. | | | | This is a unique job in a small, niche market. It brings me |
| There I had dinner with him and handed over the | | | | lots of opportunities, and I'm always learning something |
| watch personally." So. not just a typical day in the | | | | new. No two days are ever the same. |