An Interview With Ben Elliot

L.G.: Are you providing those people in those markets with the best security?

B.E.: Well, we have an office in downtown Maputo, Mozambique, and that's for our members.

L.G.: You don't have a deal with Blackwater?

B.E.: No, are you suggesting that we should?

L.G.: I just ask questions! 

B.E.: No, we do have Quintessentially Secure. If you go to the website, we of course help members there.

L.G.: By the way, I'm not suggesting this either, but just a question—a lot of your client base does make use of escort services.

B.E.: How do you know that?

L.G.: I don't know that for fact.

B.E: Neither do I.

L.G.: But it's legal in many places where you operate. What if somebody says, "I want the best call girl"? 

B.E.: No, sir. I think you'd have to ask Eliot Spitzer for that number. That's not what we do at Quintessentially.

L.G.: Presumably, if Eliot Spitzer had come to you and you were providing that service, he wouldn't be in the fix he's in.

B.E.: No, because we would be saying to the former governor, "Mr. Spitzer, or Governor Spitzer, I'm afraid that's not what Quintessentially membership entitles you to, and I'm sure as governor you'd be able to sort yourself out in terms of that. That's not what we do."

L.G.: At least I provided you with an idea for a future growth opportunity.

B.E.: Very generous. Thank you very much!

L.G.: By the way, in every article about you, and there have been many—

B.E: I apologize for that.

L.G.: Not at all. I mean, we don't need trees, they can die.

B.E.: No they can't.

L.G.: But every article describes you as "the Duchess of Cornwall's nephew."

B.E.: Well, not every article.

L.G.: Pretty much every article, which is, in this marketplace, a sort of branding. You are the Duchess of Cornwall's nephew, fine.

B.E.: Yeah, I make no apologies for that at all.

L.G.: Right, but how valuable is that, as just sort of an ID, in this business world?

B.E.: Well, when we started Quintessentially, my aunt wasn't married to royalty.

L.G.: She was the royal mistress, right?

B.E.: Well, she was the royal—I don't know, I don't know if mistress is quite the correct word. She was dating the future king of England. When we first started, I'm not sure, but I think it counted against us. I'm proud of who my family are and in terms of people being interested, I'm not sure, I don't think people are very interested. I mean, it's nice of the press to take that on, but I'm not sure anybody else necessarily does, or would be that interested anyway.

L.G.: One of your partners was quoted as being asked, "Can you get royals to our events?" And he said, "Some of the minor royals."

B.E.: I don't know. There are lots of different royals in lots of different places, who attend lots of our events, and lots of them are proud members of Quintessentially. We're proud to look after them, as we are many others.

L.G.: The other thing is, you've dated every fabulous woman and movie star and model, apparently.

B.E.: No, I wouldn't believe that.

L.G.: Are you dating Jemima Khan now?

B.E.: I'd prefer not to—I thought this was about Quintessentially.

L.G.: I think it is about Quintessentially, because I think that's part of the profile of the company. Don't you think that it's valuable to be known in the public sphere as being associated with Jade Jagger, Jemima Khan, Sophie Dahl, and all those fabulous women?