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