Tonight's the night for wealthy types looking forward to seeing Rod Stewart perform at the Butterfly Ball, hosted for charity by UK billionaire John Caudwell. Star spotters will be looking out for the likes of Bruce Forsyth and Frank Lampard at the performance in Battersea.

But celebrity events have lost some of their allure, following the wholesale destruction of family fortunes over recent months. According to private bankers, the people pulling in the crowds are strategists claiming to offer ideas to people on how to preserve, or rebuild, what little wealth they have left.