The A-List: 2008

Job

Chairman

Company

Northern & Shell

Work Telephone

+44 (0)871 520 7760.

Address

10 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6EN

Fantasy business partner

My wife.

How do you off-set your carbon footprint?

By driving my Rolls Royce Phantom slowly.

Greatest influence

Buddy Rich.

Clubs

None. If they would have me as a member, I wouldn't want to join.

Favourite gadget

Ludwig double bass drum pedal.

Desert island objects

Ludwig snare drum, Ludwig bass drum, Vic Firth and Richard Desmond drum sticks P.S. I am a Ludwig drum and Vic Firth sticks endorsee.

Most-admired politician

Winston Churchill. Without him there wouldn't be a Daily Express.

Favourite media

Daily Express, OK!, OK! TV, Planet Rock, Daily Star website.

Biggest risk taken

Replying to this.

Perfect day

Selling loads of advertising and copies of my publications.

Who should play you in the film of your life?

Me. I'm often mistaken for Harrison Ford.

Career highlights

Haven't achieved them yet.

Fictional hero

Rupert Bear.

Hidden talent

Modesty.

Best job outside advertising

Playing the drums.

Lowdown

One of the last remaining characters among newspaper proprietors, the uncompromising and passionate Desmond always makes for good copy. And with a personal fortune of £1.9 billion, the music-mad Desmond is clearly doing plenty of things right.

Most expensive purchase

Express Newspapers.

Why are you good at what you do?

I am not, the others are just so bad.