Playback: Serving The Super-Rich

Playback: Serving The Super-Rich

From The Modern Mann by Olly Mann

January 30, 2026 · 28 min · Season 17 · Episode 1

About this episode

Lawrence McKenna discusses his experiences serving the super-rich and the nuances of luxury service.

There are more billionaires than ever. Rockstars. Oil tycoons. Internet entrepreneurs. And all of them - all of them - employ private staff. The age of Jeeves and Wooster may be over, but the demand for a dependable butler remains. Lawrence McKenna has been serving the super-rich for three decades, including stints in private suites in London's poshest hotels and the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. In this interview with Olly, he reveals how to remain invisible yet available; poised to deliver whatever a ‘principal’ desires, from obscure coffee beans to a mid-coital cuppa. He explains how to carry a plate, when to say ‘yes’ and when to simply say ‘it can be done’, and how to prepare *just chilled* mineral water to the taste of a Saudi trillionaire... This episode first aired in 2017 - we're playing it again to compliament Alok Sama's interview this month: The Banker, The Billionaire, and the Big Lie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Olly Mann

Guest: Lawrence McKenna

Topics covered

  • billionaires
  • private staff
  • butlers
  • luxury service
  • interviews
  • wealth

Keywords

  • billionaires
  • butlers
  • luxury
  • service
  • interview
  • wealth
  • private staff

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Alok Sama

Places: London, Royal Enclosure at Ascot

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