Tuesday 28 June 2022 09:42 AM British billionaire hedge fund manager Alan Howard wed chef Caroline Byron in ... trends now
Society wedding season officially kicked off over the weekend as British billionaire Alan Howard tied-the-knot with celebrity chef Caroline Byron at a very lavish event in Italy.
The founder of the highly profitable Brevan Howard Asset Management hedge fund, 59, who according to Forbes boasts a personal net worth of $1.6billion, exchanged vows at the weekend with the American gluten-free chef, 33, who counts Princess Beatrice among her friends, at a black-tie event at Villa Olmo in Como, Italy.
Alan is reported to have paid €1.3million to close the 18th-century lakeside mansion for almost a month. He officially tied the knot with Caroline amid the early days of the pandemic in 2020 - although it's unclear where their first service was held.
The couple were joined at the star studded event by guests including Pixie Lott and her new husband Oliver Cheshire, who only earlier this month celebrated their own nuptials.
Attendees watched the pair make their marriage vows in a Jewish ceremony beneath a chuppah adorned with white flowers, before being serenaded by Lady Gaga and watching a huge firework display.
The wedding has not been without controversy, with residents said to be angered at the month-long closure of the villa and its surrounding parks ahead of the couple's big day.
Popular culture expert Nick Ede told FEMAIL the wedding would have cost 'in excess of £10 million', adding: 'To hire Lady GaGa to perform at a private event you are looking at over 3 million dollars and that is before her entourage and their travel and accommodation and rider and tech.
Society wedding season officially kicked off over the weekend as British billionaire Alan Howard tied-the-knot with celebrity chef Caroline Byron at a very lavish event in Italy
The founder of the highly profitable Brevan Howard Asset Management hedge fund exchanged vows at the weekend with the American gluten-free chef at a black-tie event at Villa Olmo in Como, Italy, over the weekend (left and right)
Guests including Pixie Lott and her new husband Oliver Cheshire attended the event (right), before being serenaded to a private performance by Lady Gaga (left)
Alan, who officially tied the knot with Caroline amid the early days of the pandemic in 2020, is reported to have paid €1.3 million to close the 18th-century lakeside mansion for almost a month
The couples guests, and locals, were treated to an enormous fireworks display at the end of the night on the shores of Lake Como
Caroline Byron pictured on Sunday. Alan and Caroline went all out for their big day and decorated the already stunning garden with a massive arch adorned with white flowers and greenery
'Flowers can cost in excess of 500k and with catering accommodation, venue hire and a lavish firework display plus security - this wedding will have cost in excess of 10 million.'
Meanwhile Chris Driver-Ayre, managing director at AYRE Event Solutions, said he expected the entertainment alone to have cost well over £2 million.
He explained: 'A named performer could cost anywhere between £80,000 and £1.2 million. Someone like Lady Gaga will be commanding a high range, although, given she may be a close friend of Pixie Lott, she may have done it for free gratis. But there still would have been a big tech rider which could have been in the range of £10,000 - £20,000.
'Fireworks for weddings can be extravagant, going from anywhere between £5,000 for 10 mins (if that) to well over £40,000.
'Other tech for the wedding may have comprised of uplighting and spot lighting of key areas, this could have added an additional £5,000 - £15,000 depending on how much lighting was utlised.
'Additional equipment will have included a PA system for the outside ceremony and all the crew and technicians to install and operate, possibly adding a further £15,000 to the bill.'
'Overall this wedding with have cost way over £2 million! '
Alan and Caroline went all out for their big day and decorated the already stunning garden with a massive arch adorned with white flowers and greenery.
Guests were seated in white wrought iron chairs as they watched the couple exchange vows in front of their family and friends.
While Alan appeared to wear a traditional black suit for the occasion, his striking bride Caroline could be seen in a flowing white gown with a cathedral style veil.
Pixie Lott was elegant in a turquoise gown as she arrived for the nuptials alongside her new husband Oliver Cheshire. The couple themselves only tied the knot earlier this month
Caroline looked gorgeous in a floral white frock with matching accessories when pictured ahead of the celebration
Meanwhile Swedish model and actress Victoria Silvstedt was also in attendance, arriving on a boat at the venue alongside a number of other guests
Victoria opted for a striking green and red strapless gown for the occasion (left) and could be seen sweeping her hair from her face as she arrived (right)
The Swedish actress and model offered a wave to waiting fans as she arrived at the wedding venue in Lake Como on Saturday for the big day
Victoria was joined by a number of other guests as she walked along the jetty towards the venue earlier this week for the big event
Other guests attending the black tie event donned floor length gowns in vibrant greens and pinks as they stepped onto the jetty
One guest appeared to remove her shoes for the boat ride to the venue on Saturday (left) while another opted for a striking green and blue number (right)
As well as closing the site for a month ahead of their big day on Saturday, the couple also installed a floating lakeside dock to welcome their 250 guests to the villa, meaning the surrounding parkland behind the villa was also closed
Victoria Silvstedt (C) and guests are seen arriving at the Alan Howard and Caroline Byron wedding celebration on June 26, 2022 in Como, Italy
Glamorous guests are pictured in all their finery as they arrive at the lavish celebrations this weekend in Lake Como
Mr Howard, a stalwart Conservative supporter, became well known after astute reading of imminent danger helped him become a billionaire, as his Brevan Howard hedge fund liquidated 80 per cent of its investments into cash at an early point in the global financial crisis
Born in September 1963, publicity-shy billionaire Alan Howard grew up in London where he attended Hasmonean Grammar School, an all boys' secondary school and sixth form college serving Orthodox Jewish families.
He remained in the city for university, completing his master's degree at Imperial College London.
His financial career began at Salomon Brothers, where he made a name for himself as a bond trader. In 2002, he went out on his own co-founded Brevan Howard Asset Management, a European hedge fund specialising in macro trading.
It became one of the world's leading macro hedge funds, peaking in 2013 with $40 billion in assets under management. A year later Howard was ranked 53rd on the UK's Sunday Times Rich List.
Unlike other billionaires, Howard has chosen to stay out of the spotlight. He has granted only a handful of press interviews and a Google search brings up very few photos of the enigmatic financier.
Howard shares four children with his French-born first wife, Sabine. The children speak both French and English.
In 2010, Howard reportedly shelled out £25,000 each to singer Pixie Lott and boy band JLS to perform at his 13-year-old son Daniel's bar mitzvah celebrations.
That same year, the Howard family moved from their home in Hampstead, north London, to Geneva. The move, which was put down to a desire for a 'change in lifestyle', raised eyebrows within the industry because it called into question London's place as a hedge fund hub.
The billionaire had owned a property in Switzerland for 'several years' before his move. In 2015 he bought a four-bedroom, six-bathroom condo in Florida for $14.5million. He and Sabine divorced that same year.
In 2017, Howard returned to the UK after seven years in Switzerland, citing family reasons.
The businessman owns a number of properties in London and in March 2008, bought a sprawling apartment in Central Park for for $11,330,000 (£7.51million).
In 2013, Howard became embroiled in controversy in 2013 when New York prosecutors claimed a $43million Monet masterpiece he bought in 2010 from the London art dealer Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox. was pilfered by a former aide to ousted Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos.
Disgraced secretary Vilma Bautista went on trial on charges that she illegally sold the 1899 painting, titled Japanese Footbridge Over Water Lily Pond in Giverny, from Mrs Marcos' vast collection.
Bautista, then 75, was found guilty in Manhattan's Supreme Court of tax fraud, conspiracy and offering a false instrument for filing.
Howard stepped down as CEO of Brevan Howard in 2019 to focus on investing and to give portfolio managers more freedom. Mr Howard is acquainted with top figures including George Osborne, but his spokesman has denied persistent reports that he is a donor to the Conservative party.
The billionaire welcomed a daughter with new wife Caroline in May this year but the couple haven't shared any further details or pictures.
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The couple were seen mingling with guests at the lavish outdoor ceremony at Villa Olmo, where they were treated to views of Lake Como.
Among those who were attending the event was Pixie Lott, who has known Alan for a number of years. She previously was paid £25,000 to perform for just 20 minutes at his son's bar mitzvah celebrations in 2010.
The 250-strong guest list were then treated to a private performance by Lady Gaga, who took to the piano to sing a
