Boris Johnson’s Asia-based brother Max on his investment banking and wellness work, what he realised because of the pandemic – and his favourite Rolex watch
He first came to Hong Kong in 2012 to work at investment bank Goldman Sachs and found the family connection was more of a handicap than a help.
“I found it a bit of a hindrance, especially at Goldman Sachs, because whenever I would meet anybody in business, some people thought that I was where I am because of my family relation. And that’s always been something that I’ve had to deal with as I tried to forge my own path.”
In 2016, he opened investment and advisory firm MJ Capital in Hong Kong. “We work with private equity funds, investment management funds, and typically what clients want is Asian exposure and Chinese investors. I introduce them to joint venture partners or investors,” says Johnson, who is temporarily ensconced in Bali.
With all that going on, he still manages to fit family and downtime into his work schedule. “I wake up about 7am because our baby usually wakes me, ” he says. “The morning is spent having breakfast and making sure that the baby’s had breakfast. And then I will get onto my work. I’ll try and do a good chunk in the morning. After lunch, I take an hour to exercise. I like to play tennis, or I might hit the gym or swim, it breaks up the day. And then I do more work in the afternoon. But mainly things start for me after dinner, because that’s when Europe is in its daytime. Typically, I work from about 9pm until midnight.”
He is looking forward to travelling back to China when the pandemic is over. “I’d like to get to China more to attend conferences and events where I’ve been invited to speak. Just getting in front of people would be great rather than getting in front of a computer screen.”
Max Johnson’s preferred watch – Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona
- Johnson – temporarily based in Bali – moved to Hong Kong in 2012 to work at Goldman Sachs, then opened his own firm MJ Capital, where clients want ‘Chinese investors’
- A polyglot, he attended Oxford and Eton College, is on the board of wellness company Reviv, and keeps fit by swimming and playing tennis