Spear’s Review

Few private bankers can claim a client base as eclectic as Matthew Lazenby’s. As part of the sports, media and entertainment team at Coutts, the executive director works with Premier League footballers, recording artists and video game developers – not to mention lottery winners.

His lottery work is perhaps his most distinctive calling card. When a winner comes to Coutts, Lazenby often drops everything and travels to meet them wherever they are. ‘A lot of them are rabbits in headlights at that stage,’ he explains. ‘They really don’t know where to turn.’ The relationship begins there, and Lazenby guides clients through property, investment and long-term legacy planning. ‘It’s a privilege,’ he says simply.

His music industry clients present a different but equally delicate challenge. The recent trend of artists selling their recording catalogues – exchanging a steady income stream for a payout that can exceed several hundred-million pounds – has created an entirely new set of needs. ‘All of a sudden they have this lump sum that they need support with, and they need to understand what they ought to be doing to create the legacy that they and their family need.’