Hugh Hendry's infectious enthusiasm makes you like him, want to believe him and want to invest some money in his funds. The maverick hedge fund manager peppers his conversation with epithets; some witty "The gravest sin in investing is to be right, but too early"; some catchy "Bright people can tell you 10 good reasons why they're wrong"; some opinionated "The notion of fundamental analysis in the City is no different to someone bashing the scriptures"; and some verging on comedic "I hear voices...".
It is difficult to take Mr Hendry seriously when he says he makes stock choices by following the advice of the voices in his head and the patterns of lunar cycles. But the free thinker counteracts this with serious points about markets, themes and stock-picking.
Interviewing him, I feel a certain responsibility as a summer 2006 interview with The Times newspaper ended in him receiving death threats and being followed by an Icelandic TV crew after he was quoted as saying "I want to be known as the man who bankrupted Iceland".