This week’s factoid and opinion comes from the Spectator of 11^th March 2017 in which Rory Sutherland advises and opines that we should spare a nod to Vilfredo Pareto, after whom the 80/20 effect was named.
Pareto did at least live in accordance with his theories: his final years were spent secluded in an Alpine chalet with a mistress and 20 Persian cats.
Sutherland’s guess is that Pareto started off with five mistresses and 100 cats before deciding that 20 per cent of these would give him 80 per cent of the pleasure.

Rory Sutherland is vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK.