Grégoire Pennone, the hyperactive banker who bought the unwanted

Grégoire Pennone, a banker now in his fifties, has carved out a unique career path, marked by acquiring banks that others deemed undesirable. His journey began in the mid-2010s through an unusual series of events that led him to purchase clients from several Swiss banks. He also merged the bank his father co-founded with Bénédict Hentsch with other institutions during a period of significant change in the financial sector.

Pennone's decade-long banking odyssey was far from ordinary. Beyond his financial dealings, he organized the Geneva marathon, ventured into selling breast augmentation procedures to Russian clients, and actively avoided boredom. He now looks back on this period with a sense of surprise at his own perceived hyperactivity.

His personal philosophy, once illustrated by a Jack Kerouac quote on his WhatsApp profile, emphasizes living life to the fullest. The quote, "Because in the end, you won't remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that damn mountain," reflects his approach to life and career. Pennone seems to have actively sought out challenges, viewing his professional life as a series of obstacles he not only appreciated but perhaps unconsciously desired.