‘Bristol should give a warm welcome to billionaire’s superyacht’

It was Alexander Pope who wrote: “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”

When taking a brief glimpse into the life of James ‘Jim’ Simons, it is very easy to find out that he is a billionaire, a prolific hedge fund manager, Maths professor and a quantitative investor (whatever that is!).

He also happens to be the guy who owns Archimedes, the so-called superyacht that has sailed into Bristol harbour, parking itself up by M Shed for all to see.

As comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said about stretch limos: “You see a limo go by, you know it’s either some rich jerk or fifty prom kids with $1.75 each.”

Whilst there are very few certainties in life, the Archimedes is unlikely to be currently housing a number of celebrating students.

It is the opinion of Pip Taylor in a recent Bristol24/7 opinion piece that the passenger of the Archimedes must, in that case be the former.

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Read more: ‘The boat that sucked’

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Taylor decries the “giddy chatter” of Bristolians on social media welcoming the giant vessel, even belittling the Harbour Master’s desire on Twitter that the Archimedes has a lovely stay.

His beef is with Simons and the part he feels he had to play in the 2008 financial crash as well as his billions accruing in offshore funds.

Dig a little deeper and you find there is a Ying to accompany Simons’ Yang. The Simons Foundation funds research into education and health, especially concerning young people.

Following the death of one of his sons, he funded a national reserve. Following the death of another of his sons, he funds Nepalese healthcare through a research facility dedicated to his son.

Simons is a also a major donor and contributor to autism research in the US. He founded and has pledged $50m to Math For America to assist with numeracy among young people in the States.

There are many, many more scientific and medical programmes, facilities and institutions listed on the very same Wikipedia page that is crossed-referenced for those, like me, that like their research from a variety of places.

A philanthropist with a chequered past that uses money for good. Sound familiar Bristol?

Proof positive that we, as a society are riddled with grey areas and whilst we are riding the good ship capitalism, inequality will continue to expose fractures that bring about passionate responses.

What we must take objection to and call out at every opportunity is Taylor’s hostility that overspills into legitimising vandalism.

Is it fair that people are queuing at food banks? Absolutely not. Is it fair that people are working multiple jobs just to pay the rent? Absolutely not. Is it fair that Taylor’s wife works at the BRI yet can’t afford to live in the city she serves? Certainly not.

Is that reason for Simons not to sail his yacht into our docks and moor it next to the M Shed?

If there were some Jordan Belfort activities going on above deck for all to see, I’d say maybe flaunt your lifestyle somewhere else and sail off into the sunset.

For the sake of a conversation point, a photo opportunity and a warm welcome from the people of Bristol, then everyone’s welcome.

The unconscionable desire for someone to vandalise Simons’ property and Bristol24/7’s decision to publish the thinly veiled threat is a step too far.

Bookmarks Bookshop in Fitzrovia, central London, was recently attacked by far-right protesters. Taylor himself retweeted posts of disgust at this attack.

Condoning and in fact encouraging “something” to happen to the yacht is tantamount to the same thing. Especially if you are familiar with the violent end Frank Vincent’s character meets in Goodfellas.

Bristol has risen from the ashes and has become a city that welcomes, despite the many and varied elements of its murky past.

If Pip Taylor, as his Twitter profile suggests, really does care about stuff, then he should aim higher for the Pierian spring rather than the gutter where his cheap shots come from.

Shane Morgan is a theatre director and writer who is director of Bristol-based RoughHouse Theatre. Half-Australian, half-British, he is a citizen of the world who stays away from sporting events.