A time for hard hatsPhotograph: Getty Images

Oct 23rd 2025|4 min read

A dinner hosted by the London Metals Exchange every October is where “base” metals meet the West End. In a glitzy ballroom, 1,500 black-tied guests talk beneath chandeliers, take selfies on balustrades and clap at rusty jokes. At the VIP table, miners and ministers craft deals while sipping chardonnay. Bets are placed on how long the post-dinner show will last—a 20-minute rendition of “Mamma Mia!” featuring LME bosses, it turns out. Award winners go home with a bottle of fizz.

Signage for Mizuho Bank Ltd., a unit of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MHFG), at one of the bank's branches in Tokyo, Japan.

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