Paul was twenty-four years old at the time, with no idea what to make of his life. His father had died the year before – leaving him a modest business empire, centred on a thriving retail chain, which he had no interest in managing. He’d spent seven years travelling and studying – science, history and philosophy – doing well enough at everything he tried, but unable to discover anything that kindled real intellectual passion. With no struggle for financial security ahead, he’d been sinking quietly into a state of bemused complacency.
