When 600 dignitaries gathered for World Water Day on March 22 at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., the mood was solemn. But Steve Hilton wasn’t.
Hilton, chief executive of the Conrad Hilton Foundation in Century City, decided to lighten the occasion by proposing a toast – with a glass of water, of course.
Hilton’s foundation recently pledged $50 million for water developments, and he was among the VIPs who spoke at the event.
“There was a glass of water on the podium and everyone else ignored it,” Hilton recalled last week. “I thought, isn’t it appropriate that we have clean water here? So I raised the glass and wished everyone a happy World Water Day.”
The crowd laughed. But Hilton later said, “Clean water is not a joking matter. About 3.5 million people die each year from a lack of safe water and poor sanitation.”
Hilton, 60, is the grandson of Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton and the son of Barron Hilton, whose estimated net worth of $1.95 billion ranked him 15th on the Business Journal’s list of Wealthiest Angelenos last year.
The event was held to sign an agreement between the U.S. government and the bank to fund water projects. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and World Bank President Robert Zoellick officiated.
Booking a Developer
It’s unusual for a real estate developer to host a book signing for a politician. But that’s exactly what Jim Thomas is doing Tuesday for former California Treasurer Phil Angelides.
The book is the final report from the national Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which Angelides chaired. Not that the report needs much publicity – it recently ranked No. 10 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.
How did Thomas end up with this duty?
Well, the two have been friends nearly 20 years. They met when Thomas, who was a principal owner of the Sacramento Kings basketball team in the 1990s, frequently traveled to Sacramento, where Angelides was making his mark as a developer.
“When Phil was appointed to head the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, I had lunch with him because I was really excited to have someone I know head up this vital investigation,” Thomas said.
Thomas expects about 200 to 300 people at the book signing, which will be held at the top of one of downtown L.A.’s City National Plaza towers that Thomas Properties Group owns.
“This is such an important subject that it really should be held at a place like Dodger Stadium,” Thomas said.
Lawyer Steps Out
There are plenty of tough litigators in the downtown L.A. offices of Reed Smith LLP, but attorney Raagini Shah might have the toughest feet.
Shah, 26, has trained 15 years in Bharata Natyam, a form of classical Indian dancing she likens to ballet – but without shoes.
“The beauty of the dance comes from the sound your feet make. You wear 40 bells strapped on each ankle, and you slap your foot on the ground … to keep the rhythm of the dance,” Shah said. “It is very, very hard on your feet.”
Despite the blisters, she’s toured the country several times as part of a local dance troupe. She performed in Bakersfield on March 27 to raise money to help a nonprofit in India build a village for children orphaned by AIDs.
So does she think she’d win a Reed Smith talent show?
“I don’t know,” she said with a laugh. “I’m sure there are many other people here with hidden talents we haven’t found out about.”
Staff reporters Joel Russell, Howard Fine and Alfred Lee contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
