Luxury isn't always material – Clem Sunter thinks of life as a luxury

Best-selling author, Clem Sunter has had an adventurous career... Instead of flaunting his success, he chooses to live simply.

The Luxury Of Conversation podcast is brought to you by the Lexus LS 500. Experience Amazing with host, Bruce Whitfield alongside industry experts as they talk about what luxury means to them.

In the second episode of The Luxury Of Conversation, futurist, author and strategist, Clem Sunter chats to Bruce Whitfield about life’s luxuries that are often overlooked such as time, the ability to work and the planet we live on.

It's interesting to hear a man who was once the head of the world’s biggest producer of gold, talk about his disinterest in material possessions. Sunter, the former CEO of Anglo American Corporation of South Africa’s Gold and Uranium Division says that flashy things do not excite him anymore — instead, he finds his work to be more valuable.

I just like leading an ordinary life and to be quite honest, what is a luxury now? A luxury is work. It's just nice that I'm still being asked to do lectures on the future and help companies look at their futures.

Clem Sunter, Co-author of Thinking The Future: New Perspectives from the Shoulders of Giants

Time is another commodity that he cherishes more now that he is older, and it’s thinking ahead of time for businesses that keep him motivated. In his latest book, Thinking The Future, which he penned with fellow strategist Mitch Ilbury, they mention what a valuable asset time is, especially for businesses getting started.

[Although] it's quite difficult to raise money for the first time but just remember that it's more about you making a decision that you’re going to invest your time in making sure that business is a success. That is more valuable than the money that you’re raising to start it.

Clem Sunter, Co-author of Thinking The Future: New Perspectives from the Shoulders of Giants

He also mentions the upcoming COP26 UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow this November, and how important it is for world leaders to make collective moves to combat carbon emissions. Despite an uncertain future, he hopes that a solution is created to aid our planet in the next few years, similar to how the COVID-19 vaccine was developed quickly and efficiently.

We've got 8 billion people in the world. We’ve got (you know) lots of people wanting better lives, materially, and we’ve got to find ways of delivering it without ruining our planet… I'm just hoping that technology will come to our rescue and people will come up with incredible ways of providing energy which is relatively cheap.

Clem Sunter, Co-author of Thinking The Future: New Perspectives from the Shoulders of Giants

Just like Sunter values time, blocking out the noise and focusing on what matters, so does the Lexus LS 500. The luxurious sedan has a whisper-quiet engine and noise-cancelling doors which makes it the perfect place to enjoy quality conversations.

Visit www.lexus.co.za to Experience Amazing.

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