CEO Sings 'Unfortunate' Song Before Interview, Apologizes

Sainsbury's head Mike Coupe was filmed singing 'We're in the Money'
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted May 1, 2018 10:35 AM CDT

As far as gaffes go, it's pretty priceless: A CEO waiting to discuss his company's new $10 billion deal in an ITV News interview was filmed singing "We're in the Money." Mike Coupe, the head of Sainsbury's supermarkets, was captured quietly singing, "We're in the money, the sky is sunny, let's lend it, spend it, send it rolling along." He has since apologized for his "unfortunate choice of song" and said he was simply "trying to compose myself before a TV interview." As for why that song, he said only that he saw the musical it hails from, 42nd Street, last year.

A rep for Sainsbury's elaborated on that point, reports the Guardian, saying, "We all know these songs stay in your head. To attach any wider meaning to this innocent, personal moment is preposterous." But the potential truth of the song stung some critics, who noted that Sainsbury's shares surged 15% after news of the Asda acquisition was announced Monday. CBS News reports that jump raised the value of Coupe's own shares by $750,000. The BBC notes this wasn't Coupe's first foray into music. The "keen guitarist" has previously performed in front of thousands of his employees.
(More gaffe stories.)

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