America has always been drawn to an unelected elite. Meet the courtier class | Nancy Isenberg

From Hamilton to the Epstein class', we have long been fascinated by a charismatic yet shadowy set of power brokers. American aristocracy is alive and well

Americans remain awed by the extravagance of the super-rich, oddly enticed and generally accepting of the fact that the monied elite have privileges that they use to their own advantage.

After the Hollywood celebrity and the professional athlete, the figure who invites the most curiosity is what is colloquially termed powerbroker". We're talking about the dealmaker, the inside player - or in the words of Sade's song, a smooth operator".