FINANCIAL TIMES Column: The total number of centenarians is projected to rise from 14,000 in 2013 to 111,000 in 2037
Charles Eugster is neither frail nor doddery. None of the stereotypes apply to this London-born 94-year-old, who now lives in Switzerland. The former dentist (he quit at 75) published a newsletter on his profession until he was 82. In his 80s, he was a keen rower – until at 85 he decided that he was looking a bit stooped and flabby round the edges. Vanity drove him to a bodybuilding club and, at the age of 90, he did a stint as a promoter for a German fitness group.
Single, he despairs of dating agencies that tend to have 70 as their upper age limit. “To me all these 70-somethings are teenagers,” he told me. Though he does not need the money, he is keen to “earn a buck” – but he finds employers are not open to hiring a 94-year-old. A salary, no matter how meagre, would provide an indication of his value… (more)
