Yup, reminiscent of the world’s oldest business accounting joke. FT rules preclude the usual ethnic assignments.

Company CEO is interviewing candidates for the vacant CFO position. Says to the first candidate “I’ve read your résumé, you’re obviously very well qualified, I like to keep these interviews short and simple, tell me, how much is 2+2.” First candidate says “that’s easy, four.”

CEO says the same thing to the second candidate who pulls out a computer and spends five minutes banging away at the computer keys, looks up and says “four”.

Third candidate, CEO says the same thing. Candidate jumps up out of chair, slams the office door closed, runs to the windows and pulls down all the window shades, rips every computer cable and telephone line out of the wall, looks around to make sure no one else is listening, walks up to the CEO and whispers in CEO’s ear “whatever you want it to be”.