The news that would destroy the privileged upbringing of the future chief executive of Macquarie Group arrived at their London terrace in an envelope stamped with a Colombo postmark.

A senior health department official in Sri Lanka had written to Shemara Wikramanayake's father, Ranji, to advise that he had been removed as a consultant physician at Colombo's top hospital. He was ordered to abandon his medical studies and return immediately home, where he was to be posted to a regional hospital.