Every day, twice a day, for the past 20 years, the executive charged with investing tens of billions of dollars for Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund thinks of nothing. He does this by sitting silently and saying a word inside himself. After a few minutes, his breathing calms, his face muscles relax and the flutter behind his eyelids stills.

I know this because I am sitting opposite Peter Ng. Unlike the chief investment officer of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, however, I am a poor meditator. I know this because halfway through our 20-minute meditation session, I open my eyes after engaging with a thought: is meditation compatible with the cut-throat world of finance?

It is an apt reflection given that Mr Ng sits on a panel sponsored by the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute, a standards-setting body for fund managers and financial analysts, pondering the “future of finance”.