`Godfather' Maker Coppola Replaces 'Wall Street's' Douglas as CLSA Speaker

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, director of “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” will replace actor Michael Douglas as a guest speaker at CLSA Asia- Pacific Markets’ annual conference in Hong Kong.

Coppola, 71, will speak about his career, CLSA spokeswoman Simone Wheeler said today in an interview. Douglas, known for playing Gordon Gekko in the film “Wall Street” and its sequel, canceled last month to undergo treatment for a throat tumor, according to the Hong Kong-based brokerage.

Former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan are among global leaders who have spoken at CLSA events in the past. Last year, former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke at the forum in an event closed to the media.

About 1,800 guests will attend next week’s conference, with institutional investors making up two-thirds of attendees, according to Wheeler. Singer Rihanna will perform at the event, and other speakers include former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and money manager Marc Faber.

CLSA is the Asian brokerage unit of Paris-based Credit Agricole SA.

To contact the reporter on this story: Philip Lagerkranser at lagerkranser@bloomberg.net