Kwasi Kwarteng was flying back to the UK at 36,000ft over the Atlantic when his fate was sealed and he was clueless until he touched down, according to reports.
The ex-Chancellor had been ordered back to Britain from talks with finance ministers in Washington DC on Friday as the fallout from his mini-budget continued.
By the time his plane had landed at Heathrow on Friday, Prime Minister Liz Truss had removed him from No.11 ahead of announcing Jeremy Hunt as his successor later the same day.