Lakshmi Mittal the diplomat
You may be familiar with how much the richest man in Britain spent on his house, or his daughter’s wedding, or cosying up to Tony Blair. But will he be able to buy his biggest rival?
Mittal does not “share our values”, say Arcelor’s directors. “Racist shits or what?” says Tim Worstall. That’s only going to make him a bit more determined unfortunately. Lakshmi Mittal is launching a “diplomatic offensive” this week, touring France, Luxembourg and maybe even Spain to meet government ministers who want to know what’s going down. Will Mittal be able to sweet talk them with some extra cash? Who knows. I just want that house dammit.
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Filed in: Culture, Economics
Laxmi Mittal is an Indian citizen, not a Briton
You should’ve married his daughter before the LSE dude did, Sunny!
I would like that house too…but only in order to sell it in favour of one which is just a little less vulgar…
FOB – which is why I said the richest man in Britain (where he now lives) rather than the richest Briton.
This is just a wake-up call, globalisation has so far really worked one-way. I expect more of this sort of comments about values and cultures in the future – not really surprising it came from the French – and more waving of inflatable pink elephants outside parliament.
I don’t know whether the guy meant it in a racist way or in terms ofthe trade union slashing that Mittal would inevitably undertake – the French and others are notorious for the Union regulations and workers rights and so on – and Mittal cuts through all of that ie: our unionised business culture being ravaged by les anglo-saxon business model.
But maybe that is being too generous to that man.
And coruja is right – there is going to be more and more of this as the Indian and Chinese businesses start playing the field increasingly in the West – just as the growth of Japanese business interests in America sometimes led to ‘yellow peril’ rhetoric and racism.
All mere posessions. He can’t take that house with him. I have a enrichment of the soul. Still the soul may have wealth of knowledge, but that don’t pay my debts.
I will be doing the lottery this week. May not be able to buy that house with the winnings but I can go one better than the groundfloor room in my parents house.
Mr M is venturing out into new areas (steel to diplomacy?)
What?!
well apparently ( though who knows) the statement issued said that the two companies did not “share the same strategic vision, business model and values’
now that doesn’t sound like its saying anything about the ethnicity of its owner. Though that obviously doesn’t preclude any racist feelings, but i don’t see why anyone should imagine it should automatically be the case, just cos the guy is brown. Isn’t that being a little too colour/race conscious?
i wouldn’t want over-rich in-laws anyways. they’d probably just think they could buy you. people with way too much money always get bored and jaded anyway.
“just as the growth of Japanese business interests in America sometimes led to ‘yellow peril’ rhetoric and racism”
and these things don’t last for long..sure as you say jay singh that was the case..and then..people get used to it and forget that its ‘phoren’. Bet loadsa young kids now have no idea that Sony isn’t ‘American’….in the way they imagine it might be..
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