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As publisher of Taipan, J. Christoph Amberger's role can be compared to that of a spider in the middle of the web. He is constantly in touch with all of Taipan's sources, contacts, and correspondents, directs their research, and identifies new and promising subjects.
J. Christoph Amberger grew up in what used to be West Berlin, Germany. Educated at Berlin, Göttingen, Aberdeen (Scotland) and St. John's Graduate Institute in Annapolis, Maryland, his work and travel have given him firsthand experience of eastern and western Europe, as well as North and Central America. A frequent speaker at international conferences, he is the author of several books and scores of articles and special reports on international politics, travel, palaeohoplology, and collectibles.
You can read excerpts from his latest book, The Secret History of the Sword, at www.swordhistory.com.
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Profit Perspectives 2000 and Beyond
by J. Christoph Amberger
A few years ago -- it was in late 1996 -- I received a phone call that gave me pause.
I remember it was one of those grey winter days in Baltimore that make you wonder why you haven't shifted production and headquarters to a place where the sky is blue all year round... and the natives play tennis in their swimming trunks every day of the week.
Now, being the publisher of Taipan, I do get a lot of phone calls. Vendors, advertisers, telemarketers, members, you name it. But that one particular call sticks in my memory... as a portent of things to come.
Was I the publisher of Taipan, the caller wanted to know. And if so, could he interest me in a joint venture -- to assemble a small group of enterprising individual investors. The purpose?
To buy substantial political and economic control in a developing nation... with the ultimate aim of taking over that country.
I wasn't in the market for a country that day in 1996. But I remember speculating about which country would be a decent candidate for corporate takeover.
After all, it's been done before. And right now at this point in history, there are quite a few biological trends playing into your hands...
How to buy a country
Let's take Namibia.
Not only is it among the poorest nations in the world, but it's also being crippled by AIDS. With 20% to 26% of all people aged 15-49 infected, AIDS is eating away at the pool of skilled workers and managers, and the economy.
Population: 1.7 million.
Size: 318,580 square miles.
Resources: Substantial mineral deposits, including diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, and uranium. Fish and fish products also account for one-fourth of all export earnings.
GDP: For 1997 -- latest figures available -- US$3.28 billion.
Okay -- let's look at that. The country has wealth, and a literacy rate of 62% of the adult population. But the country is going to be wiped out by AIDS. A quarter of the adults could die, starting in the next few years.
So let's say the GDP even stays at just over US$3 billion. What would it take to literally buy everything in the country? Let's see. Bill Gates alone has about US$90 billion (give or take a few -- those pesky Federal anti-trust trysts do a number on one's portfolio...).
He could probably do it himself.
But let's say some entrepreneur gets the idea he wants to buy a country. So he posts a notice on an Internet financial bulletin board:
"Partners wanted: buying African country."
Interested investors begin to reply, and some seasoned financial managers. Within 72 hours a fund is registered, word spreads, and within a few weeks eager-beaver investors have deposited US$6 billion. Every publicly traded company is bought out and all available real estate is purchased. Control is secured, and soon after, the fund starts actively buying unlisted properties, contacting owners with offers. Same with businesses.
Is this possible? Who knows. Could it happen? Who knows.
One thing is for sure. We at Taipan have already received inquiries from enterprising privateers who've invited us to provide interested sources or capital for just that kind of thing.
Point is, the future is going to be full of surprises. Life is going to change more than we can possibly imagine right now.
Read on...
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