News Articles

Ratan Tata
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_30/b3893068.htm

"When he got the top job, Tata pulled his plan out of the filing cabinet and set about shaking up the pedigreed but plodding conglomerate. He sold off noncore businesses such as cosmetics and cooking oil. He shrank the group to 80 companies from 250 and angered some investors by strengthening Tata Sons' stake in group companies to at least 26% -- which gives the group the right to block takeovers -- from as little as 1.7% before.

Doubters watched in amazement as the nonconfrontational and aristocratic Tata started to develop battle instincts."


Zhang Yin
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/16/content_785073.htm

"Zhang is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body to the government whose role resembles that of a legislative upper house...

Her expansion into cardboard coincided with the financial chaos of 1997 and 1998, when international investors withdrew capital from Asian markets. As Zhang prepared to build a second production line, her Hong Kong-based banker demanded more security. She declined to name the bank.

"He had originally agreed to the machines, which were imported and brand new, as collateral for the loan," Zhang said. "But he demanded more, so I ended up putting down my factory land as collateral as well, almost everything I had." That bet paid off."


Carlos Slim
http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/0326/134.html

"Slim, 67, amassed his pile in a nation where per capita income is less than $6,800 a year and half the population lives in poverty. His wealth comes to 6.3% of Mexico's annual economic output; if Gates had a similar chunk in the U.S., he'd be worth $784 billion. It's enough to give any populist heartburn."