Lessons from a fugitive: What the tangled tale of Marc Rich tells us about Carlos Ghosn

The lives of Rich (left) and Ghosn (right) seem ripped from a spy novel. Rich: Blick RDB/ullstein bild/Getty Images Ghosn: JOSEPH —AFP/Getty Images

Warum Schweizer Erdölhändler die Finger von Iran lassen

Das amerikanische Embargo gegen iranisches Erdöl hat keine rechtliche Grundlage in der Schweiz und in der EU. Dennoch wollen sich Schweizer Rohwarenhändler daran halten. Der Arm der USA ist lange.

Rusal auf den Spuren von Marc Rich

Die amerikanischen Sanktionen lasten auf Rusal. Das erinnert an Iran. Damals half Marc Rich dem Gottesstaat. Könnte Rusal dieses Kunststück auch gelingen?

«Не говорил с журналистами и не давал интервью»: как написать книгу-биографию о нефтяном миллиардере

В издательстве «Альпина Паблишер» вышла книга «Нефтяной король. Секретная жизнь Марка Рича» — биография трейдера, который прошел путь от мальчика-беженца Марселла Рейха до бизнесмена, пожимавшего руки диктаторам. Он начал торговать нефтью с СССР, как только открыл свою компанию, а потом был одним из немногих, кто строил бизнес в бывших союзных республиках, когда банковская система там еще не функционировала (ящики долларов перевозили на самолете). T&P поговорили со швейцарским журналистом Даниэлем Амманном о том, как ему удалось добиться знакомства с миллиардером и как писать книги в таком жанре.

Weyer et Rich, le couple qui a fait de la Suisse une puissance pétrolière

Un banquier genevois et un négociant zougois ont inventé le trading de pétrole moderne et son financement. Une poule aux œufs d’or qui a aussi donné à la place helvétique un fumet sulfureux. Troisième volet de notre enquête sur la naissance du négoce de matières premières en Suisse.

King of Oil: How two phone calls from Ehud Barak to Bill Clinton may have led to President Trump

Marc Rich worked for the Mossad while also doing business with world despots. Giuliani and Comey were on his tail before Bill Clinton pardoned him in his last hours in the White House. He may be the cornerstone on which Hillary Clinton’s opponents built her corrupt image. By Eytan Avriel

Glencore’s Zinc Rationale Defies History

“You shut up!/No, YOU shut up!” is how schoolyard scuffles kick off. Miners tweak it slightly to: “You shut down!/No, YOU shut down!” Ivan Glasenberg, the chief executive of Glencore, has long bemoaned miners’ tendency to literally dig themselves into a hole with too much supply. As concern about Glencore’s swollen debt has hit the stock price, Glasenberg has recently taken himself at his word, ordering a temporary shutdown of some of the company’s zinc output. That caused the price of the metal to jump 10 percent last Friday. But history suggests Glencore’s fight to raise zinc prices sustainably could be a tough one.

Glencore’s Biggest Risk Is Hiding in Plain Sight

What you don’t know can hurt you, so it’s understandable that analysts have raised questions about Glencore’s opaque commodity-trading business. Without the ability to work out how it makes money, the unit is a “black box,” according to Morningstar’s David Wang. But there’s more to fear from what’s in plain sight. Capital spending has been the biggest single drain on Glencore’s cash flow in every year since it started the takeover of Xstrata in 2012

Tod eines Dealers

Seinen letzten Firmensitz hatte der Vater des modernen Rohstoffhandels über einem Bistro. Im Erdgeschoss des Bürogebäudes Baarerstraße 53 in Zug am Zugersee preist “Monsieur Baguette” in bunten Lettern Schweizer Birchermüesli, Brötli und Ovomaltine an, daneben wirbt ein Friseur mit großen Postern um Kundschaft. Aber auf Etage vier, vor der Zentrale der millionenschweren Holding, hängt nur ein diskretes Schild mit der Aufschrift “MRI Group of Companies”. Seinen vollen Namen hat Marc Rich ja öfter gelesen, als ihm lieb war. Und seine besten Geschäfte hat er gemacht, als ihn noch nicht so viele kannten.

Oil King Marc Rich Dead At 78

Commodities kingpin and fugitive American ex-pat Marc Rich died today from a stroke at the age of 78 in a hospital in Lucerne, Switzerland. Rich was the founder in 1974 of Marc Rich & Co. AG, a pioneering oil-trading firm. Beginning with a management buyout in 1994, the firm eventually became what is today Glencore Xstrata, the world’s largest commodities trading house. The Belgian-born Rich started out at the bottom but became a powerful and shadowy figure in financial circles.

Marc Rich, Financier and Famous Fugitive, Dies at 78

Marc Rich, a shrewd, swashbuckling oil trader who fled to Switzerland after being indicted on charges of widespread tax evasion, illegal dealings with Iran and other crimes, and who was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton in his last hours in office, setting off a whirlwind of criticism, died on Wednesday in Lucerne, Switzerland. He was 78.

El cinc, el peor negocio de Marc Rich

En Marc Rich se juntan polémica y éxito inusitado en los negocios, al menos hasta que el industrial se metió en el mercado del cinc, a comienzos de los años noventa.

Человек, создавший Glencore

В мировой истории, если подумать, можно обнаружить много
противоречивых фигур, чьи поступки и намерения никак не вяжутся
с кодексом морального поведения. Петр I, Иван Грозный, Наполеон
Бонапарт – на память приходит масса имен людей, которые не были
образцом благочестия, но крупными буквами вписали свои имена
в историю. Ведь именно они и были ее творцами. К числу этих ярких,
но неоднозначных личностей относится и Марк Рич – американский
мультимиллионер, создавший в 1974 г. первую компанию-трейдера
сырьевых товаров Mark Rich & Co. В 1994 г. предприятие Марка Рича, во-
шедшее к тому времени в десятку крупнейших европейских компаний
по обороту, было переименовано в Glencore. Тринадцать лет спустя
эта компания стала одним из акционеров РУСАЛа.

The Goldman Sachs Of The Commodities World

Before its May IPO on the London Stock Exchange and a secondary float on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Glencore International Plc ‘s (GLCNF.PK) business dealings were typically described as secretive. Understandable, as the company was famously known for its lack of disclosure.

Der Schattenmann

Diskretion machte Marc Rich zum wohl reichsten Ölhändler der Welt und zum langjährigen Herrscher über Glencore, eines der mächtigsten Rohstoff-Imperien der Welt. Das Porträt eines umstrittenen Mannes.

Revelações de um corretor de negócios muito amigo de governos

“Rei do Petróleo – A Vida Secreta de Marc Rich”, Daniel Ammann. Novo Século. 326 págs., R$ 39,90

Personagem-chave na criação do mercado spot de petróleo, Marc Rich era reverenciado, desde os anos 1970, como um dos mais bem-sucedidos corretores de commodities. Até que, em 1983, foi acusado, nos Estados Unidos, de sonegação fiscal e de fazer negócios com um país inimigo, o Irã (entre outros). Rich fugiu para a Suiça, de onde nunca mais voltou, apesar de tentativas do governo americano para extraditá-lo, e mesmo de sequestrá-lo. O livro de Daniel Ammann, jornalista suiço, é o resultado de mais de 30 horas de conversas com Rich, que lhe falou sobre sua vida e seus negócios com petróleo, nos quais esteve envolvido até os anos 1990. Ammann também ouviu colaboradores, amigos, parentes e funcionários do governo americano.

O rei do petróleo

O REI DO PETROLEO – A VIDA SECRETA DE MARC RICH  – Livro de Daniel Ammann – Novo Seculo Editora – 2011 – Obra recem publicada nos EUA e no Brasil com a biografia do maior especulador de petroleo dos tempos modernos, Marc Rich, judeu belga cuja familia fugiu de Antuerpia em 1940 e depois de muitas peripécias chegou a Nova York pelo lendario vapor português Serpa Pinto, cuja historia já postei aqui no blog. Marc Rich começou sua vida  na famosa trading de metais Philip Brothers, a PHIBRO, muito conhecida no Brasil e que tinha escritorio em São Paulo.

ZDF Zoom: Die Sprit-Abzocke

Jedes Jahr das gleiche Spiel, jedes Jahr der gleiche Ärger: Pünktlich zum Ferienbeginn, wenn die Deutschen mit dem Auto in die langersehnten Sommerurlaub reisen, steigen die Benzinpreise. Mitunter ziehen sie sogar mehrfach am Tag an. Verbände wie der ADAC und der Auto Club Europa (ACE) vermuten seit langem: Die Mineralölkonzerne treffen untereinander Preisabsprachen, um beim Geschäft an der Tanksäule kräftig mitzuverdienen.

Glencore to Emerge From Shadows With I.P.O.

Tucked away in a small village about 30 minutes from Zurich, Glencore International has grown from a small, secretive trading firm into one of the biggest buyers, sellers and producers of commodities in the last three decades. Behind the scenes, Glencore touches most basic resources, like sugar in coffee and the wires in cellphones.

Das Geheimnis des Rohstoffgiganten

Ein schillernder Gründer, diskrete Geschäfte und satte Milliardengewinne: Der Rohstoffkonzern Glencore ist das größte Unternehmen der Schweiz, jetzt drängt es an die Börse. Den bisher so verschwiegenen Managern beschert das Probleme – und der Öffentlichkeit Einblicke in eine verborgene Welt.

Von Rich zu Glasenberg – Eine Chronologie

1974 – Marc Rich gründet in Zug die Marc Rich + Company. Partner sind Pincus Green, John Trafford und Jacques Hachuel. Alexander Hackel, ein Experte für Aluminium und Osteuropa, stößt hinzu. Das Startkapital beträgt 2 Mio. Franken. Rich borgte es sich von seinem Schwiegervater Emil Eisenberg. “Wir mochten uns alle. Und meine Freunde fühlten, dass da Geld zu machen war”, erinnerte sich Rich gegenüber seinem Biografen Daniel Ammann. Zug war seit 1957 das europäische Hauptquartier für Philipp Brothers, Richs früherem Arbeitgeber. Philipp Brothers, später Phibro, gehört heute zu Occidental Petroleum. 

Glencore rises from four-room flat

Originally operating from a small apartment in central Switzerland’s Zug canton, commodities specialist Glencore has evolved over 37 years into a giant of the sector valued at around $US60 billion ($A57.25 billion).

Aus einem Zuger Quartier auf die Fahndungsliste des FBI

Die Schweizer Firma Glencore gab heute den grössten Börsengang des Jahres bekannt. Die ersten Geschäfte des Unternehmens wurden aus der Vier-Zimmer-Wohnung des zweifelhaften Gründers Marc Rich getätigt.

Glencore: des origines modestes au géant des matières premières

Le village bucolique de Baar a tout d’une carte postale de la Suisse, avec ses sommets enneigés, ses vertes prairies et ses vaches broutant paisiblement. Mais grâce à la fiscalité particulièrement avantageuse du canton, il a attiré au fil des ans une multitude de spécialistes des matières premières.

The Man Revolutionised Commodities Trading

In the discreet commodities trading business, Marc Rich, the founder of commodities giant Glencore, cuts a controversial figure. While he was pursued for decades by US justice on accusations of tax evasion and illegal trading with Iran before finally being pardoned, Rich has also been credited with revolutionising commodities trading through a firm he founded 37 years ago, called Marc Rich + Co, later named Glencore.

l’homme qui a révolutionné le marché des matières premières

Génie de la finance pour les uns, homme d’affaires sans scrupule pour les autres, Marc Rich a révolutionné le négoce des matières premières en fondant il y a plus de 35 ans la très discrète société suisse Marc Rich + Co qui deviendra ensuite Glencore.

Glencore beginnt ein neues Kapitel

Der von Marc Rich gegründete Rohwarenhändler Glencore nimmt wohl Abschied vom Partnerschaftsmodell. Als Rich damals ausstieg, musste Roche als stiller Teilhaber einspringen.

Mit den Mächtigen auf Du und Du

In Marc Richs Reich geht die Sonne nie unter, so beschrieb ein Freund des milliardenschweren Rohstoffhändlers in Anspielung auf Karl V. die weitreichenden Geschäftsbeziehungen des Milliardärs und Glencore-Gründers auf dem Höhepunkt seiner Macht in den 70 und 80er Jahren.

Der unbekannte Schweizer Riese

Glencore ist ein Schweizer Konzern, noch weitgehend unbekannt und in Privatbesitz. Glencore ist aber auch am Umsatz gemessen größer als Nestle, Novartis oder UBS. Und Glencore will an die Börse. Es könnte eines der größten IPOs der europäischen Wirtschaftsgeschichte werden.

Rich and infamous skeleton in the cupboard

Glencore’s looming flotation, in which the company could be valued at $60 billion, will bring the Swiss commodities trader into the public eye for the first time, forcing it to confront its controversial past.

The biggest company you never heard of

On Christmas Eve 2008, in the depths of the global financial crisis, Katanga Mining accepted a lifeline it could not refuse.

Der große Unbekannte

Obwohl Marc Rich in den 1970er-Jahren mit einer Handvoll Partnern das Kartell der Ölmultis zerschlug und zum Milliardär wurde, blieb er weiterhin der große Unbekannte der Weltwirtschaft. Mit der Diskretion des „King of Oil“ ist es wegen des lukrativen Börsengangs von Glencore vorbei.

Founding father backs Glencore IPO

Marc Rich, founder of the Swiss trading house that evolved into Glencore, says the group has little choice but to become a public company, despite believing that secrecy is an advantage in the commodities market. In his first interview in at least 20 years, Mr Rich backed Glencore’s steps to become a public company this year and even said he planned to buy shares in the business that he sold in 1993.

Der Ölhändler von Castro und Khomeini

Dass Bücher über ökonomische Themen nicht per se trocken oder zu theoretisch sind, beweist das Buch von Daniel Ammann über Marc Rich, das sich stellenweise wie ein Thriller liest. Dass es sich trotzdem um ein seriöses Buch handelt, zeigt die Verleihung des renommierten Georg-von-Holtzbrinck-Preises für Wirtschaftspublizistik an den Autor. Ammann schreibt über den wohl mächtigsten Rohstoffhändler aller Zeiten, Marc Rich. Er stand 17 Jahre wegen Steuerbetrugs und Geschäften mit dem Iran auf der Fahndungsliste der am meisten gesuchten Männer der USA, bis ihn Präsident Bill Clinton an seinem letzten Amtstag im Januar 2001 begnadigte.

“Marc Rich – Der König des Öls”

Die Amerikaner schickten zwei ihrer besten Agenten auf die heikle Mission: Howard Safir, den späteren Polizeichef von New York, und Chefinspektor Don Ferrarone, eine Legende, seit er mitgeholfen hatte, den größten Drogenring der Vereinigten Staaten zu zerschlagen. Getarnt als harmlose Touristen, reisten die beiden Undercover-Polizisten im Herbst 1985 in die Schweiz ein. Ihre Mission, das wussten sie genau, würde die freundschaftlichen Beziehungen zu den Eidgenossen nachhaltig stören: Sie wollten hinter dem Rücken der Behörden einen Geschäftsmann entführen, der sich vor der amerikanischen Justiz ins schweizerische Städtchen Zug abgesetzt hatte.

“Man nannte ihn einen Teufel”

Marc Rich war der mächtigste Rohstoffhändler der Welt. Eine Biografie beleuchtet seinen Aufstieg und Fall.

The Financial Times on The King of Oil

The Financial Times just published an excellent article about Glencore, its origin and its future. The King of Oil – The Secret Lives of Marc Rich was an important source and is quoted in the article:

Amid such profound changes, Glencore started to plot a new future. Such plans will move the group further from its origins under Marc Rich, an oil trader who founded the business under the name of Marc Rich + Co in 1974, and sold to management in 1993. According to Daniel Ammann’s book, The Secret Lives of Marc Rich, the founder – who made a lot of money from deals with countries shunned by others, such as apartheid South Africa and Iran – sold the company to management for about $600m, a figure Mr Rich said was not far from reality.

“Carefully Researched Biography”

Marc Rich has been described as the world’s biggest commodities trader, the inventor of the spot oil market, a traitor, and the savior of Israel and Jamaica.

Why Sanctions Against Iran Will (Almost Surely) Fail

Iran is coming under even greater pressure to curb its nuclear program. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote soon on a fresh round of sanctions against the country. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the draft resolution is even “somewhat stronger” than he expected. According to the New York Times, even the very lucrative energy sector is mentioned in the preamble, noting the “potential connection between Iran’s revenues derived from its energy sector” and possible financing for its nuclear program.

石油之王:马克·里奇的秘密人生

谁能想到一个身无分文的欧洲大屠杀事件的幸存者，能够通过自己坚忍不拔的努力最终跻身为美国最富有的富豪之一？又有谁能够想到一个穷困潦倒的犹太难民的后 裔，能够凭借石油贸易一举成为世界上最有权势的大宗商品经销商，成为当之无愧的“石油之王”？马克·里奇是20世纪最有权势、也最具争议的贸易商人之一。 他的生活也总是异常受人关注，他与生活了20多年的妻子离婚，他的离婚代价不菲；他神通广大，与许多政治敏感国家关系友好，并与它们进行石油贸易；他在美 国臭名昭著，是美国“历史上最大的逃税案”的主犯，被认为是“叛国者”，遭到国际通缉。但无疑，马克·里奇是幸运的，2001年1月，当比尔·克林顿总统 在位的最后一天他终于得到赦免。这一切就构成了世人眼中的马克·里奇。他永远都不褪色的一生充满了神秘的传奇色彩。

“Sanctions On Iran Will Fail”

Hillary Clinton telling Iran that the US is looking for sanctions that bite is like telling them they’re going to be grounded and cannot go outside. Sanctions don’t work as far as political threats are concerned in the Middle East – at best they are “hit or miss.” And as reported in Daniel Ammann’s new book, The King of Oil, Israel got 60-90% of its oil from Iran at a time that they weren’t officially recognized because it was in everyone’s interest to be business partners although publicly they had to “not save face” and remain bitter enemies.

Forbes – The World’s Billionaires

#937 Marc Rich

Net Worth:	$1.0 bil
Fortune:	Self Made
Source:	commodities
Age:	75
Country Of Citizenship:	United States
Residence:	Meggen
Education:	New York U, Drop Out
Marital Status:	Divorced, 2 children

NYU dropout started career in mail room of Philipp Brothers in 1954. With long-term partner Pincus Green, built Phibro into world’s largest trader of oil, grain, metals. Left mid-1970s, founded Marc Rich & Co. Fled to Europe 1983 after being indicted for trading with Iran during hostage crisis, evading $50 million in taxes. Duo pardoned by Clinton 2001. Born in Antwerp, Belgium 1934, spent childhood in Philadelphia, Kansas City, New York. Now resides in Switzerland; has given more than $100 million to Jewish causes and leukemia research. Lost millions to Madoff. Net worth estimate likely low.

Recent book by Swiss journalist Daniel Ammann says Rich revealed in interviews his extensive dealings with Iran, Cuba, South Africa; said he provided intelligence to U.S. diplomats about regimes while on the run.

source: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_Marc-Rich_THOQ.html

“Glencore is Marc Rich’s legacy”

It’s a well-known fact that oil made Marc Rich the world’s richest and most powerful commodities trader. Oil also made Rich – born Marcell David Reich – infamous around the world for his illegal deals with Iran during the hostage crisis almost 30 years ago. But what few people know is that metals – rather than oil – are responsible for kicking off and ultimately ending his career, Daniel Ammann, author of Rich biography “The King of Oil” reveals.

Der mächtigste Manager der Schweiz

Willy Strothotte ist heute in der Schweiz weitgehend unbekannt. Das ist kein Zufall. Wer aber ist der Nachfolger des legendären Rohstoffhändlers Marc Rich, dessen Konzern Glencore mit der gewollten Intransparenz allmählich ein Problem bekommt?

Book Talk: On Glencore founder Marc Rich

Digging deep into the world of commodities trading was no easy task for Swiss-based author Daniel Ammann and his latest biography. “The King of Oil” is an exclusive, no-holds barred biography of billionaire commodities trader, former fugitive and founder of the trading giant that became Glencore, Marc Rich.

“Marc Rich speaks..but what did he say?”

The Barrel

Marc Rich has finally spoken. He’s spoken a lot, apparently, to Daniel Ammann, and even took a picture with him. That in itself is newsworthy, because The King of Oil, as the title of the book written by Ammann describes Rich, has talked very little over the years.

“His good name was everything to him”

Marc Rich: Billionaire businessman and philanthropist, or crook? Most loyal of men, or traitor? This book won’t tell you, but it will leave you well informed about the most enigmatic of men.

“Ævintýralegt líf í olíuheimi”

Frá árinu 1940 og fram til 1970 var verð á tunnu af hráolíu á bilinu 2 – 3 USD. Verð breyttust lítið þótt sveiflur kæmu fram öðru hvoru þegar heimsmálin voru í óvissu. Markaðurinn á þessum tíma var í ástandi sem kallað er „oligapoly“ þar sem hinar sjö systur svokölluðu (Chevron, Esso, Shell, Texaco, BP, Mobil og Gulf) réðu alfarið verðlagningu á olíuvörum í heiminum. Á þessum tíma kostaði að meðaltali ca. 40 cent að ná upp tunnu af hráolíu og með söluverð í 2.50 USD þá var hagnaður risanna gríðarlegur. Til samanburðar þá er talið að meðalverð á olíu uppúr sjó í dag sé um 35.00 USD pr. tunnu.

“USA zwingen Zuger Firma zum Abbruch des Benzinhandels mit Iran”

Die USA bereiten schärfere Sanktionen gegen Iran vor. Nun zieht sich der Rohstoffhändler Glencore aus dem Iran-Geschäft zurück. Die Firma Vitol in Genf will vorerst weiter geschäften.

「キング・オブ・オイル」の「シークレット・ライフ」を公開

商品取引のトレーダー、マーク・リッチ氏は、自分が「悪魔」と呼ばれてきたことを認めている。しかしスイス人ジャーナリスト、ダニエル・アマン氏の新刊本は、この億万長者を聖人とも罪人とも描いてはいない。

アマン氏は『ザ・キング・オブ・オイル ( The King of Oil ) 』の執筆にあたり、リッチ氏に長時間の取材を行った。イスラエルとイランが通商関係を結ぶことなど考えられなかった時代に、両国による石油パイプラインの 合弁事業を成功させたのは、リッチ氏の偉業の一つだとアマン氏は語る。

ルツェルン湖のほとりに住む74歳のリッチ氏はこれまでずっと疑惑の人物だった。そして確かに彼は、 いつも公明正大な立場にあったわけではない。イランとの不法取引や脱税容疑でアメリカ政府から告訴されていたリッチ氏は、逮捕を恐れアメリカへ1度も戻っ ていない。互いに商関係を持つことを拒む相手同氏を結びつけたリッチ氏は、多く人々の驚きといら立ちの中、ビル・クリントン大統領から任期最後の日に恩赦 を獲得した。

“Monsieur Ndolo”

Published in the United States last month, the biography of the legendary trader Marc Rich (Daniel Ammann, The King of Oil, published by St. Martin’s Press) could be read as a Who’s Who in African oil. Names such as Jacques Hachuel and Alexander Hackel crop up as well as that of a mysterious “Monsieur Ndolo.” This was the pseudonym of a French trader who headed the Compagnie Burundaise de Commerce (Cobuco) that was owned in equal halves by the Burundi government and Marc Rich + Co. In the 1980s, Cobuco bought Iranian crude. Officially to meet Burundi’s needs, the oil was in fact sold on to international markets. As for Marc Rich +Co, it made billions by supplying oil to South Africa during the apartheid era in defiance of sanctions. Rich also set up the trading department of Sonangol in Angola.

Copyright 2009 Indigo Publications

“Monsieur Ndolo”

Parue le mois dernier aux Etats-Unis, la biographie du légendaire trader Marc Rich (Daniel Ammann,The King of Oil, St. Martin’s Press) se lit comme un Who’s Who du pétrole africain. On y retrouve Jacques Hachuel, Alexander Hackel, ainsi que le mystérieux “Monsieur Ndolo”. Derrière ce nom d’emprunt se cachait un trader français qui dirigeait la Compagnie burundaise de commerce (Cobuco) contrôlée à parts égales par le gouvernement du Burundi et Marc Rich + Co. Durant les années 80, la Cobuco achetait du brut iranien, officiellement pour satisfaire les besoins du pays. Le pétrole était en réalité revendu sur les marchés internationaux.

Copyright 2009 Indigo Publications

“Glencore, le joker pétrolier d’Israël”

Pour priver l’Iran d’essence et l’obliger à négocier sur le dossier nucléaire, les pays occidentaux multiplient les pressions sur les négociants qui l’alimentent en produits pétroliers. Si les Etats-Unis menacent de faire voter une loi, Israël préfère faire jouer ses relations privilégiées avec la principale entreprise de négoce au monde, le suisse Glencore, dont le chiffre d’affaires s’élevait à 165 milliards de francs suisses en 2008. Basé à Zoug, le groupe, qui s’est longtemps appelé Marc Rich + Co. AG, travaille en bonne intelligence avec Tel-Aviv depuis près de quarante ans.

“Besmeurde leven van oliehandelaar Marc Rich”

(Belgium)
In de biografie The King of Oil schetst de Zwitserse journalist Daniel Ammann een opvallend mild portret van de omstreden Amerikaanse oliehandelaar Marc Rich (75). In de jaren tachtig kreeg Rich, die in Antwerpen werd geboren, de publieke opinie over zich heen toen aanklager Rudolph Giuliani hem beschuldigde van grootschalige belastingontduiking én van illegale oliehandel met Iran. Toen president Bill Clinton hem in 2001 gratie verleende, luidde de kritiek dat Rich zelfs de gunsten van de machtigste man ter wereld kon kopen. Ammann somt in zijn boek de talrijke steken op die Giuliani liet vallen bij zijn (tevergeefse) pogingen om Rich voor de rechter te slepen. Ook gunt hij de lezer een soms ontstellende blik achter de schermen van de internationale grondstoffenhandel.

“An Invaluable Tip from the King of Oil”

He’s been called the “King of Oil.” He made hundreds of millions of dollars by foreseeing the surges in oil prices of the 1970s. When the oil market was dominated by a handful of large oil companies (the Seven Sisters), he took them on…and won.

He’s an entrepreneur, a billionaire, and at one point in time was one of the most controversial fugitives of the 20th century. Think what you will about Marc Rich, but no one can deny he has made a fortune by being right at the right time when it comes to geopolitics and commodity prices.

Now he’s making his view of the future available for everyone. And just like his trading ideas in the 60s and 70s, his expectations may go unnoticed by the majority, but they have a good chance at making a lot of money for those willing to listen now.

“Glencore as Israel’s Wild Card”

To deprive Iran of gasoline and force the country to come to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear program, Western nations are turning up the heat on traders who supply Tehran with oil products. While the United States is threatening to adopt a new sanctions bill, Israel is clearly preferring to use its special relations with the world’s leading trading concern, Switzerland’s Glencore, which had annual sales of SFR 165 billion in 2008, to pressure the Iranians. The group, which was long named Marc Rich + Co, has enjoyed excellent relations with Tel Aviv for nearly 40 years.

Marc Rich – The King of Oil

Ludwig von Mises Institute

To hear author Daniel Ammann tell the story, Marc Rich was run out of the United States. If his thesis is correct, President Clinton’s pardon of Rich (and Pinkus Green for that matter) should have been just the beginning of an apology the size of which could be immeasurable. At the heart of Ammann’s book, The King of Oil, is the life of Marc Rich who created what is known as the spot market for crude oil.

“How I met the Biggest Devil”

Marc Rich, the world’s most powerful oil trader who had systematically avoided reporters and had given his last interview over twenty years ago, finally opened up about his businesses and his private life. 

“A warts-and-all story of the life of Marc Rich”

More than 25 years since his flight from US prosecution, Marc Rich has chosen to finally tell all in this extraordinary book by Swiss journalist Daniel Ammann. Through interviews with Rich himself and many that knew or worked with him during his career, Ammann presents a warts-and-all story of the life of Rich.

“They needed traders like Marc Rich.”

Daniel Ammann is the author of The King of Oil: the Secret Lives of Marc Rich and business
editor of Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche. Kieran Leahy spoke to him about the subject of his book.

Marc Rich Spills His Secrets

The fugitive financier’s biographer talks to Allan Dodds Frank about Rich’s global commodities empire, his connection to U.S. intelligence, and how he bribed world leaders.

Everyone has a favorite fugitive. Hollywood loves Roman Polanski; the Taliban worship Osama bin Laden. For me and dozens of other reporters who have intermittently chased Marc Rich over the last three decades, the commodities trader has been the man most tantalizingly on the lam.

Now comes the journalistic coup by Daniel Ammann, an intrepid Swiss business journalist who, after years of trying to interview Rich, sits down, writes him a long letter full of loaded questions, and astonishingly convinces Rich to be interviewed at length—on the record—for The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich. Much of Rich’s story has long been suspected, but hard to prove.

“Le roi du pétrole sent le soufre”

Marc Rich a longtemps régné sur le négoce des matières premières, entre intrigues et géopolitique. Son livre de confidences ressemble à un thriller. The King of Oil

“King of oil” discloses his “secret lives”

Commodity trader Marc Rich admits he’s been painted as a “devil”, but a new book by a Swiss journalist describes the billionaire as neither saint nor sinner.

Daniel Ammann, who interviewed Rich extensively for his book, The King of Oil, told swissinfo.ch how an oil pipeline through Israel – a joint venture between Iran and Israel – was one of Rich’s greatest successes at a time when the two countries were seemingly impossible trading partners.