"Parlez-vous Enron?"

[brian_igo]

Little known oddity of language: The French word for Enron is "Vivendi".

Embattled CEO Jean-Marie Messier (no relation to my man Mark, I pray.) got whacked this morning. Was it the bond ratings being slashed to junk yesterday? The reports in Paris papers that Messier had squeezed Vivendi for a 25-million euro loan to buy Vivendi-Universal stock that had since tanked? How KPMG got caught trying to play with the cash flow numbers? The way the light reflects off the Seine? It's Paris, who knows how these things happen.

Here's the skinny from the Financial Times. My favorite part is his denial of the loan to buy the Universal stock. Quote: "I am not a rich man. Having a loan of €25m, you would have to be out of your mind...I am not a rich man. I am not looking to be a rich man. Such questions are the kind of questions you can ask the Rockefellers."

Or of someone reportedly asking for a severence package of €12 million plus company coverage of his personal losses on Vivendi and Universal stock.


Au Revoir-

Brian

[vonboob]

I'm confused
First: didn't we move already from Enron to better things like say WorldCom?
Second: wasn't originally Vivendi Italian?
Well, it doesn't matter, as free market becomes something of a joke once again, maybe we should try communism for a change...