Too Big For His Britches
The title "Lord Black of Crossharbour" cause people to take a second glance and wonder, "Lord who? Crossharbour. Is that in Maine?"
Becoming a Lord was an eventful journey for Conrad Black, a Canadian born non-royal. He was a descending peg in a merger between the upper echelon generational lattice. Hermes, the Greek god of wealth and thievery, surely must have sprinkled blessings on the babe.
Grandpappy Black was a successful proprietor of breweries. Later inherited by Conrad's dad, they were aggrandized into an international conglomerate. From his maternal line, Conrad's great grandfather was a founder of Great-West Life Assurance Company. Ka-ching! But even with all that majestic silver-spoon genealogy, Conrad could not inherit the royal title he coveted.
As a young adult, Conrad opted to walk in the shoes of his great, great grandfather, a co-founder of the London Daily Telegraph. Apparently Conrad saw visions of great grandeur and began purchasing small newspapers. Within a relatively short time he amassed a remarkable holding. During his thirty's he inherited valuable stocks which gave him the boost to create Hollinger International of Delaware USA and the Hollinger corporation of Canada. International became owner of hundreds of newspapers throughout five countries, including several in the United States. It even bought the Daily Telegraph.
Although the powerful Hollinger companies could not convey royal title they acted as a conduit for Black's goal, as well as the demise of it. To his Canadian status he added English citizenship, Hermes continued to distribute his endowment, and Conrad set out to find a title befitting a kingdom ruler.
A British Peer Lord is a title that carries with it the position of law maker. It occurs only by appointment of the Queen acting upon the recommendation of her Prime Minister. Tony Blair recommended that Black be made a Lord. The appointment was a sure thing in England, but Conrad and the Canadian Prime Minister had bad blood between them. Conrad had often published ink which scorched the Minister, who now delighted in defeating the intended appointment. Tit for tat.
More than a little annoyed, Conrad sued his antagonist to force withdrawal of the Canadian objection. After spinning his wheels, he failed to gain any legal ground. Finally, the Canadian courts poured him out once and for all. Only one avenue was left. Black relinquished his Canadian citizenship. The Minister waived good riddance and danced with joy as his former hostage was anointed English Lord.
Two years later Conrad retired from International amid nasty allegations that he had skimmed millions. A theft lawsuit was filed. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission then took a look. A fraud suit was filed. Awakened, Canadian investors were missing four billion dollars. Another theft suit was filed. The god of theivery surely was pleased, but for Conrad it was all downhill.
United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald sunk his teeth right in the middle of the hot bed of finger pointing. At the end of 2005, he came up for air and slapped Conrad with a sixty page indictment which charged him with fraud, racketeering, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
Things got hairy for Lord Black after his partner-in-crime took a plea and sang the canary snitch tune. Fitzgerald's grip tightened when Conrad's former Canadian company also cut a deal. The song now playing was a duet. It was looking pretty dismal for the Lord, who seemed to be pretty much an island unto himself. Well, except for the current Lady Black, formerly English conservative writer Barbara Amiel for whom Conrad had dumped his Canadian wife and mother of his children.
The Lord's trial began in March this year and ended on Friday the 13th. The all American jury deliberated for twelve days and convicted the English Lord for mail fraud and obstruction of justice. On December 10th, he could be sentenced up to thirty-five years in prison. Worse, he will be stripped of his title and of course, so will her Ladyship. Mama Black's sweet revenge. They'll just be a plain 'ole Jack and Jill again-- or rather Con and Babs. It was a long way to fall though.
Oh, by the way. Crossharbour is an England subway station.
© Coninc., TheDownsideUp.Com 2007
Becoming a Lord was an eventful journey for Conrad Black, a Canadian born non-royal. He was a descending peg in a merger between the upper echelon generational lattice. Hermes, the Greek god of wealth and thievery, surely must have sprinkled blessings on the babe.
Grandpappy Black was a successful proprietor of breweries. Later inherited by Conrad's dad, they were aggrandized into an international conglomerate. From his maternal line, Conrad's great grandfather was a founder of Great-West Life Assurance Company. Ka-ching! But even with all that majestic silver-spoon genealogy, Conrad could not inherit the royal title he coveted.
As a young adult, Conrad opted to walk in the shoes of his great, great grandfather, a co-founder of the London Daily Telegraph. Apparently Conrad saw visions of great grandeur and began purchasing small newspapers. Within a relatively short time he amassed a remarkable holding. During his thirty's he inherited valuable stocks which gave him the boost to create Hollinger International of Delaware USA and the Hollinger corporation of Canada. International became owner of hundreds of newspapers throughout five countries, including several in the United States. It even bought the Daily Telegraph.
Although the powerful Hollinger companies could not convey royal title they acted as a conduit for Black's goal, as well as the demise of it. To his Canadian status he added English citizenship, Hermes continued to distribute his endowment, and Conrad set out to find a title befitting a kingdom ruler.
A British Peer Lord is a title that carries with it the position of law maker. It occurs only by appointment of the Queen acting upon the recommendation of her Prime Minister. Tony Blair recommended that Black be made a Lord. The appointment was a sure thing in England, but Conrad and the Canadian Prime Minister had bad blood between them. Conrad had often published ink which scorched the Minister, who now delighted in defeating the intended appointment. Tit for tat.
More than a little annoyed, Conrad sued his antagonist to force withdrawal of the Canadian objection. After spinning his wheels, he failed to gain any legal ground. Finally, the Canadian courts poured him out once and for all. Only one avenue was left. Black relinquished his Canadian citizenship. The Minister waived good riddance and danced with joy as his former hostage was anointed English Lord.
Two years later Conrad retired from International amid nasty allegations that he had skimmed millions. A theft lawsuit was filed. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission then took a look. A fraud suit was filed. Awakened, Canadian investors were missing four billion dollars. Another theft suit was filed. The god of theivery surely was pleased, but for Conrad it was all downhill.
United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald sunk his teeth right in the middle of the hot bed of finger pointing. At the end of 2005, he came up for air and slapped Conrad with a sixty page indictment which charged him with fraud, racketeering, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
Things got hairy for Lord Black after his partner-in-crime took a plea and sang the canary snitch tune. Fitzgerald's grip tightened when Conrad's former Canadian company also cut a deal. The song now playing was a duet. It was looking pretty dismal for the Lord, who seemed to be pretty much an island unto himself. Well, except for the current Lady Black, formerly English conservative writer Barbara Amiel for whom Conrad had dumped his Canadian wife and mother of his children.
The Lord's trial began in March this year and ended on Friday the 13th. The all American jury deliberated for twelve days and convicted the English Lord for mail fraud and obstruction of justice. On December 10th, he could be sentenced up to thirty-five years in prison. Worse, he will be stripped of his title and of course, so will her Ladyship. Mama Black's sweet revenge. They'll just be a plain 'ole Jack and Jill again-- or rather Con and Babs. It was a long way to fall though.
Oh, by the way. Crossharbour is an England subway station.
© Coninc., TheDownsideUp.Com 2007
Labels: EglPress
posted by KKHC | 8:18 AM
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