“Not unless it’s my water.”
“What are you so afraid of?”
“Capitalism in Russia is a contact sport.”
“This is Geneva, Arkady. Not Moscow.” Martin finally sat down. “For the record—”
“I don’t see anyone keeping a record, do you?”
“For the record,” Martin repeated, “I agreed to take this meeting as a courtesy to you, and because we live and work in close proximity to one another. But I have no intention of going into business with you.”
“You haven’t heard my offer.”
“I already know what it is.”
“Do you?”
“It’s the same offer you’ve made to countless other Western businessmen.”
“I can assure you, they’ve all done remarkably well.”
“I’m not like them.”
“I’ll say.” Arkady surveyed the photographs hanging on the wall of Martin’s conference room. “Who do you think you’re fooling with this bullshit?”
“My charitable foundation has changed millions of lives around the world.”
“Your charitable foundation is a fraud. And so are you.” Arkady smiled. “I’ll have some of that water, please. No gas, if you don’t mind.”
Martin poured a glass of the sparkling water and nudged it across the table. “Where did you learn your negotiating tactics? The KGB?”
“I was never a KGB officer. That, as they say, is an old wives’ tale.”
“That’s not what I read inThe Atlantic.”
“I sued them.”
“And you lost.”
Arkady moved the glass aside without drinking from it. “You clearly have a better publicity department than I do. Howelse to explain the fact that the press has never written about your relationship with a certain Sandro Pugliese of the Italian ’Ndrangheta? Or your ties to Meissner PrivatBank of Liechtenstein? And then there were those centrifuge components you were selling to the Iranians through that German company of yours. Keppler Werk GmbH, I believe it was.”
“I’m afraid you have me confused with someone else.”
“I suppose it’s possible. After all, successful men like us are always being accused of wrongdoing. They accuse me of being a KGB officer, that I owe all my wealth to my relationship with Russia’s president. It is nothing more than anti-Russian bigotry. Russophobia!” He thumped the tabletop for emphasis. “Consequently, I sometimes find it necessary to conduct my affairs in a way that shields my identity. As do you, I imagine.”
“Global Vision Investments is one of the most respected private equity firms in the world.”
“Which is precisely why I would like to be in business with you. I have an enormous amount of excess capital sitting on the sidelines. I would like you to invest that capital on my behalf, using the unimpeachable imprimatur of GVI.”
“I don’t need your money, Arkady. I have plenty of my own.”
“Your net worth is a paltry three billion, if the most recentForbeslist is to be believed. I’m offering you the chance to be rich enough to truly change the world.” He paused. “Would that be of interest to you, Saint Martin?”
“I don’t like to be called that.”
“Ah, yes. I believe I read that in the same article that mentioned your disdain for business cards.”
“And just where is this excess capital of yours now?”
