Robben Island to Wall Street

256

Chapter 32

7KDER DW VFKRRO DQG $PDUD DW NLQGHUJDUWHQ , KDYH QRW HYHQ PHQWLRQHG WKH RWKHU FKRUHV VXFK DV VKRSSLQJ KRXVHNHHSLQJ ODXQGU\ DQG RFFDVLRQDO WULSV WR OLEUDULHV DQG FHQWUHV RI OHDUQLQJ IRU DGGLWLRQDO LQWHUHVWV DQG GHYHORSPHQW , KDG P\ KDQGV IXOO\ RFFXSLHG DQG QHHGOHVV WR VD\ DOO WKLV FUHDWHG DQ LPPHDVXUDEOH ERQG ZLWK P\ FKLOGUHQ ± IRU ZKLFK , DP HWHUQDOO\ JUDWHIXO 6QRZ EOL]]DUGV UHQGHULQJ URDGV XQXVDEOH IRU GD\V DUH QRW XQFRPPRQ LQ WKDW SDUW RI WKH ZRUOG :H ZHUH FORVH WR ZKDW LV FDOOHG WKH 7RUQDGR %HOW RI WKH 86 DQG RFFDVLRQDOO\ ZH KDG SK\VLFDO GULOOV DERXW ZKDW WR GR ZKHQ WKHUH ZDV WKH WKUHDW RI D WZLVWHU ,W ZDV PRVW XQVHWWOLQJ WR ZDWFK KRZ JDOH IRUFH ZLQGV DVVDXOWHG SHRSOH GHVWUR\HG SURSHUWLHV DQG WRRN DZD\ SHRSOH¶V SUL]HG SRVVHVVLRQV %DFN DW ZRUN , IHOW , ZDV SURJUHVVLQJ H[WUHPHO\ ZHOO ,W ZDV DW &XPPLQV (QJLQH ZKHUH , OHDUQHG ¿UVW KDQG WR ZRUN ZLWK IRUHLJQ FXUUHQFLHV DQG REWDLQHG P\ ¿UVW SUDFWLFDO OHVVRQV LQ ¿QDQFLDO DQDO\VLV 3DUW RI P\ UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV ZDV WR GHWHUPLQH WKH LPSDFW RI FXUUHQF\ ÀXFWXDWLRQV RQ RXU SUR¿WDELOLW\ &XPPLQV KDG D JOREDO SUHVHQFH DQG RXU IRUHLJQ VXEVLGLDULHV RIWHQ RSHUDWHG XQGHU YRODWLOH FXUUHQF\ PRYHPHQWV ZKLFK FDXVHG GLVWRUWLRQV RQ RXU UHSRUWHG HDUQLQJV , KDG P\ ¿UVW H[SRVXUH ZRUNLQJ IRU D IHPDOH ERVV ZKR ZDV KLJKO\ UHVSHFWHG E\ KHU SHHUV DQG VHQLRU PDQDJHPHQW 0\ FRQ¿GHQFH ZDV VKDUSO\ HQKDQFHG E\ WKH DELOLW\ WR FRPSHWH LQ VSLWH RI P\ EDFNJURXQG 7R VRPH DURXQG PH , ZDV YLHZHG DV DQ HQLJPDWLF HQWLW\ ZLWK D VWUDQJH DFFHQW SHUKDSV VRPH VDZ PH DV D IUHDN 7R FRPSHWH , UHDG HYHU\ ¿QDQFLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ , FRXOG OD\ P\ KDQGV RQ DQG QHYHU VWRSSHG DVNLQJ TXHVWLRQV 0\ TXHVW IRU QHZ NQRZOHGJH ZDV LQVDWLDEOH , KDG DOUHDG\ E\ WKDW WLPH VHW P\ VLJKWV KLJK ,W LV DW WKDW VWDJH WKDW , EHJDQ UHDGLQJ ELRJUDSKLHV RI JUHDW DFKLHYHUV DQG 0XKDPPDG $OL 'XNH (OOLQJWRQ DQG /RXLV $UPVWURQJ VWRRG RXW DV KHURHV WR HPXODWH 2QH RI WKH OHVVRQV , OHDUQW LQ $PHULFD ZDV WKDW WR EH DW WKH WRS RI WKH KHDS OLNH (OYLV 3UHVOH\ 'XNH (OOLQJWRQ RU 0LFKDHO -RUGDQ \RX KDG WR EH WKH µEHVW RI WKH EHVW¶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¿QLWHO\ EXW PRUH LPSRUWDQWO\ WR JLYH PH D FDUHHU DOPRVW LPPHGLDWHO\ DQG WR ORRN DIWHU P\ IDPLO\ , ZRXOG QHYHU LQ P\ ZLOGHVW GUHDPV KDYH WKRXJKW RI P\VHOI DV D SURVSHFWLYH EDQNHU