Robben Island to Wall Street

3 Crossing the Rubicon

,Q WKH PLGGOH RI DOO RI WKLV VRPH LQWHUHVWLQJ GHYHORSPHQWV KDSSHQHG 2Q 1RYHPEHU DERXW VHYHQW\ SHU FHQW RI WKH FRXQWU\¶V HOLJLEOH YRWHUV WKDW RI FRXUVH PHDQW ZKLWH SHRSOH RQO\ YRWHG LQ IDYRXU RI 3ULPH 0LQLVWHU 3: %RWKD¶V SDUOLDPHQWDU\ UHIRUPV 7KLV VWHS ZDV YLHZHG E\ PDQ\ DV D UHYROXWLRQDU\ VKLIW DZD\ IURP WKH ULJKW 7KH RXWFRPH ZDV WKH HVWDEOLVKPHQW RI D QHZ FRQVWLWXWLRQ ZKLFK JDYH H൵HFW WR WKH HVWDEOLVKPHQW RI WKH 7ULFDPHUDO 3DUOLDPHQW FRQVLVWLQJ RI WKUHH OHJLVODWLYH KRXVHV RQH HDFK IRU ZKLWHV FRORXUHGV DQG ,QGLDQV WR WKH H[FOXVLRQ RI $IULFDQ SHRSOH 2Q $XJXVW WKH 8QLWHG 'HPRFUDWLF )URQW 8') D GLYHUVHO\ UHSUHVHQWDWLYH QDWLRQDO SROLWLFDO PRYHPHQW VLPLODU WR WKH &LYLO 5LJKWV 0RYHPHQW RI WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV ZDV ODXQFKHG 6RPH RI RXU ODWWHU GD\ VHQLRU SROLWLFLDQV IRUPHG WKH QXFOHXV of the UDF and others have since gone into business. Later in the year, a national UHIHUHQGXP E\ ZKLWH YRWHUV HQGRUVHG WKH DGRSWLRQ RI WKH 7ULFDPHUDO 3DUOLDPHQW 7KRVH ZHUH GL൶FXOW GD\V LQ 6RXWK $IULFD 7KH JRYHUQPHQW ZDV JHWWLQJ PRUH UHFNOHVV PRUH YLFLRXV EXW ZDWHUHG GRZQ LWV DJJUHVVLYH SRVWXUH ZLWK FRQFHVVLRQV VXFK DV WKH 7ULFDPHUDO 3DUOLDPHQW /LYLQJ LQ 6RZHWR DQG RFFDVLRQDOO\ GLQLQJ RXW LQ WKH FLW\ FUHDWHG D P\ULDG RI SUREOHPV 5H HQWHULQJ WKH WRZQVKLS DW QLJKW EHFDPH D hazardous undertaking. %HLQJ YLJLODQW DJDLQVW WKH FULPLQDO HOHPHQW ZDV RQH WKLQJ EXW GHDOLQJ ZLWK WKH SROLFH ZDV RIWHQ WKH PRUH PHQDFLQJ WKUHDW 2IWHQ WKH SROLFH ZRXOG PRXQW URDGEORFNV DQG KDUDVV XV ZLWK TXHVWLRQV 2QH QLJKW 1DQD DQG , ZHUH UHWXUQLQJ KRPH IURP DQ RFFDVLRQ DW WKH &DUOWRQ +RWHO , ZRUH D GLQQHU MDFNHW DQG WLH DQG 1DQD ZDV LQ KHU EODFN HYHQLQJ FORWKHV 7KH FDU ZDV ÀDJJHG GRZQ E\ WKH SROLFH DW D URDGEORFN DQG DIWHU D FRXSOH RI TXHVWLRQV ZH ZHUH DVNHG ZK\ ZH ZHUH GUHVVHG XS DQG ZKHUH ZH¶G FRPH IURP ,W ZDV FOHDUO\ D ZD\ RI KXPLOLDWLQJ XV 7KHVH ZHUH ZKLWH SROLFH FRQVWDEOHV ZKR VRPHWLPHV RXW RI SXUH PDOLFH ZRXOG HQWHUWDLQ WKHPVHOYHV ZLWK WKLV VRUW RI KDUDVVPHQW 7KDW ZDV

36