Friends in high places
A new study sheds light on the links between firms and governments
AS THE high-profile arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest businessman, shows, enemies in high places are bad for business. Friends in high places are, of course, a different story. Notorious examples abound of tycoons who have profited from political favours. Companies from Citigroup to Gazprom pack their boards with former (or, where legal, current) politicians in the hope that connections will bear fruit.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Friends in high places”
From the November 1st 2003 edition
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