Posted on 02/16/2005 6:09:14 PM PST by wagglebee
Despite his best efforts, left-wing filmmaker Michael Moore did nothing to hurt the business of an American investment firm with past links to Saudi Arabia and the family of Osama bin Laden.
London’s Guardian newspaper reported The Carlyle Group says 2004 was its "best ever" year, despite Moore's attempt to tarnish the firm's reputation in his schlockumentary "Fahrenheit 9/11." According to the paper, Carlyle reported a return of $5.3 billion to its investors last year, shedding all or part of 71 investments while acquiring 107 new ones and raising $7.8 billion for investment. The amount the firm paid out to investors in 2004 – when Moore's film debuted – was double the amount in 2003, said the company.
Robert Easton, the company's London managing director, told the Guardian Moore's film had no bearing on Carlyle's earnings and performance. "In defense we have less than 1 percent of our funds deployed, but it is the defense sector that gets most noise from the likes of Michael Moore," Easton told the paper.
In the film, Moore depicted former President George H.W. Bush meeting and greeting rich Saudis; Bush retired last year as an adviser to Carlyle.
But shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, "Carlyle bought out the investment in some of its funds of a half-brother of Osama bin Laden," the Guardian reported, adding Carlyle currently has "no investments in Saudi Arabia." Bin Laden and his family are native Saudis.
Moore, in his film, also hinted that the current President Bush – also a friend of the Saudi government – knew about the attacks beforehand and allowed members of bin Laden's family to escape the U.S. in the days following 9/11.
In reality, the FBI vetted each member and found them to be harmless before allowing them to board overseas flights home.
Hah!
I tried googling, but its pretty hard now to find the articles on it, I do know that Carlyle group acknowledged an investement in the movie, and Moore himself, did acknowledge it.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/1/28/172628.shtml
Asked if he would donate to the anti-war movement his income from "Fahrenheit 911," which reportedly topped $150 million at the box office, Moore pleaded poverty.
"I haven't seen a dime from this movie!" he told Channel Four.
One common method of investing in private equity is participating in movie production partnerships.
Thats a Classic,
Moore has moved on to making a propaganda film about the medcal device/pharma industry. You know, a film demonizing the companies who spend billions on R&D for new drugs and actually, gulp, come up with those new drugs, and double gulp, expect to turn a profit on the sale of those drugs which in addition to benefiting the shareholders and eimployees, triple gulp allows the company to spend billions on R&D to develop new drugs.
The other day a sales rep at my company relayed a tale that is not suprising. The rep was in a Doctor's office and the Doctor was suggesting she bribe the doctor to use our product, accept favorable accolades from the doctor if the sales rep gave away free product, etc. All these would be obvious compliance violations. The sales rep did not take the bait, but her suspicions were aroused. On the way out she looked above the door of the office and spotted a camera. She confronted the doctor who admitted that he put it there to entrap a sales rep. Why? You will never guess who is offering a bounty to any doctor who catches a sales rep violating the law. . .yep, Mr. Michael Gobbels himself.
Pathetic and sad.
The only people who are dumb enough to believe Moore's propaganda are the liberals. California is full of them.
We have to thanik Michael Moron for how much he helped to re-elect George Bush. With him and Hollyqood, we might have fallen short.
Thanks for showing the world what total idiots you Leftists are, Moron. You got us a lot of votes.
Moore has moved on to making a propaganda film about the medcal device/pharma industry.
I'm going to go waaaay out on a limb and say he show that their EVIL.
How close did I get?
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