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Bjork Turns Venture Capitalist
forbes ^ | 12-29-2008 | Javier Espinoza

Posted on 12/29/2008 11:28:04 AM PST by lainie

Icelandic singer partners with financial services firm to launch sustainable investment fund.

The quirky singer and actress Bjork is hunting for investors to inject capital into her economically troubled country, whose financial system collapsed in October.

Nominated for 13 Grammy awards, an Oscar and two Golden Globe awards, she has become a venture capitalist, teaming up with Reykjavik-based Audur Capital to raise money to invest in sustainable businesses in Iceland.

Fundraising won't commence until January, but Bjork's involvement in the project has triggered such interest that the fund, which carries the 43-year-old singer's name, is expected to raise as much as 2.0 billion Icelandic kroner ($16.5 million) by the end of March, after an initial investment from Audur and Bjork of 100 million Icelandic kroner, Audur's chief executive, Kristin Petursdottir, told Forbes.com.

"We believe there are some interesting investment opportunities related to our nature and green energy. We need to pursue these investments even in the current crisis because that's really our future and we need to do things differently than how we have done in the past," Petursdottir said. "We want economic return but in a sustainable matter."

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: audur; bjork; iceland; krona

1 posted on 12/29/2008 11:28:05 AM PST by lainie
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To: lainie

Nice looking.....bear...............


2 posted on 12/29/2008 11:29:16 AM PST by Red Badger (I was sad because I had no shoes to throw, until I met a reporter who had no feet.....)
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To: lainie

She is a beautiful creature.


3 posted on 12/29/2008 11:29:21 AM PST by joseph20 (...to ourselves and our Posterity...)
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To: Red Badger

Where’s the money coming from? Based on the Wall St. Journal, the country’s bankrupt.


4 posted on 12/29/2008 11:30:13 AM PST by 12Gauge687 (Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice)
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To: lainie

Uh, sure, fork over lots of your money to a quirky singer for “green” investments..... this sounds like a winner.

Maybe she should just name it the “Bernie Madoff Memorial Venture Fund”


5 posted on 12/29/2008 11:30:40 AM PST by Enchante (Bernie Madoff Learned His Ponzi-Investment Strategy from our Social Security System!!)
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How well does global-warming sell in Iceland?

6 posted on 12/29/2008 11:31:23 AM PST by lainie (The US congress is full to the brim of absolutely disgusting thieves who deserve humiliating ouster.)
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To: lainie
The "quirky" singer...

Yeah, quirky, that's it.....
7 posted on 12/29/2008 11:32:35 AM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (MERRY CHRISTMAS!!)
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To: 12Gauge687
Where’s the money coming from? Based on the Wall St. Journal, the country’s bankrupt.

Where’s the money coming from? Based on the Wall St. Journal, the country’s bankrupt.

8 posted on 12/29/2008 11:35:13 AM PST by COBOL2Java (Obamanation: an imploding administration headed by a clueless schmuck)
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To: COBOL2Java

Lots of guys want to bjork Bjork.


9 posted on 12/29/2008 11:39:30 AM PST by MIchaelTArchangel
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To: lainie
I suspect she'll lay an egg.


10 posted on 12/29/2008 11:39:46 AM PST by PBRSTREETGANG
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From a blogger on Dec. 18th:

I’m not sure if it’s connected, but in the span of 4 days, Bjork has reportedly broken up with her partner of 7 years and started an Icelandic venture capital fund.

On Monday, Gawker posted a screenshot from film director and artist Matthew Barney’s Facebook page indicating he was no longer in a relationship. The pair have a daughter, Isadora, 6, and made the avant garde film Drawing Restraint 9 in 2005.

Today Icelandic Review Online reports Bjork has partnered with Audur Capital to form a joint venture fund called, BJORK. Speaking at a presentation for the initiative, Bjork spoke about her strong support for Icelandic seed companies: "It was often necessary but now it’s of vital importance. I hope that both seed companies and people with money will take an interest in this initiative," she said, adding that she "is pleased about the fund’s focus on environmentally-friendly operations."

The Bjork/Barney breakup has yet to be confirmed, but it looks like she dropped the dead weight and is ready to take over the world, Bono-style.

(uh..yeah.)

11 posted on 12/29/2008 11:40:33 AM PST by lainie (The US congress is full to the brim of absolutely disgusting thieves who deserve humiliating ouster.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
The "quirky" singer...

Yeah, quirky, that's it.....

Calling her quirky is like calling the sun "warm"...

12 posted on 12/29/2008 11:41:09 AM PST by Wyatt's Torch (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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To: lainie

Dear Iceland, you gave us Bjork. We’ll give you a bailout equivalent to her talents. Got change for a fiver?


13 posted on 12/29/2008 12:09:21 PM PST by IYAS9YAS (Hey Obama, why lawyer up when you can pony up? Show us your vault copy BC)
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To: lainie

At least she’s attempting to do something about Iceland’s financial plight. I’ll give her props for that.


14 posted on 12/29/2008 12:14:01 PM PST by ScottinVA (All I needed to know about islam I learned on 9-11.)
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To: lainie

15 posted on 12/29/2008 1:09:18 PM PST by x
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To: lainie

what no dead swan costume?


16 posted on 12/29/2008 1:29:56 PM PST by pennboricua
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To: x

She’s a total nuthead. Her music is for the pretentious who don’t want to admit they like the stuff other people do.


17 posted on 12/29/2008 1:35:17 PM PST by Niuhuru (I'm A Racist and Proud Of It!)
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To: Perdogg
ping


18 posted on 12/29/2008 2:22:20 PM PST by lainie (The US congress is full to the brim of absolutely disgusting thieves who deserve humiliating ouster.)
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To: 12Gauge687

“Based on the Wall St. Journal, the country’s bankrupt.”

In real terms they have about a 21% income tax with a value added tax of almost 25%. No wonder they are bankrupt.


19 posted on 12/29/2008 3:32:20 PM PST by yazoo
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