Seinen letzten Firmensitz hatte der Vater des modernen Rohstoffhandels über einem Bistro. Im Erdgeschoss des Bürogebäudes Baarerstraße 53 in Zug am Zugersee preist “Monsieur Baguette” in bunten Lettern Schweizer Birchermüesli, Brötli und Ovomaltine an, daneben wirbt ein Friseur mit großen Postern um Kundschaft. Aber auf Etage vier, vor der Zentrale der millionenschweren Holding, hängt nur ein diskretes Schild mit der Aufschrift “MRI Group of Companies”. Seinen vollen Namen hat Marc Rich ja öfter gelesen, als ihm lieb war. Und seine besten Geschäfte hat er gemacht, als ihn noch nicht so viele kannten.
Tag: Israel
Oil King Marc Rich Dead At 78
Commodities kingpin and fugitive American ex-pat Marc Rich died today from a stroke at the age of 78 in a hospital in Lucerne, Switzerland. Rich was the founder in 1974 of Marc Rich & Co. AG, a pioneering oil-trading firm. Beginning with a management buyout in 1994, the firm eventually became what is today Glencore Xstrata, the world’s largest commodities trading house. The Belgian-born Rich started out at the bottom but became a powerful and shadowy figure in financial circles.
Marc Rich, Financier and Famous Fugitive, Dies at 78
Marc Rich, a shrewd, swashbuckling oil trader who fled to Switzerland after being indicted on charges of widespread tax evasion, illegal dealings with Iran and other crimes, and who was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton in his last hours in office, setting off a whirlwind of criticism, died on Wednesday in Lucerne, Switzerland. He was 78.
Der Schattenmann
Revelações de um corretor de negócios muito amigo de governos
“Rei do Petróleo – A Vida Secreta de Marc Rich”, Daniel Ammann. Novo Século. 326 págs., R$ 39,90
Personagem-chave na criação do mercado spot de petróleo, Marc Rich era reverenciado, desde os anos 1970, como um dos mais bem-sucedidos corretores de commodities. Até que, em 1983, foi acusado, nos Estados Unidos, de sonegação fiscal e de fazer negócios com um país inimigo, o Irã (entre outros). Rich fugiu para a Suiça, de onde nunca mais voltou, apesar de tentativas do governo americano para extraditá-lo, e mesmo de sequestrá-lo. O livro de Daniel Ammann, jornalista suiço, é o resultado de mais de 30 horas de conversas com Rich, que lhe falou sobre sua vida e seus negócios com petróleo, nos quais esteve envolvido até os anos 1990. Ammann também ouviu colaboradores, amigos, parentes e funcionários do governo americano.
O rei do petróleo
O REI DO PETROLEO – A VIDA SECRETA DE MARC RICH – Livro de Daniel Ammann – Novo Seculo Editora – 2011 – Obra recem publicada nos EUA e no Brasil com a biografia do maior especulador de petroleo dos tempos modernos, Marc Rich, judeu belga cuja familia fugiu de Antuerpia em 1940 e depois de muitas peripécias chegou a Nova York pelo lendario vapor português Serpa Pinto, cuja historia já postei aqui no blog. Marc Rich começou sua vida na famosa trading de metais Philip Brothers, a PHIBRO, muito conhecida no Brasil e que tinha escritorio em São Paulo. Read More »
Das Geheimnis des Rohstoffgiganten
Glencore rises from four-room flat
Originally operating from a small apartment in central Switzerland’s Zug canton, commodities specialist Glencore has evolved over 37 years into a giant of the sector valued at around $US60 billion ($A57.25 billion).Read More »
Aus einem Zuger Quartier auf die Fahndungsliste des FBI
Die Schweizer Firma Glencore gab heute den grössten Börsengang des Jahres bekannt. Die ersten Geschäfte des Unternehmens wurden aus der Vier-Zimmer-Wohnung des zweifelhaften Gründers Marc Rich getätigt. Read More »
The biggest company you never heard of
On Christmas Eve 2008, in the depths of the global financial crisis, Katanga Mining accepted a lifeline it could not refuse.Read More »
Der große Unbekannte
Obwohl Marc Rich in den 1970er-Jahren mit einer Handvoll Partnern das Kartell der Ölmultis zerschlug und zum Milliardär wurde, blieb er weiterhin der große Unbekannte der Weltwirtschaft. Mit der Diskretion des „King of Oil“ ist es wegen des lukrativen Börsengangs von Glencore vorbei.Read More »
Founding father backs Glencore IPO
Marc Rich, founder of the Swiss trading house that evolved into Glencore, says the group has little choice but to become a public company, despite believing that secrecy is an advantage in the commodities market. In his first interview in at least 20 years, Mr Rich backed Glencore’s steps to become a public company this year and even said he planned to buy shares in the business that he sold in 1993.Read More »
Der Ölhändler von Castro und Khomeini
Dass Bücher über ökonomische Themen nicht per se trocken oder zu theoretisch sind, beweist das Buch von Daniel Ammann über Marc Rich, das sich stellenweise wie ein Thriller liest. Dass es sich trotzdem um ein seriöses Buch handelt, zeigt die Verleihung des renommierten Georg-von-Holtzbrinck-Preises für Wirtschaftspublizistik an den Autor. Ammann schreibt über den wohl mächtigsten Rohstoffhändler aller Zeiten, Marc Rich. Er stand 17 Jahre wegen Steuerbetrugs und Geschäften mit dem Iran auf der Fahndungsliste der am meisten gesuchten Männer der USA, bis ihn Präsident Bill Clinton an seinem letzten Amtstag im Januar 2001 begnadigte.Read More »
“Marc Rich – Der König des Öls”
Die Amerikaner schickten zwei ihrer besten Agenten auf die heikle Mission: Howard Safir, den späteren Polizeichef von New York, und Chefinspektor Don Ferrarone, eine Legende, seit er mitgeholfen hatte, den größten Drogenring der Vereinigten Staaten zu zerschlagen. Getarnt als harmlose Touristen, reisten die beiden Undercover-Polizisten im Herbst 1985 in die Schweiz ein. Ihre Mission, das wussten sie genau, würde die freundschaftlichen Beziehungen zu den Eidgenossen nachhaltig stören: Sie wollten hinter dem Rücken der Behörden einen Geschäftsmann entführen, der sich vor der amerikanischen Justiz ins schweizerische Städtchen Zug abgesetzt hatte.Read More »
“Man nannte ihn einen Teufel”
Marc Rich war der mächtigste Rohstoffhändler der Welt. Eine Biografie beleuchtet seinen Aufstieg und Fall. Read More »
“Suspenseful chronicle”
It’s as if God gives some people gifts and challenges designed to make their life pathways inevitable. Consider Marc Rich, the international commodity trading billionaire largely responsible for the inception of the spot oil market and financial globalization.Read More »
“Carefully Researched Biography”
Marc Rich has been described as the world’s biggest commodities trader, the inventor of the spot oil market, a traitor, and the savior of Israel and Jamaica. Read More »
Why Sanctions Against Iran Will (Almost Surely) Fail
Iran is coming under even greater pressure to curb its nuclear program. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote soon on a fresh round of sanctions against the country. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the draft resolution is even “somewhat stronger” than he expected. According to the New York Times, even the very lucrative energy sector is mentioned in the preamble, noting the “potential connection between Iran’s revenues derived from its energy sector” and possible financing for its nuclear program.Read More »
“Sanctions On Iran Will Fail”
Hillary Clinton telling Iran that the US is looking for sanctions that bite is like telling them they’re going to be grounded and cannot go outside. Sanctions don’t work as far as political threats are concerned in the Middle East – at best they are “hit or miss.” And as reported in Daniel Ammann’s new book, The King of Oil, Israel got 60-90% of its oil from Iran at a time that they weren’t officially recognized because it was in everyone’s interest to be business partners although publicly they had to “not save face” and remain bitter enemies.
“Iran Sanctions: The Sobering Lessons of Marc Rich”
Think Sanctions Will Work? Oil Trader Marc Rich Made A Fortune Off Them Before Bill Clinton Pardoned Him.Read More »
“Marc Rich speaks..but what did he say?”
Marc Rich has finally spoken. He’s spoken a lot, apparently, to Daniel Ammann, and even took a picture with him. That in itself is newsworthy, because The King of Oil, as the title of the book written by Ammann describes Rich, has talked very little over the years.Read More »
“His good name was everything to him”
Marc Rich: Billionaire businessman and philanthropist, or crook? Most loyal of men, or traitor? This book won’t tell you, but it will leave you well informed about the most enigmatic of men. Read More »
“Ævintýralegt líf í olíuheimi”
Frá árinu 1940 og fram til 1970 var verð á tunnu af hráolíu á bilinu 2 – 3 USD. Verð breyttust lítið þótt sveiflur kæmu fram öðru hvoru þegar heimsmálin voru í óvissu. Markaðurinn á þessum tíma var í ástandi sem kallað er „oligapoly“ þar sem hinar sjö systur svokölluðu (Chevron, Esso, Shell, Texaco, BP, Mobil og Gulf) réðu alfarið verðlagningu á olíuvörum í heiminum. Á þessum tíma kostaði að meðaltali ca. 40 cent að ná upp tunnu af hráolíu og með söluverð í 2.50 USD þá var hagnaður risanna gríðarlegur. Til samanburðar þá er talið að meðalverð á olíu uppúr sjó í dag sé um 35.00 USD pr. tunnu.Read More »
“USA zwingen Zuger Firma zum Abbruch des Benzinhandels mit Iran”
Die USA bereiten schärfere Sanktionen gegen Iran vor. Nun zieht sich der Rohstoffhändler Glencore aus dem Iran-Geschäft zurück. Die Firma Vitol in Genf will vorerst weiter geschäften.Read More »
「キング・オブ・オイル」の「シークレット・ライフ」を公開
商品取引のトレーダー、マーク・リッチ氏は、自分が「悪魔」と呼ばれてきたことを認めている。しかしスイス人ジャーナリスト、ダニエル・アマン氏の新刊本は、この億万長者を聖人とも罪人とも描いてはいない。
アマン氏は『ザ・キング・オブ・オイル ( The King of Oil ) 』の執筆にあたり、リッチ氏に長時間の取材を行った。イスラエルとイランが通商関係を結ぶことなど考えられなかった時代に、両国による石油パイプラインの 合弁事業を成功させたのは、リッチ氏の偉業の一つだとアマン氏は語る。
ルツェルン湖のほとりに住む74歳のリッチ氏はこれまでずっと疑惑の人物だった。そして確かに彼は、 いつも公明正大な立場にあったわけではない。イランとの不法取引や脱税容疑でアメリカ政府から告訴されていたリッチ氏は、逮捕を恐れアメリカへ1度も戻っ ていない。互いに商関係を持つことを拒む相手同氏を結びつけたリッチ氏は、多く人々の驚きといら立ちの中、ビル・クリントン大統領から任期最後の日に恩赦 を獲得した。Read More »
“Monsieur Ndolo”
Parue le mois dernier aux Etats-Unis, la biographie du légendaire trader Marc Rich (Daniel Ammann,The King of Oil, St. Martin’s Press) se lit comme un Who’s Who du pétrole africain. On y retrouve Jacques Hachuel, Alexander Hackel, ainsi que le mystérieux “Monsieur Ndolo”. Derrière ce nom d’emprunt se cachait un trader français qui dirigeait la Compagnie burundaise de commerce (Cobuco) contrôlée à parts égales par le gouvernement du Burundi et Marc Rich + Co. Durant les années 80, la Cobuco achetait du brut iranien, officiellement pour satisfaire les besoins du pays. Le pétrole était en réalité revendu sur les marchés internationaux.
Copyright 2009 Indigo Publications
“Glencore, le joker pétrolier d’Israël”
Pour priver l’Iran d’essence et l’obliger à négocier sur le dossier nucléaire, les pays occidentaux multiplient les pressions sur les négociants qui l’alimentent en produits pétroliers. Si les Etats-Unis menacent de faire voter une loi, Israël préfère faire jouer ses relations privilégiées avec la principale entreprise de négoce au monde, le suisse Glencore, dont le chiffre d’affaires s’élevait à 165 milliards de francs suisses en 2008. Basé à Zoug, le groupe, qui s’est longtemps appelé Marc Rich + Co. AG, travaille en bonne intelligence avec Tel-Aviv depuis près de quarante ans.Read More »
“Glencore as Israel’s Wild Card”
To deprive Iran of gasoline and force the country to come to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear program, Western nations are turning up the heat on traders who supply Tehran with oil products. While the United States is threatening to adopt a new sanctions bill, Israel is clearly preferring to use its special relations with the world’s leading trading concern, Switzerland’s Glencore, which had annual sales of SFR 165 billion in 2008, to pressure the Iranians. The group, which was long named Marc Rich + Co, has enjoyed excellent relations with Tel Aviv for nearly 40 years.Read More »
“How I met the Biggest Devil”
Marc Rich, the world’s most powerful oil trader who had systematically avoided reporters and had given his last interview over twenty years ago, finally opened up about his businesses and his private life. Read More »
“A warts-and-all story of the life of Marc Rich”
More than 25 years since his flight from US prosecution, Marc Rich has chosen to finally tell all in this extraordinary book by Swiss journalist Daniel Ammann. Through interviews with Rich himself and many that knew or worked with him during his career, Ammann presents a warts-and-all story of the life of Rich.Read More »
“They needed traders like Marc Rich.”
Daniel Ammann is the author of The King of Oil: the Secret Lives of Marc Rich and business
editor of Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche. Kieran Leahy spoke to him about the subject of his book.Read More »
Marc Rich Spills His Secrets

Everyone has a favorite fugitive. Hollywood loves Roman Polanski; the Taliban worship Osama bin Laden. For me and dozens of other reporters who have intermittently chased Marc Rich over the last three decades, the commodities trader has been the man most tantalizingly on the lam.
Now comes the journalistic coup by Daniel Ammann, an intrepid Swiss business journalist who, after years of trying to interview Rich, sits down, writes him a long letter full of loaded questions, and astonishingly convinces Rich to be interviewed at length—on the record—for The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich. Much of Rich’s story has long been suspected, but hard to prove.Read More »
“King of oil” discloses his “secret lives”
Commodity trader Marc Rich admits he’s been painted as a “devil”, but a new book by a Swiss journalist describes the billionaire as neither saint nor sinner.
Daniel Ammann, who interviewed Rich extensively for his book, The King of Oil, told swissinfo.ch how an oil pipeline through Israel – a joint venture between Iran and Israel – was one of Rich’s greatest successes at a time when the two countries were seemingly impossible trading partners.Read More »