Final Word from Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Otis Redding belted out the hit "Respect" in 1965: "I'm out to give you all my money, but all I'm askin' in return honey, is to give me my proper respect." Respekt newspaper has more respect than readers or money and is trying to even the score by going glossy. It's getting the cash from Zdeněk Bakala. He made his second fortune by buying OKD coal mines for a song from three guys being chased by the law. If their court battle gets dirty and starts to blacken the image of the new OKD owner, a little R-E-S-P-E-K-T could help. With his investment into the paper, Bakala is cultivating the image of a philanthropist who believes in promoting good journalism. Perhaps he'll set himself apart from fellow Czech billionaires who acquired hot assets and flipped them as they were flipping off the public. He could start by giving Respekt the inside scoop on his two deals of a lifetime, IPB and OKD.[Czech Republic Karbon Invest RPG Industries philanthrophy]