Big Businesses started by "Crooks & Cons"
Discussion
Just thinking (always worrying) about Phones 4u (see another thread) where I used to work, and the (rumoured) "fact" that it's founder Mr John Caudwell has served time for the clocking of used cars.
I also came up with the Virgin group founder a Mr Branson who I believe served at HM's pleasure for non payment of VAT - the story I heard is that the first Vigin shop used to buy the records in Holland (no VAT) and then ship the to the UK and sell them also with no VAT. C&E were not amused...
Can any other Ph'er shed any truth to back these up, or dish the dirt on any other big companies with skeletons in the closet...
As I heard once: "The Truth is Out There!"
I also came up with the Virgin group founder a Mr Branson who I believe served at HM's pleasure for non payment of VAT - the story I heard is that the first Vigin shop used to buy the records in Holland (no VAT) and then ship the to the UK and sell them also with no VAT. C&E were not amused...
Can any other Ph'er shed any truth to back these up, or dish the dirt on any other big companies with skeletons in the closet...
As I heard once: "The Truth is Out There!"
Not a big company but the bouffant haired TV charmer and alleged antiques dealer David (cheap as chips) Dickinson has served time at Her Majesty's pleasure for fraud. I wish someone would lock him away again...............
Edited to add - let's not forget Sotheby's.
>> Edited by paul-b on Wednesday 5th February 12:25
Edited to add - let's not forget Sotheby's.
>> Edited by paul-b on Wednesday 5th February 12:25
Heres the truth behind Richard Bransons criminal days.
Virgin in its early days was put into a great financial struggle fueled by a postoffice strike. Seeing as most of his business as the time was mail order this put them in a lot of trouble.
HE struck a deal to supply some shops in Belgium with stock. His documents were stamped to show that all these records had been exported at the port in Dover .At the last stage before getting onto the ferry he had forgotton a document to prove that he would not be selling the records en route and customs turned him back.
So, on his way back to London the thought crossed his mind that he had an official document proving these records had been exported and he had not payed the full tax them, making them very cheap. What does he do? Loads up his records shops with them.
He made a few trips like this, doing the exact same thing until customs got wise as a lot of other bigger record shops were also doing the same on a bigger scale.
His shops were raided and every record that should have been exported was marked and only identifiable by a fluorecent light They found the lot and he had to repay a shed load of cash to customs.
Deester
Virgin in its early days was put into a great financial struggle fueled by a postoffice strike. Seeing as most of his business as the time was mail order this put them in a lot of trouble.
HE struck a deal to supply some shops in Belgium with stock. His documents were stamped to show that all these records had been exported at the port in Dover .At the last stage before getting onto the ferry he had forgotton a document to prove that he would not be selling the records en route and customs turned him back.
So, on his way back to London the thought crossed his mind that he had an official document proving these records had been exported and he had not payed the full tax them, making them very cheap. What does he do? Loads up his records shops with them.
He made a few trips like this, doing the exact same thing until customs got wise as a lot of other bigger record shops were also doing the same on a bigger scale.
His shops were raided and every record that should have been exported was marked and only identifiable by a fluorecent light They found the lot and he had to repay a shed load of cash to customs.
Deester
Deester said: One of my favourite quotes is
"You can never make a million legally"
so true...
The reality is, that there are so many artificial barriers to the genuine entrepeneur these days, that sheer graft and reinvestment are increasingly unappreciated concepts.
The socialist diatribe that afflicts much of the continent and latterly, Blighty, only serves to enforce this negative trend.
I'm not saying there aren't some dodgy geezers out there and the phenomenon of 'the Essex wife' is enough to make even yours truly reconsider the virtues of Marxist-Leninism but the notion of freeing up taxation a la Dubya at the mo, versus the adherance to The Highwayman's Handbook at Grand Rip Off Central (i.e. No.11 Downing St), is clearly a fundamental error in the appreciation of wealth creation and it's that, ladies & gents, that keeps us all vaguely civillised.
Quasi tirade off.
There's more to the story of the raid on the Virgin record shops. Even from his early days, young Dicky Branston knew the PR value of public spirited deeds and funded a small drugs rehab clinic. The evening before the raid on his shop(s) he got a tip-off from a customs man whose daughter had received help from the clinic.
Guy Humpage said: There's more to the story of the raid on the Virgin record shops. Even from his early days, young Dicky Branston knew the PR value of public spirited deeds and funded a small drugs rehab clinic. The evening before the raid on his shop(s) he got a tip-off from a customs man whose daughter had received help from the clinic.
...and even more to the story! I especially like the bit about getting the tip-off and removing all the tainted records from one London store, then stealing someone elses girlfriend and taking her back to his boat and then awaking in the morning to find customs at his shop looking bewildered, as everything checked out O.K.
Then finding out they also raided his other shops which hadn't been cleared of the tainted records
Classic!
Edited again, because everytime I preview the post it looks fine, but when I post properly I see all these mistakes in spellings.
Ted there is definatly something wrong with the site
>> Edited by schueymcfee on Wednesday 5th February 14:59
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff