24 Sep How to Lose a Serious Investor in Ten Easy Steps
1. Nationalize everything, so investors know their capital is never truly safe.
2. Force them to subsidize sales to the domestic market, so they’ll realize the local market isn’t the most profitable option.
3. Create special laws just for them, giving them the illusion of total freedom… until another investor arrives with a better offer.
4. Build a love-hate relationship with the private sector, publicly “demonizing” it while privately calling them “partners.” Eventually, someone else will offer better conditions, and the “people” will already see you as an enemy.
5. Encourage them to ignore environmental regulations, allowing them to deplete resources freely… until the government decides to leave them to fend for themselves.
6. Provide tax breaks and incentives, but make it clear that if they “step out of line,” those benefits can be revoked at any time.
7. Foster a culture of “competitive bribes” for project approvals; they’ll learn that laws are flexible as long as they support the ruling government.
8. Equip them with symbolic safety gear—helmets, boots, fire extinguishers—implying that appearances are what matter most… until the marketing backfires.
9. Fund government-friendly intellectuals to rewrite “the new history,” until you, as an investor, stop investing and become the next public enemy.
10. Control currency flows tightly, so if they “misbehave,” they’ll struggle to get the dollars they need—and, if they need them, they’ll have to “play along.”
These steps apply to everyone, from small businesses exporting chocolates to Europe to oil companies selling natural gas in Africa.
Best regards!
S. Mauricio Medinaceli M.
September 24th, 2024
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