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Book Description
Anniversary edition of the classic, bestselling business thriller - 'This is the eye-popping truth about greed on a JCB scale. Mouthwatering stuff' Griff Rhys Jones, The Top Ten Best Non-Fiction Books for Men, Independent
Product Description
The battle for the control of RJR Nabisco in the Autumn of 1988, which became the largest and most dramatic corporate takeover in American history, sent shock-waves through the international business world and became a symbol of the greed, excess and egotism of the eighties.
Barbarians at the Gate recounts this two-month battle with breathtaking pace and flair, and transports back to the Wall Street empire before it crumbled, through the boardroom doors, into the midnight meetings, the betrayals, the deal makers and publicity flaks, into a world where - as Nabisco CEO Ross Johnson put it - 'a few million dollars are lost in the sands of time'.
Twenty years on, the world is once again recovering from a period of financial extravagance and irresponsibility. This revised edition brings the ultimate business thriller up to date for a new generation of readers.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In 1989, KKR paid $25bn for RJR Nabisco in the biggest leveraged buyout deal in history. A leveraged buyout is a transaction where a private equity fund uses a little bit of its own money and prodigious amounts of borrowed money to buy up a company. In theory (at least) the private equity firm then proceeds to sweat the company - firing staff, squeezing savings from operations, selling any thing that moves in order to improve cashflow and profitability. In time the de-hulled company is resold at a huge profit. The lenders get their money back plus a bit of loose change for interest. The private equity firm makes a bundle. And as for the employees of the newly improved and dismembered company? God help them.
The battle for RJR is retold here with effervescence and dazzle. Barbarians is a telling story of hubris and greed and one out of which a lot can be learned the most important being: one ought to lose all automatic respect for financial titans. From the teflon-coated aggrandizing CEO of RJR (Ross Johnson) to the I-gotta-be-in-this-deal-even-if-it-makes-no-sense Mr Kravis of KKR to the banks who creamed off hundreds of millions you gotta hand it to these guys, they really knew how to shake down a great American company.
The battle for RJR is retold here with effervescence and dazzle. Barbarians is a telling story of hubris and greed and one out of which a lot can be learned the most important being: one ought to lose all automatic respect for financial titans. From the teflon-coated aggrandizing CEO of RJR (Ross Johnson) to the I-gotta-be-in-this-deal-even-if-it-makes-no-sense Mr Kravis of KKR to the banks who creamed off hundreds of millions you gotta hand it to these guys, they really knew how to shake down a great American company.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent narration of the attempt for what is now known as a leveraged buyout in the 1980's. In itself it is a fascinating tale. As an illustration of how greedy bankers are and how little value they add to society it is superb. As ever, senior management chase their own rewards and the rest of the workforce can but sit and watch. Rarely has so much been earned for so little value.
The book now has the benefit of a an afterword that tracks the main characters over the subsequent 20 years. Truly fascinating!
The book now has the benefit of a an afterword that tracks the main characters over the subsequent 20 years. Truly fascinating!
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Excellent read. Interested how important networks were, even in the 80s, and how frivolous business leaders were in their decision making. Oh how far we have come in 30 years!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant!
A Leveraged Buyout (LBO) could be seen as a dry topic for a five hundred plus page book but it is written in such a compelling way that you are unable to stop reading. Read more
Published 4 months ago by T-Bone III
Barbarians still at the gate
To understand how business works in today's global economy, this is an essential text to read. The influence of KKR and the legacy of the RJR Nabisco deal continues. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Evan DeBarra
150 Pages in a Day
The book is a very good read. I found it amusing and thought provoking. Some people say watching the movie is enough to get the story right - obviously they have never read the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Daniel Danev
Corporate Raiders go wild
A fascinating account of the takeover of RJR Nabisco. Lots of amazing characters, very few nice characters though. Read more
Published 17 months ago by The Emperor
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