"Its Inevitable that WIND Will Acquire Mobilicity and Public Mobile" Says Mr. Sawiris

[AnandAsang]

Mr. Naguib Sawiris, the billionaire scion of Egypt’s most prominent business family, was in Toronto to pay a visit to the offices of upstart wireless provider Wind Mobile, which he backs financially.



Mr. Sawiris has a gift for extracting profits from the world’s most volatile telecom markets. His wireless company is the largest taxpayer in unstable Pakistan. He partnered with the dictatorship of North Korea to become the first cellphone provider in that country. And he operates in impoverished Bangladesh, where the monthly bill is around $2.50.

In the eyes of the global deal maker, Canada is the true telecom backwater. Mr. Sawiris said the Big Three Canadian telecom players are “a joke,” and that he would never invest in them because they are “too big, too slow.”

“I have been offered by two of them to buy me out at a very significant profit,” Mr. Sawiris said. “But that means I’m a broker, not an industrialist. It’s against my saga, against my history. I’m not the kind of guy who goes out for the money. It’s about success. And this, I would consider it as a bribe.”

Read the whole story here>>

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[Canadaboy]

“I have been offered by two of them to buy me out at a very significant profit,” Mr. Sawiris said. “But that means I’m a broker, not an industrialist. It’s against my saga, against my history. I’m not the kind of guy who goes out for the money. It’s about success. And this, I would consider it as a bribe.”

Most aweome thing I've read in a while. He just blows open some back-table offers from the big 3, brings it to public scruitiny, and then b-slaps them with a "I would consider it as a bribe line" - wow - that's awesome!

[v3inew]

“I have been offered by two of them to buy me out at a very significant profit,” Mr. Sawiris said. “But that means I’m a broker, not an industrialist. It’s against my saga, against my history. I’m not the kind of guy who goes out for the money. It’s about success. And this, I would consider it as a bribe.”

Did he just say that two of the Big Three offered to buy out Wind?

[Guest 269]

Did he just say that two of the Big Three offered to buy out Wind?

That's how I read it.
But: is there no regulation against the winners of the spectrum auction selling their winnings for five years or so?
Wouldn't B/T/R know that?

[likebutta]

That's how I read it.
But: is there no regulation against the winners of the spectrum auction selling their winnings for five years or so?
Wouldn't B/T/R know that?

Probably pre-emptive offers for when the 5 year period is up. Not sure about the legalities of it, though. But anyway, that's a pretty hilarious quote.

[stunaz]

"too big, too slow" is right
while i'd love for a canadian company to be #1 here, there is just no way
wind will eat them up

[live_strong]

Did he just say that two of the Big Three offered to buy out Wind?

well Rogers would be one and Bell/Telus would be the other.
in due time Bell/Telus will officially merge.

[vishalmalik12]

Also, here's a list of his quotes from the Globe and Mail ( http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle1690695/ ):


... Bell, Telus and Rogers: “A joke.” As for whether he would invest in them: “Too big. Too slow.”

... New wireless players Mobilicity and Public Mobile: “They will die.”

... Wind Mobile: “We have never failed anywhere, so we won’t fail here.”

... Wind Mobile’s growth: “When we become stronger, we will hit back. And we will make pain. And they [Rogers, Bell and Telus] will suffer.”

... Lawyers: “Legal advice can screw a company.”

... Iraq: “They kidnapped our people, two or three times.”

... Whether Canada is a stable market for him: “I wish I could say that. It should have been.”

... Being rich: “I’ve turned down a lot of deals in my life, with a lot of good profits, because I didn’t like the party on the other side. And when people say this is not really professional, I tell them, ‘It’s the luxury of being rich.’ ”

... The CRTC: “It’s like when you play football and you beat the guy under the belt because the judge is not looking. But in your case, he’s looking and approving.”

... Operating in Canada: “There has been too many constraints. We have not been able to launch this operation in the way we usually launch our operations.”

... Building a wireless network in Canada: “Every time you put up a [cell] site, you need to ask everybody from the grandmother to the children in the street to the next door neighbour to his cousins.”

[mottivi]

I hear a lot of flapping, but everyone knows the big 3 can't buy them out yet, something got lost in translation with this guy.

[otty]

Also, here's a list of his quotes from the Globe and Mail ( http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...rticle1690695/ ):


... Bell, Telus and Rogers: “A joke.” As for whether he would invest in them: “Too big. Too slow.”

... New wireless players Mobilicity and Public Mobile: “They will die.”

... Wind Mobile: “We have never failed anywhere, so we won’t fail here.”

... Wind Mobile’s growth: “When we become stronger, we will hit back. And we will make pain. And they [Rogers, Bell and Telus] will suffer.”

... Lawyers: “Legal advice can screw a company.”

... Iraq: “They kidnapped our people, two or three times.”

... Whether Canada is a stable market for him: “I wish I could say that. It should have been.”

... Being rich: “I’ve turned down a lot of deals in my life, with a lot of good profits, because I didn’t like the party on the other side. And when people say this is not really professional, I tell them, ‘It’s the luxury of being rich.’ ”

... The CRTC: “It’s like when you play football and you beat the guy under the belt because the judge is not looking. But in your case, he’s looking and approving.”

... Operating in Canada: “There has been too many constraints. We have not been able to launch this operation in the way we usually launch our operations.”

... Building a wireless network in Canada: “Every time you put up a [cell] site, you need to ask everybody from the grandmother to the children in the street to the next door neighbour to his cousins.”

Hilarious!!!

more ballsy than the [former!?] owners of the CRTC.

Kinda scary too....

[LDN2012]

New Subscriber Statistics reported: 120,000 now.

[rockjock]

I hear a lot of flapping, but everyone knows the big 3 can't buy them out yet, something got lost in translation with this guy.

He does talk a great deal.. But he is just that bank whats this we do not fail at things bit? Acting like its his baby.. Wind is not doing so well in the EU.. but thats not a failure...yet.. and there is a back taxes.. he is appealing.. so no loss there.. I am sure he has had some great offers from now so great governments.. North Korea on the terror list like Ms Clinton wanted? All this aside.. I think it interesting he is acting like he is running things.. when its clear he has NO control over Wind.. Right Tony?

[windtruth]

I find it interesting how wind is “open to conversation” but doesn’t say which two companies offered to buy them out.

if they are to acquire mobilicit,y would they offer thier prices. also his statement makes little sense since public mobile is on cdma, different technology. or offer same price,s mobiliicity is cheaper (look it up!).

Here is what I have found..

here is the facts folks what I have learned I am disgusted/not supporting.
“In March 2002, a Cairo court sentenced Adel Hammouda and Essam Fahmy of the independent weekly Sawt al-Umma to six months in prison each for defaming Naguib Sawiris, as the Committee to Protect Journalist points out. Just what did Hammouda, a reporter, and Fahmy, the paper’s publisher, do to receive this sentence? They wrote articles accusing Naguib Sawiris and his telecommunications company, Orascom Telecom, of financial misconduct. The journalists charged that the Sawiris family, with the help of Bank Misr, used false bank certificates to raise Orascom’s capital by 400 million Egyptian pounds (about USD 90 million at the time). According PEN World Association of Writers, each was sentenced to six months in prison and fined 500 Egyptian pounds. The conviction was overturned on appeal, but NS and his family filed a total of 30 lawsuits against the paper.”

“It seems that shady Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris is stronger than freedom of speech on the Internet. Sawiris actually figured out a way to censor one of my blogs (www.blogster.com/thetruenaguibsawiris), because the information mentioned on it (which was proven and sourced) did not fit with the reputation he’s trying to build.”

or this…
“If you’re wondering why you’ve never come across any negative news about Egypt telecom magnate Naguib Sawiris, that’s because journalists who attempt to expose his corrupt business deals end up with prison sentences. ”

ind in Italy was silenced until the authorities proved corruption existed and criminal charges were made by the Police.Tax evasion in Algiers is supposedly on going in terms of the investigations going on and now there are new allegations that in p***stan the Wind network was used for the purpose of espionage against the government.Plus his association with evil Dictators in Iraq/N Korea are so clear Orascom’s reputation is almost NIL and this man has the guts to call our Providers a joke.

VOTE WITH YOUR HEART NOT JUST YOUR WALLET, DO YOU WANT TO BE PUT IN JAIL DUE TO BRIBES?

As CPJ's (Committee to Protect Journalists) executive director Ann Cooper put it: "Imposing prison sentences on journalists for covering stories of clear public interest is outrageous." The cases against Hammouda and Fahmy should be dropped immediately."

[2000impreza]

The globe and mail article was definitely entertaining. I'm sure the globe like any other canadian media company, twisted some of the statements around. Regardless how things were twisted or slanted in the article, I can't help but to think Naguib Sawiris is running his mouth a bit. Just one example is his comment on acquiring mobilicity and public mobile. If these companies did in fact fail and put up for sale, nothing is stopping a possible acquisition from the big 3.

[Siendra]

^ You mean beyond Orascom's substantially larger revenue stream? If he wants them, I can't see the big three being able to do jack about it.