Comments on: Russian ‘Undesirable’ Makes an Offer for HUMMER that GM Can Refuse. Or Can It?

By: tony-e30

tony-e30 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:02:40 +0000

Perhaps they could offer him Hummer for an agreement to shoulder a percentage of GM debt? For all the financially savvy types out there, what do you see as the best way GM can broker a deal with this guy, aside from unloading the 800 lb Gorilla?

By: Steven Lang

Steven Lang — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:48:26 +0000

Hell… if they pay a billion or so I’d say throw in Saab for free!

By: ra_pro

ra_pro — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:25:06 +0000

Airhen,

I take it you are one of those still having wet dreams about your glorious Cold war victory.

By: 07Frontier

07Frontier — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:30:44 +0000

It looks like a win-win to me. As my dad, who was a Ford dealer, used to say, a sale is a sale.

By: AJ

AJ — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:40:02 +0000

ra_pro :
August 13th, 2008 at 8:41 am

All in less then a generation and in large part due to America being an unrepentant oil addict, still not admitting to its addiction, treating its few ruly visionary leaders (Gore, Carter) like crazies.

First, you’d have to be crazy not to think Gore and Carter are not crazy. Second, and how little oil are you responsible for using? Hum? Oil is what fuels our economy and our high living standard. We can’t go back to living in huts along a river singing “Kum Ba Ya” while worshiping Mother Earth. (sigh)

Anyway, maybe having to run a profitable business might help clean up that Russian, or else is he going to threaten customers to buy a Hummer? That’s actually kind of funny! “I’ll make you a deal that you can’t refuse!”

By: TRL

TRL — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:01:14 +0000

I’m confused.

All I read is how completely stupid GM was for even creating the Hummer brand yet now everyone is mad because they believe some Russian crooks will make money with it.

Even I have to admit GM probably knows as much about being in the car business as the Russian Mafia.

Why aren’t we celebrating a chance to stick the “bad guys” with a turkey?

By: zloy

zloy — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:54:56 +0000

Greatest country, beggar nation, blood money, mafia, cold war – are you guys on some kind of political meeting?
Get real!
Hummer brand is not appreciated in the US. People are switching to Cobalts and Civics! Russians like Hummers and want to save the brand and are willing to pay big $$$ – what the problem with that?

By: bfg9k

bfg9k — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:26:44 +0000

Ingvar :
ALL money in that quantity is blood money. There isn’t a single billionaire on this earth that hasn’t done some shady business.

Behind every great fortune there is a crime.
– Honore de Balzac

By: nevets248

nevets248 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:54:35 +0000

“show me the money!”-the new GM battle cry.

By: ra_pro

ra_pro — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:41:53 +0000

How the world has changed, oh my! The glorious victory of the United States over Soviet Union in the cold war doesn’t look so glorious now. And what about Russians going from the beggar nation to holding Europe and shortly US by its balls with their vast energy reserves. All in less then a generation and in large part due to America being an unrepentant oil addict, still not admitting to its addiction, treating its few ruly visionary leaders (Gore, Carter) like crazies. Now the greatest country in history needs Russian mafia to save what’s left of its ones greatest company? If somebody told me this 20 years ago I would have thought this was too crazy even for a cheap Hollywood movie. Now its reality.

By: guyincognito

guyincognito — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:37:31 +0000

Yes but perhaps Deripaska doesn’t realize that in America big suv brands buy you!

By: z31

z31 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:35:33 +0000

Ingvar :
ALL money in that quantity is blood money. There isn’t a single billionaire on this earth that hasn’t done some shady business.

The image of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet pistol whipping some poor schlub in a back alley popped into my mind when I read that.

By: rudiger

rudiger — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:20:23 +0000

Ingvar: “Is Rick Wagoneer a lesser criminial?”

That depends what one thinks of someone that consorts with those who, in order to become a member of their quaint organization, it is necessary to bring the head of their best friend to the meeting. That’s the traditional requirement for admission to the highest levels of the Russian Mafia (aka ‘Blatnoi’).

Somehow, I quite doubt that Rick Wagoneer has friends or business acquaintences of such a nefarious character, whereas Oleg Deripaska almost certainly does.

By: Detroit-Iron

Detroit-Iron — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:00:36 +0000

You like? You buy!

By: Ingvar

Ingvar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:37:01 +0000

ALL money in that quantity is blood money. There isn’t a single billionaire on this earth that hasn’t done some shady business. It’s just a matter of appearance, and how many underlings or off shore accounts you can have to separate yourself from the dirty deeds. Is Rick Wagoneer a lesser criminial? Holding hundreds of thousands of peoples employments at hand? What separates an oligarch from the Enron scandal? The Kennedy-clan was founded on bootlegging alcohol. Money doesn’t smell, and if there’s money in this for both sides, the deal will take place. It’s called capitalism.

By: Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:57:26 +0000

Cash and Carry. Win, Win.

By: Hank

Hank — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 02:09:14 +0000

We’re not talking about a guy who’s just swarmy or underhanded. His money is organized crime money, and in Russia that means blood money. Lived there seen that, it ain’t just the movies, folks.

By: Packard

Packard — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:59:04 +0000

Oleg Deripaska already owns just under 5% of the outstanding GM stock – just below the level where he is required to file a statement with the SEC. The guy’s a vulture. It should bother GM that he sees value in something GM seems to think has none.

By: megaphone

megaphone — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:43:38 +0000

GM only questions should be “is that in cash?” or “would you like GMC also?”

By: Bancho

Bancho — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:40:19 +0000

I can’t see any downside to this. A “bad boy” division attracts potential suitors that are *gasp* “bad boys”? Bring it on!

By: kars

kars — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:32:31 +0000

he may be undesireable, but his money won’t be

By: npbheights

npbheights — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:10:06 +0000

Sounds like he is in the demographic that buys HUMMER vehicles so why would it be a surprise that one of those people would want to buy the whole division?

By: Blunozer

Blunozer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:07:28 +0000

Something about Hummer being bought out by a Russian mobster…

It’s just so… Poetic.

By: Pch101

Pch101 — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:49:09 +0000

The current, ongoing US economic meltdown is going to get fixed mostly with foreign money.

That means we will be groveling for cash from our trade deficit overlords (China, India, South Korea and Japan), the world’s energy masters (Middle East and Russia) and those Europeans (who allegedly eat too much cheese and surrender all too often for our tastes) who are eager to dump their now-declining euros to get into dollar denominated assets. It isn’t going to be fixed at home, on our own, without outside help.

We need to be nice to these people, while they still have the money. Get those wire instructions ready, we’re going to need them.