Martin Franklin

"His specialty was eyewear companies – after all, nearly every second person in the world has weak eyes, and there is also high demand for sunglasses, and that even every summer anew. "Yes, dear friends from Wall Street," triumphed Andrew Serwer, "are you all blind that you have overlooked this mega gigantic business?" Luckily, they were, one can only say, otherwise Martin Franklin and Nicolas Berggruen might not be billionaires today."

"As the match turns out in the end, Martin Franklin tells the ZDF team: "I sold, Nicolas Berggruen waited. In the end, he sold his shares, which he bought for 80 million dollars, for 400 million. More money than I ever earned." At this point, Martin Franklin bluffs, telling the ZDF authors only half the story. It was his investment firm, Jarden Corporation, that was striving to create the world's largest manufacturer from various makers. First, Franklin secured the majority of shares at three other companies: Benson Eyecare Corporation, Lumen Technologies, and Bollé in France, the world leader in manufacturing and selling technological eye protection glasses for the industry as well as waterproof swimming goggles and aerodynamic skiing goggles, goggles, and helmets. With Foster Grant as a world-famous cult brand, the global eyewear giant was well prepared for the future. From then on, Franklin either sat on the board or chaired the supervisory board at all these companies."

"In 2007, the British hedge fund provider GLG Partners merged with Nicolas Berggruen. With the accession of his first special-purpose vehicle Freedom Acquisition Holdings, which he founded together with Martin Franklin (CEO of Jarden Corporation), the largest independent management company for alternative investments in Europe was created. Especially during the financial crisis, investment banks provided Nicolas Berggruen with credits in almost unlimited amounts. They were fascinated by the personality of this tireless "asset manager," who apparently succeeded in everything he touched."

"As always, Nicolas Berggruen had a partner in this deal: Martin Franklin, with whom he has been successfully collaborating since 1992. The rise of Foster Grant's stock continues. Allegedly, Franklin soon presses for sale. But Berggruen continues to gamble."

"One can only dream of a partner like Martin Franklin. For 20 years, he has been assembling financial packages, acquiring, bundling, initiating, contacting, and managing. The roles that Franklin occupies at various corporate helms change like the colors of a chameleon. Sometimes he is a non-executive director, sometimes an executive chairman, then president, often he sits on the supervisory board, or as a co-founder, he holds a silent share in the"