Soviet Union

"There is already a regular shuttle of boats working for him between Saint-Malo, Sweden, Finland and even the Soviet Union. In less than four years, he has radically eliminated intermediaries from his import chain and modernized it to the extent of the revolution in communications that we are now beginning to see the first signs of. It is a global qualitative leap where François Pinault is no longer just attacking routine."

"The engineering state, citing socialism with Chinese characteristics, is set up to give people one main thing: material improvements, mostly through public works. The engineering state builds big in part because it’s made up of self-professed communists who grew up admiring the Soviet Union. Communist Party leaders like Xi Jinping studied in an educational system steeped in Marxism. For them, production was a noble deed to advance communism, while consumption was a despicable act of capitalism. This party believes that only the state has the wisdom to invest in strategic megaprojects, whereas consumers will waste money on themselves. It is hostile to ordinary people having much command of resources, which empowers an individual’s agency rather than the state’s."

"The disintegration of the Soviet Union, combined with apparent return of East Germany to democracy and to capitalism, stirred the strategic as well as the emotional fires in Peter Munk’s European soul. As he puts it, “Geopolitical events bring with them major economic changes—and that’s the time to make big money.” He immediately understood that there would be opportunities to restore Berlin to its prewar grandeur, and to do so profitably. Another possibility was to acquire and develop lands close to and within the social and economic orbit of Berlin."

"In the developing world, it was often impossible to manage the transport of fresh milk from dairies to consumers. They couldn’t afford refrigerated trucks, nor the expensive metal tin cans. On all of Torudd’s travels in the third world, he was therefore constantly asked when there would be a tetra for aseptic milk. “Soon,” he had answered. In a considerable number of cases, he then received the information that it was currently not relevant to purchase the tetra system. “But if you come back with an aseptic package… Well, then things would naturally be in a completely different situation,” he was often told. Now the moment had arrived. And the aseptic packaging not only opened up many poor countries for Tetra Pak, but also a large and relatively well-developed country like the Soviet Union. The Soviet planned economy system resulted in large quantities of fresh food, including milk, being destroyed during the hopelessly long transports. This was because the planners had concentrated the industries in certain locations, while the market could be the entire country. Products were often transported from one end of the vast country to the other. But now, Tetra Pak with its aseptic tetrahedron could solve the problems that the communist regime had created."

"“This is a sympathetic film about a communist, and while you may think it’s amusing for a capitalist company to do this, I work for a protocapitalist, Charles Bluhdorn. I don’t talk to Charlie about decisions to make a movie or not make a movie, but for this one I have to. I can’t put Gulf + Western in a position of being taken by surprise by the controversy this film will cause.” We were still very much in the Cold War with the Soviet Union (it would be ten more years before it would collapse). When the idea was put to Bluhdorn, he surprised us by saying that of course Gulf + Western would support the movie. He said the greatest thing about America is its tolerance, even encouragement, of open discussion on any subject."

"The gold rush began early in 1978, and the starting point was the least likely for the arch-capitalist John Fredriksen, namely East Germany. Ocean Tanker managed the entire East German tanker fleet, eight ships, and Northern Shipping brokered all the shipments. The Soviet Union supplied the Germans with oil, but occasionally turned off the taps, and then the Germans themselves had to send their ships to friendly Iraq and exchange for oil. Otherwise, Ocean Tanker controlled the fleet, but this limited freedom of action meant that the price Ocean Tanker paid was low. Much lower than what a skilled broker could achieve for individual trips in the market."