Copper dynasty

摘要

SOME time ago Andronico Luksic told me about the deal that put him on the path to becoming one of the world's wealthiest people. It came in 1954 when he sold a copper mine in Chile to a Japanese group. The Japanese offered half a million, which he assumed to be Chilean pesos and a reasonable price. When the paperwork was produced, however, it became clear that half a million US dollars was being offered - a fortune at the time. But the deal almost fell through. Mr Luksic originally had three French partners sharing ownership of the mine. The French fell out, and refused to have anything more to do with one another. So Mr Luksic bought out two of the partners. After the Japanese came calling, he rushed off to tell the remaining Frenchman about their good luck. However, his partner refused to have anything to do with the deal. Dramatically he explained why. Unbuttoning his shirt he showed Mr Luksic a deep scar on his neck. He had been captured by Japanese soldiers during the second world war, and taken with other prisoners to the edge of a ravine where their throats were cut and they were then pushed into the river below. Remarkably, he survived.