Trader’s Cocoa Binge Wraps Up Chocolate Market

[groovedaddy]

(Yep. They've gone over the top! gd)
LONDON — To some, he is a real-life Willy Wonka. To others, he is a Bond-style villain bent on taking over the world’s supply of chocolate.

In a stroke, a hedge fund manager here named Anthony Ward has all but cornered the market in cocoa. By one estimate, he has bought enough to make more than five billion chocolate bars.

Chocolate lovers here are crying into their Cadbury wrappers — and rival traders are crying foul, saying Mr. Ward is stockpiling cocoa in a bid to drive up already high prices so he can sell later at a big profit. His activities have helped drive cocoa prices on the London market to a 30-year high.

Mr. Ward, 50, is not some rabid chocoholic, former employees say. He simply has a head for cocoa. And, through his private investment firm, Armajaro, he now controls a cache equal to 7 percent of annual cocoa production worldwide, a big enough chunk to sway prices.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/business/global/25chocolate.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1280163616-ns/tjgPmljf/YEH5xhd/3g

[kestrel91316]

1. What a creep. If he prices too many women out of their chocolate,

there's gonna be hell to pay, and it won't be safe for him to leave his home.

[Demeter]

2. I Hope He Chokes on It

In thelate 1700's to 1800's, many English put no sugar in their tea, preferring to boycott the result of slave labor and thereby bring an end to the slave trade.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2004/01/against-all-odds

YOU MUST READ THIS ARTICLE!

The first great human-rights campaign -- the movement to end slavery in the British Empire -- had no business succeeding. But the legacy of its extraordinary achievement lives on today.

— By Adam Hochschild

[louis-t]

3. I will gladly gtive up chocolate for YEAR

to put this guy out of business. I hope he loses his ass.

[WingDinger]

4. he should be stewed in MOLE[mexican sauce]

[pgodbold]

5. Hmmm, looks like I'll have to go back to sex. nt

[HillWilliam]

6. Or popcorn in front of True Blood reruns

after enough oogling Alcide and Cooter, yeah, the next thing on my mind ain't chocolate truffles...

[Dr.Phool]

7. Let's all go on diets.

That will fuck him really good.

Except we can have tiramisu once a month.