Short description
A compelling account of the biggest corporate takeovers of recent years, and an insight into the life of Lakshmi Mittal, the UK's richest man
Long description
When the world's two largest steel producers went head to head in a bitter struggle for market domination, an epic corporate battle ensued that sent shockwaves through the political corridors of Europe, overheated the world's financial markets and transformed the steel industry. Billions of dollars were at stake. At the heart of the battle were two men: Guy Dolle, Chairman and CEO of Luxembourg-based Arcelor, the world's largest steel producer by turnover and Lakshmi Mittal, a self-made Indian industrialist and the richest man in Great Britain. Only one could prevail ...
Review
Tim Bouquet was the first British journalist to write a major profile of Mittal, while Byron Ousey was a PR adviser to the Luxembourg government, one of Arcelor's biggest shareholders. Together they are admirably qualified to guide us through the myriad twists and turns of this compelling business saga and have produced an enormously entertaining read. Christopher Silvester, Daily Express Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey have written an account of the takeover in the style of a thriller. Cold Steel describes the often brutal and chaotic five-month battle between Mittal and Arcelor. The combatants are described as though starring in a fictional Bob Jones, Management Today 'A rare, insider's account of lots of people making millions... The book reads like a thriller, with each side trying to rope in other steel companies on both sides of the Atlantic as allies... As this book shows, money and business logic prevailed in the end over politics and protection. The Economist