Expect the unexpected, follow the lovers lost in this blog.

A blog to cater your mind,body,and soul as you drink Turkish Coffee. We are proud to present our new storyline called Cafe's search for his "Zahir". Everyday is a new day for the "Cafe" (from Istanbul) & his journey for "Zahir" (from Baku). Don't expect extraordinary drama from the narrator, me. Still, this is a drama (maybe real!), and have better impact on you than watching a soap opera. Guaranteed. There is genuine feelings within inspirational periods. Cross your fingers for this story to end with happy marriage :-) All rights are reserved.

EDIT (01 July 2009) - She is engaged with another man, and I finally made my marriage proposal bringing my family to Baku. The result: She stays engaged and will have her wedding, so called "toy", with that another man.

Rest in peace Ms. Zahir.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Sir Tom Hunter give away £1bn to charity; and JJB Sports, Grocery, Mining, Private Equity

Sir Tom Hunter, from a mining village of New Cumnock in Ayrshire, Scotland, is ranked as "the 60th richest person in the UK" and his estimated fortune is about £1.05bn. His father was a grocer. He began "his career by selling trainers from the back of a van." For his full profile, go to BBC News.
"His immense wealth came from the Sports Division chain of sports shops, which he founded in 1984 and sold to JJB Sports in 1998."

So, in 14 years, he managed to gain the necessary skills and courage to grow his company and sell for over £250m. Using a currency convertor, it comes to about $513m, a little bit more than half a billion dollars. His current fortune is four times this amount, about $2bn

So, in 14 years earning half a billion dollars.
From 1998 to 2007, multiply it by 8, a total of $2bn.
In the last nine years, his return on investment (ROI) is around 300%
I think he had a good investment.

"The tycoon has continued to accumulate wealth through the West Coast Capital private equity partnership he founded in 2001."

He founded Hunter Foundation in 1998, which is about the time he sold his sports company. If I would have a mass money like half a billion, I would immediately share it with the people in need, and start a foundation. Tom and Marion Hunter's message on the website stresses;

"No-one ever wakes up and deliberately says to themselves, ‘I must fail today’ but sadly not enough of us go to school or work and say, ‘Today, I’m really going to make a positive difference.’
Success for us is enabling every child to be all they can be, as simple and as challenging as that sounds. We will succeed, one way or another."

Investing in the future of a child would be the most influential and profitable one in my opinion. Observing a growth of another philanthropist and an entrepreneur would be a beautiful artificial cloning of a person like Tom Hunter. Giving a light to new Tom Hunters should be an incredible feeling.

Sir Hunter's life story would be an inspiring one. Especially, after we learn that he started out with selling trainers from his van. I was operating an evening/night cafe in my dorm. It was all due to my irresistible feeling to see my high school dormmates craving for food and some drink once the main cafeteria was shut down after 10pm. I relied on people's dignity and honesty that people were getting their sodas/snack, and then putting a check mark next to their name on the customer list. So, there was some sense of layaway. People were paying for their sodas and snacks at the end of each school week. The business was like a non-profit organization, advancing their intelligence through healthy living.

In short, another great entrepreneur in today's life was selling pizzas in his college dorm. So, as long as there is sales, there are the seeds for starting your own company, perhaps! Without sales, there is no profit, no money, nothing. Maybe, just love :-)
Even love needs water, otherwise it might evaporate in today's capital-based economy.

Last, his donation to Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship @ Strathclyde is also another smart investment to bright mind of the future. By the way, the institution is having a competition, but is only open to internal community.
At the end, let's ask if those super rich people like Tom Hunter has the duty to share their wealth?