Re: The Joy of *small* business

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024, rbowman wrote:

On Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:47:01 +0100, D wrote:
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There are two neobanks, Avanza and Nordnet who are just about to take
their first stumbling steps outside of the swedish market. They are
quite alright as well.

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Probably the best known sort-of Swedish companies in the US are IKEA and
Volvo. I guess IKEA moved to the Netherlands. I'm not sure about Volvo

No, no, no... way too simple! Some parts of ikea are owned by a dutch foundation, that foundation, somehow is controlled by a foundation in Liechtenstein. Could be that there's a branch of it in switzerland. One of those foundations owns the Ikea brand, and they charge the local companies that run the stores massive amounts for the right to use their own brand, and thereby collect profits in holland and liechtenstein where they are no taxed. Kamprad was a brilliant man! Sadly I do not have the billions required for such a solution to work.
But...
The Wallenberg family, one of the richest families in the world, also make heavy use of a family foundation to reduce taxes. This is an inheritance from when sweden was super socialist, so the only way they could protect the family fortune, and avoid splitting it up due to inheritance laws, was to make a non-profit foundation, and make sure it is staffed by family members. They've been at it for 6 generations now.

these days. Then there was Saab... I had a girlfriend who drove a 96, one
of the early ones that left a cloud behind it like a chainsaw.
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Then there were the art house movies like 'I Am Curious Yellow' and
Bergman's stuff. When she was 12 my wife's parents took her to see 'The
Virgin Spring' under the misconception that it was some sort of Disney
nature film. I do like that one the best. So much for turn the other
cheek.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJ58Q5fx_4

My favourite Bergman is Fanny och Alexander. Det sjunde inseglet is quite alright as well.
The danish has Lars von Trier, the ultra-troll och ultra-troll! I love his humor and mastery of trolling at a global level! Amazing!