When the Iron Curtain lifted, and Soviet influence in Europe came to a close, one family turned scrap weaponry into a billion-dollar business
Jaroslav Strnad, 47, is very likely the Czech Republic’s most well-known arms dealer and “gunsmith.”
I’m here to meet the new top dog, Jaroslav’s son, Michal Strnad. This long-limbed and lanky 27-year-old Czech now commands his father’s entire defense contracting empire, with over a billion dollars in revenue and two Black Hawk choppers in the garage. His business, The Czechoslovak Group , has the façade of a modern industrial giant, with a taste for old, cheap weaponry.
Jaroslav saw value in things that others did not. It wasn’t the size of the deal, but the depth of his relationship with power. Even so, he was laughed at when he started out. An associate who grew up in a neighboring town talks of how the scrapyard owner from the “small town” near Slatiňany, was “mocked” by the “bosses” of the “real” arms dealers. Jaroslav was seen as a"little boy” with a “small bazaar” selling “unnecessary scrap.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
'Amazing': Meet the woman behind Jeep's rugged, boulder-climbing new pickupMeet the woman behind Jeep's new pickup truck, the Gladiator—one of a growing number of women in an industry in which men still dominate the decision-making.
Lire la suite »
Meet The Blob, A Creature That Has Almost 720 Sexes — But No Brain“The blob” is a bright yellow unicellular mini-beast that looks like a fungus but acts like an animal
Lire la suite »
Meet 'le blob' - Paris zoo's new star attractionCalled the ‘Blob,’ this mysterious ancient organism has 720 genders, no brain or eyes, but can learn, solve problems, double its size in a day, and heal itself in two minutes if cut in half
Lire la suite »
Meet Austin's top venture capital firms and investors - Business InsiderAustin's venture capital scene was dominated by a single firm for decades, but a new wave of firms is giving the growing hub healthy competition.
Lire la suite »
Meet the lawyer behind the House's impeachment inquiryRecognizable names like Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff are the public faces of the fast-moving impeachment inquiry. But it's the legal mind many haven't heard of who is advising and helping to coordinate the impeachment fight behind the scenes.
Lire la suite »