In Memorium to a great friend

Professor Dr. Sir Joseph Seiller (German, born in Frankfurt/Main, former Economic Advisor to the late President of the USA John F. Kennedy, after his assassination Civil Servant for the State Department, Knighthood by the late Queen Elizabeth II for successfully ending the Biafra War in Nigeria, etc.) lived in Bremen, Habenhausener Landstrasse, Germany before this heavy smoker died years ago. Many stories of him stayed with me one worth sharing.

"Karl, you know I was asked to help the USA in the Arab world to secure the oil business for them. I met a Sheikh in his tent. He did not trust banks in his country. From selling oil he had $ 5 Mio. in cash. He asked me to deposit it in a bank of my choice. I had a friend in the UBS director in Bern. I was asked by the Sheikh to bring his money there. I refused being scared to carry so much money in a suitcase as I could have lost it.

But my boss in Washington put pressure on me. Finally, I gave up and deposited the money into a UBS bank account with my friend there before flying back to Washington. Three months later my friend from Bern called me. He complained the Sheikh would constantly call him asking for his money and whether he would think that they as a bank would steal from him. I relaxed him by saying that the Sheikhs would not understand such modern ways of doing business.

Three months later the Sheikh turned up in person in Bern. He asked the Receptionist to show him his money. She was confused. She asked whether or not he would not get bank statements on a regular basis. The Sheikh confirmed the receipt of bank statements but still insisted on seeing his money. The Receptionist was desperate and helpless. She called the Director for help. He welcomed the Sheikh in his upper office, greeted him, and asked for the reason for coming. The Sheikh repeated his wish to see his money.

The director called the people down in the safe room to bring $ 5 Mio. plus interest in his office. Twenty minutes later the money was presented to the Sheikh. The Sheikh touched the money and carefully looked at it while counting note by note. He got angry and said this money would not be his money. The director was confused and reconfirmed to the Sheikh that the money on the table right before him was his money plus interest. The Sheikh even got more angry and red in his face. He said that it was never his money as he had marked his money."

All, have a blessed weekend!
(Arabs learned fast. What about Africans?)