Thursday, July 1, 2010

A Mobile Fortune: The Life and Times of Denis O'Brien


'Denis O'Brien's unique position at the crossroads of business, media nd politics makes Siobhan Creaton's searching study of his career essential reading for anyone interested in the workings of power' Finan O'Toole

He is the Irish telecomes tycoon with business interess from Ireland to the Caribbean; a billionaire powerful enough to have graced the cover of Forbes magazine; an indefatigable entrepreneur who invests where others fear to tread, bringing his bright red Digicel brand to some of the world's poorest and most dangerous nations.

In building his business empire- from Esat Telecom to Digicel- Denis O'Brien has smashed the hegemony of state-run networks and the cosy alliances of governments and traditional suppliers- even audaciously snatching the sponsorship of West Indies cricket. As notable for his low-profile philanthropy as for his high-profile joust with, among others, Sir Anthony O'Reilly, he is equally capable of forensically monitoring every last taxi fare and throwing hundreds of millions into a takeover bid for the Independent News and Media group. But his huge wealth and commercial dominance have not been achieved without controversy: a long-running Tribunal in Ireland is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the first mobile phone licence he won in 1996 amid allegations of political corruption.

Now Siobhan Creaton, formerly the experience finance correspondent of the Irish Times and author of Aurum's acclaimed and constantly-selling book on Ryanair, has spoken to those who know and have dealt with O'Brien to produce the first comprehensive biography of this fascinating, contradictory and immensely influential man. Siobhan Creaton lives in Dublin.

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