The way to a lawmaker's heart is through his wallet. whether its soft-money campaign donations, corporate jets, or freebie junkets to exotic lands, cash greases the wheels in D.C. and capitals worldwide. Look here for Bush's "pioneers," political allies who get fat federal contracts, and influence peddling of all stripes.
One of the key companies in the family promoted Jindal Group, JSPL has grown from a moderately performing company in the steel sector to the largest sponge iron manufacturer in the world. Steered by Naveen Jindal, a Member of Parliament (2009), and one of four heirs to the business founded by his father, O.P. Jindal, JSPL realised a 2008 turnover in excess of $2 billion (Indian Rupee 100 billion. US $1 = Rs.
The Archer Daniels Midland Corporation (ADM) has been the most prominent recipient of corporate welfare in recent U.S. history. ADM and its chairman Dwayne Andreas have lavishly fertilized both political parties with millions of dollars in handouts and in return have reaped billion-dollar windfalls from taxpayers and consumers.
Aegon N.V., headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, is one of the world's largest life insurance and pension companies, and has additional business in savings and investment products; accident, supplemental health, and general insurance; and some limited banking activities. These operations are conducted by subsidiaries of Aegon N.V., which is itself a holding company.
American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as "AmEx" or "Amex", is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card and traveler's cheque businesses.
The company's common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "AXP." It is one of the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is ranked as the 74th largest company by Fortune.
Comcast is the largest cable provider and the second largest internet service provider in the United States. It has had a reputation for abysmal customer service and is being investigated by the FCC for blocking customer's access to internet content.
Before it collapsed, AIG, as measured by asset value, was the largest insurer in the world. But in September 2008, after its credit rating went down, AIG was caught without enough collateral for the credit default swaps it had sold to banks around the world, and was forced to accept a massive federal bailout package in order to forestall a collapse. As the size of the company's debts have grown, the U.S. government has readjusted the terms of the bailout, and gradually begun to take over parts of the company.
Sterlite Industries (India) Limited and its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Sterlite”) are engaged in the businesses of mining, smelting, and refining non-ferrous metals in India and Australia. SIIL is a majority-owned subsidiary of Twin Star Holdings Limited (“Twin Star”), which is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of Vedanta Resources plc (“Vedanta”), a public limited company incorporated in the United Kingdom and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Twin Star held 57 percent of SIIL’s equity as of Sept. 30, 2008.
Maytas Infra Limited (MIL) is a Hyderabad (India) based construction and infrastructure development company. Promoted by the now-discredited Satyam Computer Services Ltd's founder and former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju, Maytas Infra was at the centre of the Satyam financial scam which unravelled after Satyam's failed bid to acquire Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties.
Begun in 1987, Satyam Computer Services is the fourth largest IT Company in India, providing consulting, outsourcing, engineering and software solutions. Satyam describes itself as a global business and information technology company servicing more than 20 industries. The company went public in 1991 and is also listed in New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Satyam says its revenues crossed the $1 billion (Rs 4800 cr @ Rs 48/$1) in 2006 making it the youngest IT company in India to reach this milestone.
The Bank of New York Mellon was created in 2007 by the merger of Bank of New York and Mellon. The bank announced on October 14, 2008 that it was selected by U.S. Treasury to help administer the government's bank bailout program (Troubled Asset Relief Program) authorized under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.
