Financial Times: Déjà VNU
“Having backed down to the demands of disgruntled shareholders at Royal Dutch Shell, Aad Jacobs, the oil company’s non-executive chairman, is expending energy on smoothing problems at another of his charges: VNU.”: “Among those questioning the timing and rationale of one of the largest acquisitions attempted by a Dutch company is Eric Knight. It was his fund management company, Knight Vinke, that led calls for change at Shell.”
Published: September 30 2005
Having backed down to the demands of disgruntled shareholders at Royal Dutch Shell, Aad Jacobs, the oil company’s non-executive chairman, is expending energy on smoothing problems at another of his charges: VNU.
The Dutch publisher and business information company’s planned €5.8bn takeover of IMS Health, a US-based pharmaceutical data gatherer, has run into investor opposition.
Among those questioning the timing and rationale of one of the largest acquisitions attempted by a Dutch company is Eric Knight. It was his fund management company, Knight Vinke, that led calls for change at Shell.
Now Knight has renewed his acquaintance with Jacobs, chairman of VNU. Even before the deal was announced, he had dashed off a letter to the chairman voicing concern at the damage to shareholders from a mega-acquisition. Clearly the writing was on the wall.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
