Fear the secret agent less than the accountant
Extracts from an article by John Gapper
Intelligence has its uses in business, if filtered and edited for plausibility and reliability. Even if information cannot be published or produced in court, it can help a board of directors decide whether to buy a company or enter partnership with an entrepreneur in Russia and other opaque markets.
This is the speciality of consultants such as Hakluyt in London and Veracity in New York – the market Orbis has tried to enter. Hakluyt was founded 20 years ago by former UK intelligence officers, although it now employs others including former management consultants and financial journalists.