Billionaire chronicles: Toto’s Kingdom episode 1(Nairaland edit)

Moneymaker Name: Salvatore “Toto” Bergamo
Age: 42 years
Nationality: Italian (half Greek by maternal descent)
Industry: Narcotics, fashion, hospitality and entertainment
Net worth: $16.8 billion
Chronicle:

Milan was the place Toto turned to for the launch of his business front-end which he had long decided would be in fashion. Whilst a most fashionable man himself, Toto knew very little about the actual business of fashion aside the myths and legends passed down by hearsay about the most iconic fashion labels in the world. Creating his own fashion brand was thus a challenge that excited him as much as it also made him nervous. He had an initial start-up capital of $2 million made available to him by Don Vicente, which for that time and age gave him a formidable war-chest although money alone was not enough to break into the closely guarded world of high fashion. He had always been a strong believer in the power of reconnaissance to tip the scale in any battle though, so for this particular onslaught, his strategy was to open a posh coffee shop in central Milan’s iconic shopping mall, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. With rental space there an impossibility to secure, there was sure to be a story in how he got his shop there. A popular American fast food franchisee that had been a tenant ten years in the galleria had its lease up for renewal but the franchisee was shocked when its lease renewal application was turned down by the city council and the shop allotted to Toto Bergamo instead. That was a direct result of the Mayor’s behind-the-scene intervention; Toto had him in his trench coat pocket thanks to ‘privileged information’ he possessed on his extra-marital affairs. Mr. Mayor could scarce afford any of that coming out since his wife was his chief benefactor who had picked him up from dirt and polished him into the revered gentleman he now was. Of course there were threats of litigation but those too died a natural death when the franchise’s owner was made to understand that only the living benefit from litigation; thus was born caffè da Toto.

Elumination: Even though the mighty thrive, the lowly too must survive.

Twitter: @eluminary1

magnus est enim Deus noster super omnes deos.