This billionaire activates in the financial world.
This billionaire stated the financial crysis is far from over.
This billionaire stated that no government addressed the fundamental problems that caused the crysis.
This billionaire stated that governments spend lots of money to avoid deflation and there is no immediate danger for high inflation.
This billionaire talked in such circumstances so that chances he was lying are slim.
One of the three big companies in the American auto industry files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It claims that a deal with Fiat has been reached and the company will be revived one way or another.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean that Chryler will be liquidated, but that it will be reorganized. Therefore, there are chances for the company to continue to exist.
Anyway, it looks like one of the big three admitted it is bankrupt. We are waiting for Ford and General Motors to do the same…
The Sun might shine over Oracle after it decided to acquire Sun Microsystems for 7.4 billion dollars after IBM decided not to buy this company.
Therefore, Oracle will now own the Java programming language and the Solaris operating system.
Oracle pays 9.50$ per share. The Friday close price for Sun was 6.69$. Today, Sun shares opened above 9 dollars. I wander who new about it? 
One month ago, IMF said there will be no growth in 2009. Now, they updated their prognosis and they see a contraction of the world economy by 0.5% - 1%.
I guess someone should start trying to guess what the IMF prognosis in April will be so that we can have a prognosis of the prognosis… 
Bill Gates is again the richest man in the world. According to Forbes, he surpassed Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim (these two were richer than Gates a year ago). The number of billionaires in the world decreased to 793 from 1125.
Here is the Forbes top 20:
1. Bill Gates: 40B$ - Microsoft, United States
2. Warren Buffett: 37B$ - Berkshire Hathaway, United States
3. Carlos Slim: 35B$ - Telecoms, Mexico
4. Lawrence Ellison; 22,5B$ - Oracle, United States
5. Ingvar Kamprad: 22B$ - Ikea, Sweden
6. Karl Albrecht: 21,5B$ - Aldi, Germany
7. Mukesh Ambani: 19,5B$ - Petrochemicals, India
8. Lakshmi Mittal: 19,3B$ - Mittal Steel, India
9. Theo Albrecht: 18,8B$ - Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Germany
10. Amancio Ortega: 18,3B$ - Zara, Spain
11. Jim Walton: 17,8B$ - Wal-Mart, United States
12. Alice Walton: 17,6B$ - Wal-Mart, United States
12. Christy Walton: 17,6B$ - Wal-Mart, United States
12. S. Robson Walton: 17,6B$ - Wal-Mart, United States
15. Bernard Arnault: 16,5B$ - LVMH, France
16. Li Ka-Shing: 16,2B$ - Diverse, Hong Kong
17. Michael Bloomberg: 16B$ - Bloomberg, United States
18. Stefan Persson: 14,5B$ - Hennes & Mauritz, Sweden
19. Charles Koch: 14B$ - Koch Industries, United States
20. David Koch: 14B$ - Koch Industries, United States
Japan follows Taiwan’s examples and decides to give each citizen 12000 JPY to spend in order to save the economy. This means each Japanese will get more than 120 USD.
The total value of the plan is about 20 billion USD. Is this a sign that the Taiwanese plan might have actually worked?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average had, during the last trading day of February, a minimumvalue below 700 points. The close was above 7000.
We are waiting for the next milestones: close below 7000, minimum reaching 6000, minimum reaching 5000 and so on…
During the current crisis, many prognoses were made. Some were optimistic, some were pessimistic. They varied from a short duration crisis to the end of the world.
Well, here is my “original” apocalyptic prognosis:
1. The crisis will last at least until 2020.
2. During the crisis all major currencies will suffer hyperinflation; this will eventually lead to the disappearance of the curent currency and the return to the gold standard.
3. World War III will take place during the crisis; it will be caused by the food crisis; nuclear weapons will be used during this war.
4. The World population will be less than one billion after the crisis.
5. One of the countries that will recover first will be France; but, France will emerge from the crisis as a monarchy.
6. France example will be followed by many countries and monarchies will be restored throughout Europe (one of the first countries to restore the monarchy will be Serbia).
7. The United States of America will split into several independent states.
8. Several countries will leave the European Union.
9. The Pope (Pius XIII) will flee Vatican City.
10. Some of the former members of the Soviet Union will decide to join Russia in a new federation.
Would you like more?
The International Monetary Fund revised its prognosis for the world economy growth from 0.5% to 0%. Therefore, now they expect the economy to be stagnant in 2009. Well, I expect it to shrink a little and I think they will, at some moment, revise the prognosis again.
Moreover, they expect the economy of the developed countries to shrink by 2% and many countries will need help provided by IMF in order to pass this difficult period.
But, “someone important” said a short time ago that IMF no longer has enough money. In this case, what is the purpose of announcing something like we cannot help, but many need our help? Something like help us to help others?
The second largest economy in the world shrank 3.3% in the last quarter, the annually contraction rate being 12.7%. Most prognosis did not indicate such a deep contraction.
If this contraction continues, Japan will soon lose its status of world’s second largest economy.
But, the Nikkei index only fell 0.4%. This might only mean that a deeper fall will soon follow or that it starts recovering, but was pushed back by the announcement.