SALT Voices: Bill Browder | Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Hermitage Capital Management

TL;DR

Bill Browder, CEO and founder of Hermitage Capital, discusses his journey from a profit-focused capitalist to a human rights crusader in exposing corruption in Russia.

Transcript

this is salt 2019 and i'm here with bill browder the ceo and founder of hermitage capital and author of the great book red notice about his efforts to expose corruption in russia i highly recommend reading the book for people who haven't i loved him so are you an accidental crusader or did you set out to be a crusader so if you go back 30 years to ... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Bill Browder's path from capitalism to activism demonstrates personal growth and a commitment to exposing corruption.
• 💀 The Magnitsky Act has been successfully implemented in several countries, causing anger and frustration for Putin.
• ♿ Browder's success is evidenced by Putin's attempts to have access to him during the Trump-Putin summit.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Bill Browder's perspective change from being a young capitalist to a human rights activist?

Browder, initially profit-driven, entered the world of human rights due to personal experiences and tragedies, detailed in his book "Red Notice". His transformation was not intentional but resulted from a series of unfortunate events.

Q: How does Bill Browder measure his success as a human rights crusader?

Browder measures his success by the implementation of the Magnitsky Act in multiple countries. The fact that Putin expresses extreme fury towards him indicates the effectiveness of his campaign against corruption in Russia.

Q: How does Bill Browder feel about the revelations of Russia's interference in the US election and the results of Mueller's investigation?

Browder feels strongly about Russia's interference as he read the entire Mueller report, finding it devastating. He believes the report showcases the extensive number of Russians attempting to interfere in the US political process and the troubling attitude of some individuals involved in the Trump campaign.

Q: Did anything surprise Bill Browder about the Mueller report?

Browder was not surprised by Russia's actions as he was already aware of their activities. However, he was taken aback by the level of dishonesty displayed by various individuals mentioned in the report.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Bill Browder initially pursued profit as a young capitalist but was led into the world of human rights activism through a series of events.

• He successfully advocated for the implementation of the Magnitsky Act in the US, Canada, UK, and the Baltic countries, making Vladimir Putin furious.

• Browder recognizes his success by Putin's extreme reactions, such as demanding access to him during the Trump-Putin summit.