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Rich Passenger Mocks Black Woman In First Class Then Learns She Owns The Airline

Rich Passenger Mocks Black Woman In First Class Then Learns She Owns The Airline

Chapter 14

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The Daily Mail had the story by 10:00 a.m., the New York Post by noon:Billionaire Bigot: Patek-Wearing PE Partner Marcus Thorne Kicked Off Flight, Banned for Life After Racist Tirade. The Victim? Only the Billionaire Black Woman Who Owns the Airline.The story was irresistible: a perfect, self-contained drama of hubris and karma.At the London offices of Greystone Capital, an emergency board meeting was called. Greystone was an old-money firm, and its reputation was everything. Marcus Thorne, with his flashy new-money style, had always been tolerated because he was a rainmaker. But this was a public relations nuclear bomb.The firm's senior partner, a stoic man named Alistair Reed, read the AuraJet official statement aloud: "'Reprehensible verbal abuse and discriminatory harassment.' This is the official statement from an $8 billion corporation—a corporation, I might add, that we share several institutional investors with.""He's a fool," another partner spat. "To do this on any flight is moronic. To do it to Seraphina Jordan? The woman is a legend. She's on the board of the most powerful tech fund in the world. She's... she's Seraphina Jordan!"The problem was, Marcus was the lead on their biggest deal: a $3.4 billion hostile takeover of a beloved, family-run green energy company in California. The deal was already facing public backlash for being a vulture-capital move.The phone rang in the boardroom. It was the CEO of the green energy company."Alistair," the CEO's voice was frigid. "I just saw the news. We are, effective immediately, rejecting your offer. We will not, under any circumstances, allow our company, our employees, or our legacy to be associated with the kind of culture represented by Mr. Thorne. Any further attempts at contact will be considered hostile harassment. We are done."The line went dead. The $3.4 billion deal, which would have netted Greystone a fortune, was gone—evaporated.Alistair Reed looked at his partners. The decision was unanimous.Marcus was still being processed at the Heathrow police station. He was released with a fine and a caution. When his corporate Amex was declined, his company phone buzzed. It was an email from Alistair Reed.Subject: Termination of Employment.Marcus, the email began,
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Rich Passenger Mocks Black Woman In First Class Then Learns She Owns The Airline

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