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AIBU?

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Original poster

to not understand how Philip Green and his wife live with themselves?

119 replies

MaMaLa321 · 01/12/2020 13:05

Tina Green received millions from Arcadia, as did Philip Green. Now the company has gone down, with a big hole in the pension pot. How do they live with themselves?

OP posts:
CandyLeBonBon · 01/12/2020 19:31

@AmandaHoldensLips

There's a whole swathe of people who give no shits about other people and are ruled by the Money God. It's a vile personality trait.
You've met my ex, I see!!! Grin
Iamthewombat · 01/12/2020 19:41

Stop defending the indefensible iamthewombat

Who or what is the indefensible thing?

I’m sure that you don’t like Philip Green much. Nor do I. Does that mean that we should pretend that he stole from the BHS pension fund? Do you think that laws should be changed specifically so that he, and he alone, can be made liable for things you think should have been illegal?

feellikeanalien · 01/12/2020 19:51

Unfortunately one thing I have learned as I get older is that there are a lot of selfish, heartless bastards in this world. PG is only one example.

SonjaMorgan · 01/12/2020 19:57

I had a similar conversation with DH. I will never be a billionaire and I would never want to be. I would much rather be like Jk Rowling and not be a complete arsehole.

WellIWasInTheNeighbourhoo · 01/12/2020 20:12

Because they are pigs. Actually that's giving pigs a bad name.

tsmainsqueeze · 01/12/2020 20:23

@SebastianTheCrab

Retail's gone to hell. For years Green's empire provided jobs and careers - it's not his fault personally his industry is crumbling. And aren't we all meant to be buying ethically now anyway?

I'm no fan btw - I've spoken to him twice and both times he was horribly rude, much as he is to everyone.

But turning him into this bogeyman pinup for obscene wealth - when most of the ones you ought to worry about are the ones who keep themselves under the radar - is tiresome. He is but one of many.

I totally agree with what you have said , not a fan either .
addictedtotheflats · 01/12/2020 20:35

It makes me sick thinking about it. My DP unfortunately works for arcadia and its a very stressful time. What makes it even worse is those who have paid years and years of pension and may not see any of it. I cant even imagine what they are going through. Phillip Green and Tina dont give a flying fuck about anyone and the quicker the brand can be disassociated with them the better. Fingers crossed for a buyer

DynamoKev · 01/12/2020 20:39

@addictedtotheflats

It makes me sick thinking about it. My DP unfortunately works for arcadia and its a very stressful time. What makes it even worse is those who have paid years and years of pension and may not see any of it. I cant even imagine what they are going through. Phillip Green and Tina dont give a flying fuck about anyone and the quicker the brand can be disassociated with them the better. Fingers crossed for a buyer
On a practical note, the Pension Protection Fund should guarantee 90% of the pension rights.
P999 · 01/12/2020 20:47

Because they're sociopaths who don't give a shit. There are lots of them in those echelons. It's how they got there in the first place

Hopoindown31 · 01/12/2020 20:52

Because it is much easier to get rich in business if you have no morals.

Balhammom · 01/12/2020 21:03

I disagree with this a bit. No business lasts forever. A company may last a few years, decades or hundreds of years. Should owners be banned from benefiting when they are employing thousands of people in a profitable business? As long as they treat their staff fairly and meet their legal obligations, I struggle with the demonisation slightly.

Let’s be honest here, without individuals like Green, a lot more people would have been on the dole over the past 30 years. Yes - they’re unemployed now - but surely it’s a good thing that these people had jobs until now?

SeasonallySnowyPeasant · 01/12/2020 21:03

I don't understand how he's kept his knighthood so far. He's left a trail of misery and destruction in his wake as he wallows through life on his super yacht.

Chloemol · 01/12/2020 21:04

Because they are nasty people only out for what they can get

He is Robert Maxwell number 2 in my opinion

the80sweregreat · 01/12/2020 21:49

@Chloemol

Because they are nasty people only out for what they can get

He is Robert Maxwell number 2 in my opinion

Agree! Him and Maxwell have many things in common .. :(
DynamoKev · 02/12/2020 11:11

Let’s be honest here, without individuals like Green, a lot more people would have been on the dole over the past 30 years. Yes - they’re unemployed now - but surely it’s a good thing that these people had jobs until now?
He didn't miraculously create jobs where there were none before.

Mariebarrone · 02/12/2020 11:28

He has no moral compass.
There are plenty of others similar in the world unfortunately.

Chailatte20 · 03/12/2020 04:32

Interestingly there is a commons Committee accepting written evidence by Fri 4 of Dec on economic crime & money laundering. I wonder what type of evidence has been put forward.

committees.parliament.uk/work/726/economic-crime/

RLGGG · 03/12/2020 04:42

I remember working in a BHS cafe in my late teens and being told I had to 'sell another piece of toast for Mr Green'. Don't know why I still remember that but is making me laugh reading it. You are welcome Mr Green, every penny helps when you have a Monaco lifestyle to maintain HmmGrin

longwayoff · 03/12/2020 05:44

You've had a good look at Donald Trump presumably? That's how. These snake oil salesmen are not like us. They have no conscience. What we view as despicable, unconscionable behaviour that will bring suffering and despair to others is simply practical money management to them. They don't care. They sleep at night. They have no shame. They think we are suckers and losers because we have not done as they do. We are fools in their eyes and deserve all we get for them not being as clever as them. Think that covers it.

Sostenueto · 03/12/2020 06:00

They couldn't care a fig. After all he paid his wife 2 billion in May and transfered stuff to her because they knew it would all go pear shaped. They have no conscious they have no thought for anyone!

ClaireP20 · 03/12/2020 06:06

He is a psychopath, that's how.

user1471565182 · 03/12/2020 07:22

They get away with it because this is pure Tory ideology. Look at those at the centre of government helping themselves to public money

Marieg10 · 03/12/2020 07:26

@PinkiOcelot

"It should be raising questions though, how there was a huge hole in BHS pension pot and now a hole in this pension pot."

Most companies like that have holes in their pension schemes due to various factors but one is government raids on this like dividend allowances previously and demographics.

Look at BT and BA. huge deficits

Iamthewombat · 03/12/2020 09:39

After all he paid his wife 2 billion in May and transfered stuff to her because they knew it would all go pear shaped

What’s your source for this, please?

Arcadia paid a £1.3 Billion dividend to Taveta investments in 2005 - fifteen years ago - of which Tina Green received £1.2 Billion. I’ve seen nothing to suggest a separate transfer of £2 Billion from the Arcadia business to Tina Green or any of the companies of which she is a shareholder.

I’m not here to defend the Greens, by they way. Philip Green is big enough and ugly enough to defend himself and is, by all accounts, horrible. However, isn’t there something a bit creepy about throwing ill-informed and untrue accusations at somebody we’ve designated as public enemy number one (he STOLE from the Arcadia pension scheme! He STOLE from the BHS pension scheme and all! He ripped £2 Billion from Arcadia in May 2020 and gave it to his wife!) and, worse, expecting laws to be changed retrospectively to ‘get’ that person so that we can all feel that what we consider justice has been done?

You do get that sale and leaseback transactions, and payment of dividends to offshore companies, go on all the time, don’t you? Irrespective of what you think about the ethics of such transactions, they happen. How come we haven’t got a mob calling for special punishment for partners in the private equity firms that bought Debenhams in 2003 and left it on life support?

Can you see that there is something uncomfortable about making a Jewish businessman the scapegoat for all the corporate ills of Britain? It’s rather reminiscent of what happened in another country ninety years ago.

DynamoKev · 03/12/2020 10:58

@Iamthewombat

After all he paid his wife 2 billion in May and transfered stuff to her because they knew it would all go pear shaped

What’s your source for this, please?

Arcadia paid a £1.3 Billion dividend to Taveta investments in 2005 - fifteen years ago - of which Tina Green received £1.2 Billion. I’ve seen nothing to suggest a separate transfer of £2 Billion from the Arcadia business to Tina Green or any of the companies of which she is a shareholder.

I’m not here to defend the Greens, by they way. Philip Green is big enough and ugly enough to defend himself and is, by all accounts, horrible. However, isn’t there something a bit creepy about throwing ill-informed and untrue accusations at somebody we’ve designated as public enemy number one (he STOLE from the Arcadia pension scheme! He STOLE from the BHS pension scheme and all! He ripped £2 Billion from Arcadia in May 2020 and gave it to his wife!) and, worse, expecting laws to be changed retrospectively to ‘get’ that person so that we can all feel that what we consider justice has been done?

You do get that sale and leaseback transactions, and payment of dividends to offshore companies, go on all the time, don’t you? Irrespective of what you think about the ethics of such transactions, they happen. How come we haven’t got a mob calling for special punishment for partners in the private equity firms that bought Debenhams in 2003 and left it on life support?

Can you see that there is something uncomfortable about making a Jewish businessman the scapegoat for all the corporate ills of Britain? It’s rather reminiscent of what happened in another country ninety years ago.

I suspect most detractors don't know he's Jewish but your point is well made, and groundless and exaggerated allegations don't help anyone.