Front stage:
Politico reported "Joe Biden is at the top of the internal short list Hillary Clinton’s transition team is preparing for her pick to be secretary of state." Biden would bring buckets of star power.
Back stage:
Joe Biden's son is on the board of Burisma, a Ukranian oil/gas company, and advisor to Rosemont Realty. Burisma stands to benefit from USAID loan guarantees for every phase of the development of oil and gas in Ukraine. Also, Ukraine's Finance Minister founded Horizon Capital, a Ukraine focused private equity underwriter (PEU).
Front Stage:
"He'd be great, and they are spending a lot of time figuring out the best way to try to persuade him (Biden) to do it if she (Hillary) wins.
Back stage:
Neera Tanden: To tell me that Biden (or his people - unclear to me who) are calling asking for support. Not doing a hard sell. Apparently, he's having some meeting in Washington that he's asking people to attend. You've probably heard stuff like this, but on the off chance you haven't, letting you know. Aug 14, 2015 4:49 PM
John Podesta: Yup. Hunter, Mike Donilon, Ricchetti. Biden can't seem to lean on people. Still can't figure out whether he'll rally himself to do it. Hadn't heard about DC meeting. Losing more sleep over getting straight answers from Cheryl than this. Aug 14, 2015 at 9:58 PM
Neera Tanden: I was just at the Tower of London and the Rack seemed to be a very successful strategy for getting straight answers from at least some people. (Source: Wikileaks e-mail 4115)
It's funny how today's Blue team sounds so much like the Reds.
We don't know if the Biden team read the above interchange but the Vice President already declined the opportunity:
Joe Biden said he has no interest in serving in a potential Hillary Clinton administration Friday, a day after Politico reported the vice president was at the top of a short list of candidates for secretary of State being prepared by Hillary Clinton’s transition team.
"I'll do anything I can if Hillary's elected to help her, but I don't want to remain in the administration."
It's Joe's time to cash in. I imagine Exxon, Apple or Google could use a new Board member. It's been awhile since The Carlyle Group landed a politician with star power at the top of their game. There will be no shortage of offers. Might Joe and Carlyle co-founder reprise their Thanksgiving dinner on Nantucket and talk employment?
Update 9-28-19: ZeroHedge reported Hunter Biden and his partner Devon Archer received $3 million from Burisma. The story mentions opportunistic USAID funding.
Update 1-16-20: President Trump will speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week. The billionaire boys will attend. Horizon Capital is sponsoring Davos' Ukraine House. The Ukraine Venture Capital and Private Equity Association will meet at the Ukraine House Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.will host the invitation-only meeting of the National Investment Council of Ukraine at the Ukraine House
Update 12-18-20: President Elect Joe Biden calls investigations into son Hunter "foul play."
Update 10-4-21: Blue PEU Hunter Biden still owns 10% of a Chinese private equity firm through Skaneateles LLC. Hunter is the sole owner of Skaneateles.
Update 3-1-22: Biden partner Devon Archer was convicted of fraud for defrauding a Native American tribe. Oddly, doing deals with Native Alaskans is how David Rubenstein got his Carlyle Group seed money.
Update 8-1-23: ZeroHedge reported Hunter's partner Devon Archer shed light on Vice President Joe Biden's influence on the Burisma board appointment. Archer said the family's "brand" had value at a time when the firm was facing corruption allegations.
Update 12-8-23: PEU cleanup on aisle 9. Hunter Biden indicted on tax charges.
His gross income nevertheless totaled some $7 million between 2016 and 2020, prosecutors said, pointing to his roles on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma and a Chinese private equity fund as well as his position at a law firm.
Hunter did eventually file his taxes in 2020, while facing a child support case in Arkansas, and the back taxes were paid by a “third party,” prosecutors have said in court documents.
