Final Word from Monday, December 2, 2013
Czech consumers made Martin Roman a very rich man. Every time they flipped the light switch or rode a train, metro car or tram made by Škoda Transportation, his net worth rose. That is, if the ownership details uncovered over the years by MFD are true. MFD's revelations ultimately led to Roman's departure from ČEZ, but he still has all that ill-gotten gain and needs to do something with it. MFD revealed today that investors connected to him (meaning, presumably, his frontmen) have taken over the Špindlerův Mlýn ski resort. Equipped with this knowledge, Czechs can continue to put money into Roman's pocket by trekking to Špindl and ponying up for a ski pass. Or, they can ski elsewhere and leave Špindl to the billionaires. They can let Roman and his pals see, for once, what it's like to run a business without the benefit of a monopoly and without the compelled participation of millions of Czech consumers. [Czech Republic Holding MF Dnes]
Glossary of difficult words
net worth - the total value of one's assets minus the total value of one's debts;
ill-gotten - acquired by illegal or unfair means;
gain - an increase in wealth or resources;
frontman - a person who represents an illegal or disreputable organization to give it an air of legitimacy;
to pony up - to put money down.