A lot of people are going to slagg off JR because the PPRuNe rat pack has all the answers with its 20/20 hindsight, I just feel for those without a job today.
A and C:
1) I don't have answers. I never did. I do and did have questions.
2) 20/20 hindsight? Nope. Not hindsight. Like many here in this thread, I had those questions earlier this year. Specifically, on 27 February 2009, I posted the following in this thread:
1) existing companies have made huge investments and are only barely making a profit.
2) only one type of aircraft limits customers.
3) long landing distance of selected type limits available runways.
4) terrible time to raise the large amounts of money required.
5) demand for private jets is dropping with the economy.
If NetJets is having a rough go of it, what makes these guys likely to do it better?
I have the same questions now that I had then. What was the secret sauce that these guys had that would make their business plan work?
I always ask myself the question: How did these people become such wealthy investors in the first place, if they are apparently so stupid?
Smart people have made dumb investment choices before, and they will again in the future. On two occasions I've worked for large companies with charismatic CEOs who could sell ice to eskimos. One of those companies ended very badly. The other only ended badly. Both CEOs made out like bandits and the investors got bupkis.