Mittalic magic

摘要

From his grand top-floor office in Berkeley Square, Lakshmi Mittal commands a westward view over London's West End to Kensington Gardens, where he lives in one of the city's swankiest houses. The giant swimming pool in its basement is one reason why the leader of the world's steel industry, and Britain's richest man, looks so fit and relaxed. Born in India, Mr Mittal has long made London his home and first came to notice there in 2002 when Tony Blair, the prime minister at the time, controversially put in a good word for him in a Romanian deal. When he made his sudden and spectacular appearance on the European business scene in early 2006, Mr Mittal was still a relative unknown. French government ministers, frightened by his takeover bid for the largely French Arcelor steel firm, did not know whether they were under attack from America or India.