How two American kids became big-time weapons traders ? until the Pentagon turned on them

[u-Bob]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics...alers-20110316

...

A 747 cargo plane had just lifted off from an airport in Hungary and was banking over the Black Sea toward Kyrgyzstan, some 3,000 miles to the east. After stopping to refuel there, the flight would carry on to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Aboard the plane were 80 pallets loaded with nearly 5 million rounds of ammunition for AK-47s, the Soviet-era assault rifle favored by the Afghan National Army.
...

The shipment was part of a $300 million contract that Packouz and his partner, Efraim Diveroli, had won from the Pentagon to arm America's allies in Afghanistan.
...

Reassured by the e-mail, Packouz got into his brand-new blue Audi A4 and headed home for the evening, windows open, the stereo blasting. At 25, he wasn't exactly used to the pressures of being an international arms dealer. Only months earlier, he had been making his living as a massage therapist; his studies at the Educating Hands School of Massage had not included classes in military contracting or geopolitical brinkmanship. But Packouz hadn't been able to resist the temptation when Diveroli, his 21-year-old friend from high school, had offered to cut him in on his burgeoning arms business. Working with nothing but an Internet connection, a couple of cellphones and a steady supply of weed, the two friends ? one with a few college credits, the other a high school dropout ? had beaten out Fortune 500 giants like General Dynamics to score the huge arms contract. With a single deal, two stoners from Miami Beach had turned themselves into the least likely merchants of death in history.

...

[candyflip]

That was a nuts article.

[Chosen]

[Chris]

i mean how does one even fall into that kinda work lmao

[candyflip]

Originally Posted by Chris

i mean how does one even fall into that kinda work lmao

The one kid with the "connection" worked in the guns and ammunition industry growing up. He took the knowledge he had and the rest was pure hustle.

At a certain point he needed someone he could trust to partner up with, so he brought his friend on board.

[pornguy]

Not the first time it has happend..

Ask Ollie.

[_Richard_]

[Chris]

Originally Posted by candyflip

The one kid with the "connection" worked in the guns and ammunition industry growing up. He took the knowledge he had and the rest was pure hustle.

At a certain point he needed someone he could trust to partner up with, so he brought his friend on board.

I suppose it's just like any other business just with some interesting clients ... i just cant help but to think that it has to be like the movie Lord Of War

[woj]

Originally Posted by Chosen

[VikingMan]

Originally Posted by Chris

i mean how does one even fall into that kinda work lmao

You don't "fall" into that work. Those kids are related to the right kind of people and of course payments are paid to the right people. Taxpayers get bilked as usual.

[JFK]

Great Read

[Rochard]

I read this in Rolling Stone and I wondered how much of it was true. I can't figure out how two kids were able to get the capital to buy anything in the first place.

[candyflip]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I read this in Rolling Stone and I wondered how much of it was true. I can't figure out how two kids were able to get the capital to buy anything in the first place.

Uh...it was in the article.

By the time he was 16, he was traveling the country selling weapons. He loved guns with a passion — selling them, shooting them, talking about them — and he loved the arms industry's intrigue and ruthless amorality. At 18, after a dispute with his uncle over money, Diveroli returned to Miami to set up his own operation, taking over a shell company his father had incorporated called AEY Inc.

When they partnered up, the kid who'd been selling since 16 had $1.8 million squirreled away.

[JFK]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I read this in Rolling Stone and I wondered how much of it was true. I can't figure out how two kids were able to get the capital to buy anything in the first place.

you must have skimmed it over then , it states right in the article they had financing

[vsex]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I read this in Rolling Stone and I wondered how much of it was true. I can't figure out how two kids were able to get the capital to buy anything in the first place.

Right in there.


Great story

[PStarks]

VERY good read... ah the joys of war

[JC Maldini]

Read the entire article...amazing read!

[Jon Oso]

That is pretty wild. Seems like they could have had a decent business if greed didn't get in the way.

[fuzebox]

Great read... Sad how it turned out.

Pissed me off when after a while the main guy doesn't want to "give" his partner "all that money".

[onwebcam]

Achmed will be furious.