Bono to head up world bank?

ArthurDent

This story seems to be gathering momentum

03 March 2005
Bono to be next World Bank leader?
Bono's name has been put forward for one of the world's most important political jobs.

The U2 frontman has been suggested as a possible candidate for the president of the World Bank by prestigious American newspaper The Los Angeles Times.

"Don't be fooled by the wraparound sunglasses and the excess hipness," the paper wrote in an editorial. "Bono is deeply versed in the issues afflicting the least-developed nations of the world."

The singer's charity work, in particular his campaigns to get rid of Third World debt earned him the paper's endorsement for the job which becomes vacant in May, although he will face stiff competition from Britain's Gordon Brown, also linked to the position.

Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor Andres Martinez said the suggestion of Bono to head the World Bank was entirely serious, although he said the newspaper was also making an effort to "take chances" and be "less predictable" on its opinion page in recent months.

Bono has yet to comment on the suggestion.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2005/0303/bono.html

He certainly strikes me as very committed to promoting elimination of third world debt and I wouldn't doubt his conviction - but would he have the background to deal with the niuts and bolts of the job? I'm not so sure.

Captain Trips

ArthurDent wrote:

This story seems to be gathering momentum

03 March 2005
Bono to be next World Bank leader?
Bono's name has been put forward for one of the world's most important political jobs.

The U2 frontman has been suggested as a possible candidate for the president of the World Bank by prestigious American newspaper The Los Angeles Times.

"Don't be fooled by the wraparound sunglasses and the excess hipness," the paper wrote in an editorial. "Bono is deeply versed in the issues afflicting the least-developed nations of the world."

The singer's charity work, in particular his campaigns to get rid of Third World debt earned him the paper's endorsement for the job which becomes vacant in May, although he will face stiff competition from Britain's Gordon Brown, also linked to the position.

Los Angeles Times Editorial Page Editor Andres Martinez said the suggestion of Bono to head the World Bank was entirely serious, although he said the newspaper was also making an effort to "take chances" and be "less predictable" on its opinion page in recent months.

Bono has yet to comment on the suggestion.

http://www.rte.ie/arts/2005/0303/bono.html

He certainly strikes me as very committed to promoting elimination of third world debt and I wouldn't doubt his conviction - but would he have the background to deal with the niuts and bolts of the job? I'm not so sure.

That would actually be a good thing. I would worry it would be a just a feel-good figure head, but it sure would beat having Carly Fiorina get the job having walked away with $20 million and destroyed HP in the process. Bono has little to gain from ****ing people over, unlike everyone else in the business world who are still scavenging for money.

(say nothing about the price of U2 tickets though....)

super_furry

Would he have the time though? I mean it strikes me that being the head of the World Bank would be a pretty time consuming job. Certainly not something you could do in between playing huge stadium gigs.

shelsfan

I'd say if he just made all the major decisions and let someone else do all the administration work, it just might work.