I might just have a chance to chit-chat with him. He's so close I can see where his hair curls at the back of his head. Their official, color-coded badges say, 'Advance Staff.' He's coming. There's Joe Lockhart, the president's press secretary-now we're getting closer! All of a sudden, big guys in dark suits come up the steps. Oh look, there's Campbell Brown from NBC. Immediately, we're offered a surprising variety of shrimp by the wait staff. The three young women keeping watch outside the restaurant seem pretty nonthreatening. Will Clinton actually show up to the press reception he's hosting? At first, it doesn't look like it, since there are no security guards visible and certainly no metal detectors. Or is he? That's the question my colleague Hannah Clark and I ponder as we wait patiently at Papillon Bistro & Bar in midtown Manhattan. How can I say no?Īfter raising $2 billion during the first day of the Clinton Global Initiative conference, Clinton is scheduled to schmooze with us reporters. I'm not usually the type to go drinking after 9 on a Wednesday night, but this invitation is from President Bill Clinton. 21, 2006 Click here for the latest Going Global blog entry.īranson Picks Up A Gym Chain Partying With The President Branson recalled the conversation: 'He said, 'You're in position to make a difference, and if you can make a giant step forward, other people will follow.' I was flattered he spent the time and took the effort to talk to me about it.' I really believe we're facing a catastrophe.'īranson's billion-dollar idea came after Al Gore paid a visit to his home. 'High gas prices are painful for us as a business and for travelers,' says Branson. His company is paying billions in fuel and naturally passing that expense along to his consumers, not to mention the damage that burning fuel does to the environment. But Branson explained that if something big isn't done soon, it won't matter.

Yes, it's jarring to give away your company's proceeds. Everything I've read about the world shows we need to reinvest in new sources of fuel. Deep within the press that followed him out the door following his announcement, Branson explained his multibillion-dollar reasoning: 'I've got children hopefully I'll have grandchildren. Branson is now the star of Clinton's show, which in just two days has already raised $5.7 billion.ĭuring this morning's announcement, the usually stoic press corps let out an audible gasp.

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