<< PLEDGE WEEK ~ MAIN ~ ONLY FOLLOW THE RIGHT LEADERS >>
JOHN ILHAN
John Ilhan, founder of the Crazy John’s mobile phone empire, has died at 42. An immigrant to this country, Ilhan wrote earlier this year: “Australia doesn’t owe us anything. We owe Australia.”
UPDATE. Further details here.
UPDATE II. Shrinking Kitty:
Damn it! I read about this dude years ago and have always been a bit of a fan.
He turned nothing into about $300 million bucks. Even though he is a Turk, and as a Greek I am not allowed to even acknowledge him as a fellow ‘human’, I am sad …
UPDATE III. More background.
There’s always this good story:
THE founder of Australian mobile phone giant Crazy John’s has attacked “self-appointed” Muslim leaders, accusing them of destroying his community’s progress, and questioning their allegiance to this country.
John Ilhan, one of the nation’s most successful Muslims, yesterday blamed many first-generation community members for being opposed to Western ideals and cultural diversity, and accused them of “conditioning” their children to follow in their footsteps.“There’s a massive disconnection between what the young and the old think,” he told The Australian yesterday.
“They (first-generation Muslims) haven’t experienced life like we have in this society, yet they want to be our mouthpiece.”
Rest in peace dude. As annoying as i found his TV adds, i had to admire his success, energy and obvious patriotism.
Ciao Loco
aguycalledbrad.blogspot.com
Posted by aguycalledbrad on 2007 10 22 at 10:58 PM • permalinkVery sad, for him and his family.
How shit-struck is this early morning exercise caper, eh?
Posted by lex luthor on 2007 10 22 at 11:24 PM • permalinkVery sad. This country is desperately short of successful entrepreneurs.
Side note - When was the last time someone dropped dead while having a smoke?
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2007 10 22 at 11:54 PM • permalinkThere are only two types of people in the world; the decent and the indecent.
Australia has lost a decent man.
Posted by Jack Lacton on 2007 10 22 at 11:58 PM • permalinkSad to hear about John’s death. It’s a pity he wasn’t the nation’s Mufti. He would have done a much better job than Thick Sheik.
Posted by The Best Infidel on 2007 10 23 at 12:34 AM • permalinkA sad day, we have lost the only sensible Muslim in Australia.
Posted by Bill Calvin on 2007 10 23 at 01:04 AM • permalinkDeep regrets at John’s untimely death.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 10 23 at 02:11 AM • permalinkHe opened his first shop around the corner from me probably fifteen, twenty years ago.
I just bought a new phone from another of his stores last week. I went past about five of his competitors to get there, because for John Ilhan, customer service was everything; whereas for some of the others, the customer is a nuisance.
John Ilhan had his head screwed on the right way and it wasn’t just about phones.
Vale. And RIP.
First, may his soul rest in peace.
However since no one walks on water in this world, the way this gentleman treated some of his employees left a lot to be desired: like firing the entire senior staff of one of his agencies to prove what a “big boy” he was to his dinner guests who had made some adverse comments about that agency. This was done without any “due process” and that staff had to take him to court to obtain some justice for “unfair dismissal”.
I suppose no one turns nothing into $300 gigs without some sort of exploitation.
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 23 at 03:28 AM • permalinkO/T- reckon Kruddy ran his gay new policy past Julia
Posted by eeniemeenie on 2007 10 23 at 07:24 AM • permalinkCrazy John earned my undying admiration in his attempt a couple of years ago to secure naming rights to Perth’s Subiaco Oval (at a cost several gazillion dollars).
I would have given a large lump of my left one to hear Dennis Cometti or the ABC drones have to call a footy match from “Crazy John Oval”.
Didn’t know the bloke, but from all accounts he was successful in business and generous to charity.
That’s enough to raise the contempt levels of the lefty media.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2007 10 23 at 07:45 AM • permalinkWhere is everyone?- Don’t tell me the eco-quazis have already started rounding up denialists?- I’m just gonna go hide under my bed for a while and hope they miss me
Posted by eeniemeenie on 2007 10 23 at 07:45 AM • permalinkDrummie: What one owes to the dead is the truth and I have it. No ethics in hiding the truth under the carpet Mate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ostrich is you!!!!!
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 23 at 08:06 AM • permalinkP.S. Drummie: see proceedings in the Industrial Relations Tribunal
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 23 at 08:09 AM • permalinkFor crying out loud, stop with the “!” already! Have you learned nothing from the fate of webdiary?! The Internet can only handle so many !!! at any one time! If you use up more !!!! than are available, the pipes, they block up, and the backwash will cover you in @#$%^&*!
LaVallette, everyone is a bastard to someone at some point in their life. No need to dredge it up though before he is even in the ground. If the sacked staff won their case at the AIRC, they got their justice some time ago. Throwing @#$%^&* around now isn’t going to do anyone any good.
Posted by mr creosote on 2007 10 23 at 08:57 AM • permalink#34 I dunno Mr Creosote. Personally, I enjoy defaming the dead. Take Adolph Hitler, for instance. No RIPs from me for that scallywag.
And what about Nicolae Ceauşescu? Never been a better candidate for execution than that guy. Perfect utilization of several small arms rounds.
Let’s not forget Josef Stalin, not a lot of tears at that funeral. Probably had to pay the pall bearers.
What do you mean, ‘those guys were villains’? What’s THAT got to do with anything?#36- thanks egg- did you catch PM this arvo- Kyle Sandilands condemned as a shock jock- not only does the ABC refuse to ask Kevni any hard questions, they’ll attack any journalist from other broadcasters who dares to.
Posted by eeniemeenie on 2007 10 23 at 11:14 AM • permalinkThe ABC evening bulletin ran an item on John Ilhan, and used bits of their recent ‘Australian Story’ profile. Ilhan was so well-liked because, as a migrant child and Muslim, he never played the victim card and had little time for those who did. So what was the single soundbite ABC ran to represent him? A brief comment by him about being called a ‘wog’ at school.
Just a final comment on LaValette’s poetic use of punctuation. When he started his post #31 it’s obvious he hadn’t the least idea what he was going to say. When he was typing he had no idea what he was saying. And when he sent it he was doubtless unable to remember what he had said. That’s why 3 minutes later he sent the mumbled PS #32
Drummie: Re #40: Checkmate! (is that exclamation appropriate at this spot?) The facts are there and childish insults don’t substitute for argument or make facts disappear.
And never call me mate as you did in #25. I am and never will be your mate, sarcastically or otherwise. That was the point of #31 which was too subtle for both you and Texas Bob.
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 23 at 07:52 PM • permalink# 5. Crazy Ron actually won the case in the end, but couldn’t afford to change it back, and then it all collapsed. His deals though were less than fair in comparison to CJ.
rip - very sad for his young family.
LaVallette - your claim the sackings were only done due to ego of CJ is unsubstantiated nonsense. I have seen nothing but the opposite from past and present employees comments. As said above, those wronged received their justice, and I’m sure a big lesson was learned about natural justice and fairness.
It doesn’t change my view of his contribution to society in Australia.
Drummie, “it is far better to be quiet and let people think you are stupid. then to open your mouth and prove it.”
peter m: the people concerned injustly lost their jobs. An injustice is and remains an injustice. The failure to follow due process in this case was a gross denial of natural justice and thats why they succeeded at the Tribunal.
As I said, may John Ilhan rest in peace. However, the truth must always prevail.
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 23 at 09:49 PM • permalink#38 eenie
Nah, but that’d be predictable - any commercial jock who doesn’t subscribe to Auntie’s views would be a ‘shock jock’, no?
Kyle has a huge national yoof profile with ~Idol/FM Radio n all - this’ll prolly further alienate Auntie as irrelevant amongst yoof.
There’s prolly already a large dichotomy between Auntie’s old meeja dinosaurs and her online arm - less truthiness - as the online audience are better informed, more able to fisk items.
LaVallette, what you are not able to recognise, whether what you claim is true or false in your post #22, is the spiteful way you approach it. And the correct quotation #44 is “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” You’ve made your point.
#22, whether this story is true or not, itn doesn’t matter. Disputes and random stuff that some people suffer happens all the time. People lose jobs, someone loses out.
That’s business.That’s life. It doesn’t mean the guy was malicious, and the fact that he was basically a good guy who did well doesn’t mean he was haloed perfection either.The world has lost a basically decent person with his head screwed on the right way and a good heart, who deliberately contributed to the world, and this is always a loss.
Posted by carpefraise on 2007 10 24 at 04:19 AM • permalinkLaVallette, your point is ill-timed, churlish, childish, ill-considered and extremely nasty, considering the man has just dropped dead.
The likes of John Ilhan have done more for workers and their families - in terms of providing an empire of money-making enterprises from which thousands of employees created lucrative careers - than an army of litigating victim-mentality drones who could, with the right attitude, have made a killing at an alternative telecommunications retailer, had they the drive and the enterprise and the energy and the balls; instead of retreating to the nurturing arms of a compliant lawyer.
Go away, you pathetic little illiterate. ‘Injustly’, indeed!
PS: Nic, yes, I lived in Brunswick. These days I’m just a bit further up the tramline. (And Sydney Road is full of cloven-hooved bints. I wouldn’t know where to start.)
#41 Oh no, Sir, I did not miss your point. And subtle isn’t even close to how I would frame it. Unless you mean subtle like swatting a gnat with a sledge hammer kind of subtle. If that is the case, then I agree.
I was merely having a bit of fun at your over use of the exclamation point.
As for the content of your posts, you are entitled to your opinion. I guess everyone has there own ideas of appropriateness, taste and class. If you’re the kind of guy who is OK with going on about what a drunken slut your late aunt was during her wake, who am I to judge?I always let little children with their little minds have the last word.
Posted by LaVallette on 2007 10 24 at 04:57 AM • permalinkLaVallette,
Yes, there was a case against Crazy John’s, and that case was settled. You said as much yourself when you said “thats why they succeeded at the Tribunal.” If the case is settled, what on earth is your point in bringing it up now? There is no point or honour in pissing on John Ilhan’s grave even before it’s been dug.
You don’t have to like the guy, or his business practices, or anything about him, but at least hold off a day or two.
Page 1 of 1 pages
Members:
Login | Register
| Member List
The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. I’ve nothing against the guy, though wasn’t he involved in the Schappelle Corby case (after the arrest)?