Miles Flint, the ex-Sony Ericsson president, has joined the private equity group Silver Lake. He is a senior adviser to the technology investor. The fact that a top manager such as Miles wants to join a buy-out firm is a good sign. It means the credit squeeze isn't harming everyone. But that name - Miles Flint. I swear I've heard it somewhere before.
I have been speaking to Susan Flint from Bad Moon Investments, and she told me, 'Oh, I'm so happy that Uncle Miles has got a new job. And he'll be working with some great people - Nikesh Arora, George Kadifa, Kurt Lauk, Michael Oliver. Michael Oliver from Mystical Cash Gurus could be a problem though. He is also acting as an adviser to Silver Lake, helping it pick the best financial shamans and money mystics. Unfortunately, my uncle just hasn't got any time for any sort of mystical tomfoolery - as he would say. Actually, when I was a child I was always pestering him, saying things like - Uncle Miles, look at my nice new crystal, or - Uncle Miles, let me do a tarot card reading for you. He would always reply - I ain't interested in no voodoo shit. It was so funny. It became his catchphrase.'
