Reading rank 232
The Sugar King of Havana: The Rise and Fall of Julio Lobo, Cuba's Last Tycoon
, subject: Julio Lobo and Cuba's sugar industry, 2010
Julio Lobo’s story shows how unpredictable political and market conditions can be, and how much a founder still has to decide within them.
73
Coverage Score
5
Scored evidence
About the book
Rathbone, Latin America editor of the Financial Times, draws on his own family's history among Cuba's former elite. His Lobo survives a shooting and a firing squad and loses his empire after refusing Che Guevara's offer to run Cuba's sugar industry.
Why read it
Best if you want to see how much a business owner controls when politics and markets are unpredictable, and which choices still belong to the owner.
Key themes
- Speculation versus building
- Stay close to the operations
- Allies and enemies
Evidence and original sources
Sources: official Founders episodes — #237, #244
This record is supported by 8 public evidence rows linked to original Founders episodes.
- Julio Lobo (Cuba's Last Sugar Tycoon) — David introduces this book by title and author as the episode's central subject.
- Harry Snyder (In-N-Out Burger) — David uses Julio Lobo's sparsely attended funeral as a contrast for the lesson that founders are better served by accumulating friends and allies than enemies.