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September 26, 2006

The Carlyle Group, a major US private equity firm, could have Britain's current prime minister among its directors by this time next year. According to the Sunday Mirror, Tony Blair could join the investment house whose directors have included John Major and George Bush Sr. The Blair's finances are widely believed to be precarious since the family invested in a house on Connaught Square almost two years ago.

The chairman of Carlyle Group is Louis Gerstner III. The move by Blair would complete the loop in one of the more mysterious stories in the history of the information technology business.

In the Queen's birthday honours of 2001, Gerstner was awarded an honorary knighthood for services to the Internet and education. Even at the time, IBM spokespersons were unable to say what Gerstner had contributed to UK education. As for the Internet, there were many more deserving candidates at the time than Gerstner. (Sir Tim Berners-Lee, widely known as the father of the Web, had to wait until 2003 before being awarded his knighthood.)

After IBM had provided the UK Labour Party with some crucial software at a very low price, Gerstner was granted the rare opportunity of a private meeting with Tony Blair on December 2nd, 1999. It was Blair who personally recommended Gerstner's knighthood.