The Independent is a British newspaper, that’s been in trouble for some time. It’s circulation has been falling, and its debts are piling up. There was a strong likelihood that it wouldn’t survive, but it’s just been announced that Alexander Lebedev, a Russian billionaire, is going to buy the newspaper, for a pound – which is about $1.50. He already owns the Evening Standard, which is an important local newspaper, focused on London.
Alexander Lebedev is a rich man, with a fortune of several billion dollars. At the tail-end of the Communist era he worked for the KGB, including a stint in the Soviet embassy in London, and he later made money as a successful bond and stock trader.
He was born on December 16 1959, which makes him a Sagittarian.
Sagittarians, when they’re firing on all cylinders, want to have lots of variety, and they enjoy travel. So the idea of going to a foreign country, and buying a few newspapers, must be a Sagittarian dream.
There is another side to Sagittarius, and that’s risk-taking. Bond and stock trading is a very Sagittarian activity, and there can certainly be ups and downs. And in the 1998 financial crisis Alexander Lebedev lost his fortune, but he soon got it back again.
Getting involved in the British newspaper industry arguably takes the biscuit for Sagittarian impetuousness. The Independent has been in the doldrums for a long time, and one wonders what it would take to turn it round.
I tried asking a specific astrological question about Alexander Lebedev’s prospects of being successful with the Independent, but I got no answer. Things are still very fluid.
Still, I did look at his Hindu horoscope, and I noticed that he is probably in a period of life ruled by Mercury, and Mercury is a planet that’s connected with communications, and the media. So it’s only natural that he would want to expand his media interests.
However Alexander Lebedev mustn’t assume that he can sort things out all by himself. Mercury is probably the weakest planet in his Hindu horoscope, and if he’s going to succeed he’ll have to know who his friends and enemies are. Also, I believe he needs to have advisers who have an excellent understanding of the British newspaper industry.
That might sound obvious, but his success and failure will, in my opinion, depend on who he listens to. And who his editors are. In this light he can be helped by a strong and abrasive personality, who enjoys a good fight.
Alexander Lebedev should also consider taking action to strengthen his Mercury. For example, fasting on Wednesdays, and wearing Mercury’s special gemstone, which is an emerald.
Copyright © 2010 Archie Dunlop
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