And the World Bank, for better or worse, runs on auto-pilot whoever leads it.

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Here Andrew Field, a former owner of an auto-repair-shop, runs a hypergrowth web business with a national clientele.

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"We still talk about stocks now and then, but not like we used to, " said Mr. Smithson, who now runs an auto-repair shop.

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It is potentially a big deal for BYD, the auto- and battery- maker he founded and runs.

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Thomas Elliott, who runs Honda's North American auto operations, including the semi-luxury Acura brand, acknowledges as much.

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