He still controls his stakes in LAN and Chilevision but has said that if elected, he will sell his stake in LAN by March 11, the official inaugural date for the presidency.

FORBES: Chile's New President

He founded the UK arm of Soft-Switch in 1984 where he was responsible for its LAN gateway products and became its Chief Scientist in 1993.

BBC: By Internet Correspondent Chris Nuttall

From the trendy bar districts of Jalan Mohamed Sultan in Singapore to Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong to Apkujong in Seoul, he sipped drinks with just about everybody in the Internet business.

CNN: Playing the IPO Game

Thaksin met, alone, with me and Forbes Asia contributing editor Lan Anh Nguyen for nearly an hour at a Dubai hotel he evidently uses for business appointments while residing in a nearby luxury development.

FORBES: Thaksin in Exile: Advising Sister, Digging for Gold

Doris, Zwelish introduced her as, though he later confided that her name was something else, Do Lun or Du Lan.

NEWYORKER: Lucky Alan