The bay, with the imposingGrand Hotel and the ruined castle overlooking it, has a natural beauty that still draws visitors, mostly daytrippers, in large numbers.
Imposing white gates and a grand corridor of palm trees lead to the tiled and whitewashed house that rambles over two wings set around cobbled courtyards with splashing fountains.
His is a grand experiment in imposing his own corporate-governance preferences on millions of other shareholders, their boards and their management, with the risks shared by the employees of many of these firms.