Money might not solve everything, but in this world, it could solve most things.
Good news arrived quickly. Just two days later, Alan John Cobham agreed to sell his company, Flight Refueling Ltd. (FRL)—along with over a decade of research in aerial refueling—to Zhenhua Corporation for the modest price of £25,000.
After the contract was signed, Cobham came to meet Pierre in his office. Gilly entered first, carrying a porcelain tray with matching cups, a coffee pot, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, and an assortment of biscuits. Once she poured the coffee and left, Pierre gestured toward the cup.
"Alan, as agreed, the company will pay you the full amount at a suitable time after the war. In the meantime, as FRL's managing director, you'll receive a monthly salary of £150."
The reason for delaying the payment until after the war was simple: to avoid taxes.
No British citizen in his right mind wanted to pay 99.6% income tax.
That wasn't taxation—it was highway robbery.
