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Greenmail
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Greenmail is an American term which came into common usage in the 1980s to describe the practice of taking a stake in a company and then threatening to throw in your lot with a potential hostile bidder. The aim of the game was to be paid off, either by the company itself, or by a bidder.
Michael Douglas - playing a character called Gordon Gecko in the movie Wall Street - would have indulged in greenmail.
See Also: Online share dealing service Stockmarket Centre
Last Updated: August 2007 © Moneyextra.com
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