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Finding El Dorado: The Rise and Fall of the Jenks Business Group in Colombia, 1899-1929

  • Andrew Primmer*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

This article explores the development of a group of free-standing companies in Colombia in the first decades of the twentieth century. The article illustrates how the British investor Shirley Jenks, who closely matches the description of the “gentlemanly capitalist” social class, leveraged “free-standing companies” as an investment vehicle to construct interconnected strategic business interests. The article illustrates the versatility offered by “free-standing companies” and how, in combination with “collaborating elites,” the mechanisms of the London capital market could be used to construct and administer a significant business empire in the periphery with little local presence or direct influence.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-146
Number of pages26
JournalBusiness History Review
Volume99
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Aug 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The President and Fellows of Harvard College.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

  • British imperialism
  • foreign direct investment
  • free-standing companies
  • gentlemanly capitalism

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