Thunder investor and Chesapeake Energy CEO AUBREY MCCLENDON has "borrowed as much as $1.1 billion in the last three years by pledging his stake in the company's oil and natural gas wells as collateral." The money is "being used to help finance what could be a lucrative perk of his job -- the opportunity to buy into the very same well stakes that he is using as collateral for the borrowings." The revelation of McClendon's "bout of borrowing comes as he is scrambling to help Chesapeake avert a multi-billion-dollar cash shortfall amid a plunge in natural gas prices" (REUTERS, 4/18). Chesapeake has "denied conflict or wrongdoing in the matter." Chesapeake said that the program is "legal and ethical and that it provides an additional incentive for McClendon to work hard for the success of the company." Hodges Capital oil and gas analyst MIKE BREARD agreed that the loan "is McClendon's personal business," but he said that it "still should have been more thoroughly disclosed" (OKLAHOMAN, 4/19).
FAST DON'T LIE: Gold Medal-winning sprinter USAIN BOLT was profiled on NBC's “Rock Center with Brian Williams” last night, and Williams noted Bolt will be "one of the athletes who will be receiving the most attention" during the London Games. Bolt "became an international star when he shattered records four years ago at the Beijing Olympic Games, but he is not a solo act." He is the "proud product of what may be the world’s fastest nation” in Jamaica. NBC's Lester Holt noted Bolt winning four Gold Medals in London “would unleash a celebration in Jamaica that could outdo even the aftermath of Beijing.” Holt said Jamaica has a “long tradition of producing some of the fastest humans on Earth," and Bolt is "just the latest king of the track” ("Rock Center with Brian Williams," NBC, 4/18).
UNSTABLE FAN: In Chicago, Rosemary Sobol reports EMANUEL KUVAKOS of Burr Ridge, Ill., has been "accused of sending threatening emails" to Blackhawks President & CEO JOHN MCDONOUGH and former Cubs VP & GM JIM HENDRY. A police report indicated that Kuvakos in the e-mails accuses McDonough and Hendry of "stealing his ideas to win championships." Police said that Kuvakos Saturday sent them "another email stating that he would keep the Blackhawks from winning the Stanley Cup" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/19).
NAMES: Republican presidential candidate MITT ROMNEY will visit London in July for the start of the Olympics (LONDON TIMES, 4/19)....The Univ. of Arkansas received $1.25M in donations from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and its BOD Chair -- FedEx President & CEO and Redskins investor FRED SMITH -- that cite the “courageous leadership” of AD JEFF LONG in firing football coach BOBBY PETRINO (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/18)…. Former Univ. of North Carolina men’s basketball F JOHN HENSON selected DC-based Williams & Connolly Partner JIM TANNER for his comprehensive representation (Williams & Connolly)….Phillies 1B RYAN HOWARD plans to build a 17,602-sq-foot estate that will be the biggest in Belleair Shore and one of the biggest in Tampa Bay. The property is about 10 miles from the Phillies' training complex in Clearwater, Fla. Howard paid $3.5M for the waterfront property and the cost to build the home is estimated at $5.8M (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/18)….Brewers P FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ has put his 13-room home in Upper Brookville, N.Y., on the market for $2.3M -- the same price he paid for the house when he purchased it in ’09 (NEWSDAY.com, 4/16)….Events DC built a float based on RFK Stadium for last Saturday's Cherry Blossom parade. The float was designed to align with last year’s 50th anniversary of RFK (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/18).
