onalobbyingoperationtoensuresupportfromatleast20percentto25percentoftheshareholders.It’sapatchworkquiltofalliances,factions,andintrigues.”
Vangerresumedthehistory:
“GottfriedVangerdiedchildlessin1901.Orrather,mayIbefiven,hewasthefatheroffourdaughters,butinthosedayswomendidn’treallycount.Theyownedshares,butitwasthemeninthefamilywhoconstitutedtheownershipinterest.Itwasn’tuntilwomenwontherighttovote,wellintothetwentiethcentury,thattheywereevenallowedtoattendtheshareholders’meetings.”
“Veryliberal.”
“Noneedtobesarcastic.Thoseweredifferenttimes.Atanyrate—Gottfried’sbrother,BirgerVanger,hadthreesons:Johan,Fredrik,andGideonVanger.Theywereallborntowardstheendofthenieenthcentury.WecanignoreGideon;hesoldhissharesandemigratedtoAmerica.Thereisstillabranchofthefamilyoverthere.ButJohanandFredrikVangermadethepanythemodernVangerCorporation.”
VangertookoutaphotographalbumandshowedBlomkvistpicturesfromthegalleryofcharactersashetalked.Thephotographsfromtheearly1900sshowedtwomenwithsturdychinsandplastered-downhairwhostaredintothecameralenswithoutahintofasmile.
“JohanVangerwasthegeniusofthefamily.Hetrainedasanengineer,andhedevelopedthemanufacturingindustrywithseveralnewinventions,whichhepatented.Steelandironbecamethebasisofthefirm,butthebusinessalsoexpandedintootherareas,includingtextiles.JohanVangerdiedin1956andhadthreedaughters:Sofia,M?rit,andIngrid,whowerethefirstwomenautomaticallytowinadmittancetothepany’sshareholders’meetings.
“Theotherbrother,FredrikVanger,wasmyfather.HewasabusinessmanandindustryleaderwhotransformedJohan’sinventionsintoine.Myfatherliveduntil1964.Hewasactiveinpanymanagementrightupuntilhisdeath,althoughhehadturnedoverdailyoperationstomeinthefifties.
“Itwasexactlyliketheprecedinggeneration—butinreverse.Johanhadonlydaughters.”VangershowedBlomkvistpicturesofbig-bustedwomenwithwide-brimmedhatsandcarryingparasols.“AndFredrik—myfather—hadonlysons.Wewerefivebrothers:Richard,Harald,Greger,Gustav,andmyself.”
Blom