Brazillian Billionaire Wants Apple To Ditch Foxconn

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If you had twenty seven billion dollars, what would your dream be? I’d probably get myself some of those ab implants I’ve had my eye on, and perhaps pay for an oiled massage or two from Amanda Seyfriend and Anne Hathaway that they would be contractually obliged to apply without using their hands.

Billionaire Eike Batista has a radically dream, though: he wants to steal Apple manufacturing from China and bring it to his home country of Brazil.

Batista made his millions in the mining industry, and he’s using that money to construct a $1.6 billion manufacturing plant that spreads over 90 square miles. What he wants is for Apple to bring its manufacturing to Brazil, which would help radically stimulate the local economy. If Apple’s not interested, Batista’s second choice partner would be BMW.

Maybe this is something that Apple should consider. Cupertino’s manufacturing relationship with Foxconn has been rife with bad press stemming from reported abuse of employees on the hands of Foxconn management. Even if those reports aren’t entirely accurate, Foxconn has been a PR headache for Apple: if Brazil can come close to Foxconn’s margins, maybe it’s time to consider a change.

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