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Here is a backstory of how Norway avoided the oil industry descent into corruption. They were lucky to hire an Iraqi with experience who built the healthy foundations.

https://www.ft.com/content/99680a04-92a0-11de-b63b-00144feab...

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Behind the paywall for me, but if it is about who I think it is, he was washing dishes at a restaurant until his real expertise was suddenly in demand.

I'm curious about this person now, say more!

I'm sorry, but I learned about this person in 1985 or thereabout, but in 1986 I changed to a university job that involved little contact with the oil industry. So many details are lost in time. But as I recall the story, he was a refugee, and his engineering credentials weren't really recognised at the time. Hence the dishwashing job. (Norway used to be much too skeptical about any education from other countries. That might still be the case.) If I remember correctly, he quickly rose to the top of the government agency overseeing oil exploration and production, once he got a foot in the door. It was a story to remember, even if all the details are gone thirty-five years later. And it makes you wonder, how much wasted talent is out there?

http://web.archive.org/web/20100123225932/http://www.ft.com/...

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