Oliver Stoldt in New York – Geopolitics, Wall Street and Lady Gaga

Oliver Stoldt in New York – Geopolitics, Economics, Negotiations, Wall Street and Lady Gaga.

I spent the last five days in New York meeting some fascinating people and getting a first-hand impression of the economic situation, how companies are dealing with the constantly changing customs policy, how support for Ukraine is being implemented and lived out, and seeking an explanation as to why, despite all the geopolitical and economic challenges, the stock market is racing from high to high.

I met Andreii Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations. When the war broke out, he was ambassador in Berlin, but now he is based at the UN in New York, working tirelessly every day for peace. He feels powerless when deals and agreements are rendered worthless after just 24 hours. What was supposed to be a 60-minute meeting turned into three hours. Time during which I gained fascinating insights into global diplomacy and we talked about the future and the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.

I had a wonderful meeting with Sandra Navidi at Brookfield Place, a modern location with a view across the Hudson River to New Jersey. ‘The DNA of the USA’ – Sandra Navidi spoke about the future of the USA under the current administration, geopolitical power shifts, high unemployment, loss of health insurance for the middle and lower classes, poverty and, in some cases, hopelessness among the population as long as the ‘deal maker’ remains in power.

With ‘Mr Wall Street’ Jens Korte, I was able to move straight on to economic issues. It is exciting to see how stock markets around the world are rising from one record high to the next, even though global economic problems are becoming increasingly visible: supply chain issues, war and unrest, arms races, global inflation, rising wages and rising unemployment. Is the big crash coming? And if so, when? Jens Korte also addresses this in his exciting lectures and keynotes.

And then there was the walk and talk with Negotiation Expert Frédéric Mathier. Frédéric travelled to New York for a training event and saw in my WhatsApp status that I was in town. So we spontaneously arranged to meet up for a great chat in Central Park.

Abracadabra… Friday evening was Lady Gaga time with a spectacular concert at Madison Square Garden. More than 20,000 people danced, sang and cheered for Lady Gaga for over two and a half hours. A concert with a world-class show and music.

New York… I had wanted to return to this city for a long time, where different lifestyles, cultures, rich and poor come together. It was a valuable trip, but I’m glad to be back. The constant noise, the constant stress, the hustle and bustle on the streets, the struggle for income and survival in the USA, the high rents and food prices, a dilapidated school system, a dilapidated infrastructure… there is still a long way to go to make America great again.

Conclusion after five days in New York: ‘I do it my way…’