Revealed:  the financial wizard behind Tvind

From Ekstra Bladet, Denmark, 14th May 1995

by Kurt Simonsen, Adelaide, Australia

"Hi, here’s your paper! We’ve heard you’re Danish."

With these words; I and my female friend rang the doorbell to Vibeke and Henning Bjornlund’s splendid villa on Australia’s French Riviera at the city of Adelaide.

We had travelled halfway round the world to pick up their local paper and hand it to them.

They were pretty surprised, Henning and Vibeke.

"Well, really, how nice. Danes! That’s not something we get every day. Do come in!"

We had a really good chat with them, spent three evenings together and more or less became friends with them. They had so much to tell us about their exciting lives.

And they were quite sympathetic. But they are also the kind of people who find other people’s lives slightly less interesting than their own.

For instance, they never once asked me what I really did for a living. And I gave them my full name and my real address when finally they asked.

Without knowing that I am the author, they had read my earlier, strongly critical and revealing articles in Ekstra Bladet about Tvind and, so, they had seen my picture in the paper.

However, their prejudices against journalists generally and Ekstra Bladet in particular prevented them from making any relevant connections in spite of my countless questions.

"I hate journalists. They never write what you tell them," Henning preached.

"Journalists just won’t listen. They just write what they think," Vibeke lectured

"You seem familiar, haven’t I seen you somewhere before?" Henning asked.

"I was a student at Tvind in 1972. On the May 1972 intake," I replied, truthfully.

"That must be it. I do seem to remember you," Henning persevered:

"Extra Bladet have tried to find us down here. but they couldn’t. And they did publish an article about me running off to Australia. I think I’ve still got the articles next door. My mum sent them down, if you’d like to see them, the financial wizard told us with pride in his voice."

I was not really interested in reading my own articles at that exact moment. But before we had time to respond properly; Vibeke had already continued the conversation in a new direction.

A couple of months previously I had, in fact tried to get an interview with Tvind’s defected financial manager, via the Danish Embassy.

"We have been in contact with Henning Bjornlund, who informs us that he does not want his address to be revealed to Ekstra Bladet. In this kind of situation it is our normal procedure not to give you his address," was the Embassy’s reply. It was therefore possible to get to the truth about Tvind by using normal journalistic methods. What remained was the Gunther Walraff method of going to the original source by using a cover name with revealing that we were reporters.

This is the method I used against Tvind in this instance.

At the personal level, I regret this, Vibeke and Henning. Because you are really quite nice people. But as you can see, I have left out anything personal and only quote you in connection with Tvind.

At the same time, I would like to thank you for your honesty. You have given the public an excellent insight into the otherwise hermetically sealed Tvind.

And for the first. time Tvind have told the public what it is all about.

You have been given the opportunity which you claimed nobody would give you.

We would like to give you the same chance, Amdi. We know that you regularly talk to Vibeke and Henning Ring them and ask if they have been quoted correctly.

Then we will give you the same opportunity to tell the world about your ideas and your philosophy without evasions.

Ekstra Bladet have attempted to get Vibeke and Henning Bjornlund to respond to their articles about Tvind.

On mature consideration, they apparently have no wish to comment on the articles.

They have had most of the articles read aloud to them over the phone and have then had all the articles faxed through to them for their perusal, with the offer of suggesting any corrections or additions.

"You asked us so many questions all the time and just sat and listened to the answers. Maybe that is why we never got round to asking you what you do," Tvind’s financial manager for twenty years says.

He breaks into lengthy, nervous loud laughter when he realises that I am a reporter.

"Where?"

"At Ekstra Bladet"

More loud laughter.

"In that case the conversation is over," she concludes and slams the phone down.

During a later telephone conversation, Vibeke Bjonlund says,

"I think you have exploited us. We didn’t know we were talking to a reporter. I think it’s dirty. But there isn’t much we can do is there? We’re pulling out and won’t have anything to do with this."