I was at VivaTech when Hancock and Zuckerberg had their secret meeting. Hancock had another meeting that day with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. It was in the VIP green room. What neither of them realised was I was sitting at the other end of the table pretending not to listen...
Hancock sounded very impressed by Uber's flying taxi plans. He clearly wanted to present himself as friendly to big tech. Hancock was very fawning – lots of smiling and hanging on Khosrowshahi's every word.
It was fascinating to watch Hancock fawn over Uber and see how eager he was to be friendly with Khosrowshahi. He came across more like an excited teenager than a senior government minister. The content of the meeting was inconsequential. But the tone wasn't.
Shortly after the conversation ended security had to clear the room for the arrival of Mark Zuckerberg. Now we all know what happened next https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2020-12-08/revealed-mark-zuckerberg-threatened-to-pull-uk-investment-in-secret-meeting-with-matt-hancock?s=08
Revealed: Mark Zuckerberg threatened to pull UK investment in secret meeting with Matt Hancock

The Facebook CEO's threat can be revealed by the Bureau after a two-year fight to make notes from the meeting in 2018 public

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2020-12-08/revealed-mark-zuckerberg-threatened-to-pull-uk-investment-in-secret-meeting-with-matt-hancock?s=08
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