And the battery makers, having possibly aware of Bob F's...

And the battery makers, having possibly aware of Bob F's reputation as a negotiator, and possibly even having had to deal with him before, might be more inclined to have a partnership with someone more straightforward.

I would like it to be Tesla. There arent many global battery makers that need cobalt. Musk seems a visionary chap, and he has done good by S.Australia's power grid. I think it would be cool to have more industrial scale batteries containing our own home produced materials.

If you can get a copy, read The Big Score by Jacqui McNish, about Friedland and the Voisey Bay hustle. It tells you a bit about the man and how he operates. Noteworthy was his friendship with Steve Jobs and was arrested for selling acid to an undercover cop. Lol! Anyway he has a reputation for playing the psychological angle with his counterparts.