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Haiti's 1 Percent A look at the lives of plenty in the land of the poor.- By: Arnaud Robert - Photos: Paolo Woods

Is there a story about Haiti that doesn't mention the Caribbean nation's dubious honor of being "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere"? Few have ever heard about Haiti's wealthy elite, most of whom came to the island from France, Lebanon, Syria, Germany, or Jamaica at the beginning of the last century -- families that chose to invest in a country where nothing seems to endure. Despite, but sometimes thanks to, the absence of a functioning government, rich Haitians have prospered mainly in the import-export business. One percent of Haitians control 50 percent of the country's economy, and its top 500 taxpayers generate 80 percent of its tax revenues. They are also active in the textile industry, where they subcontract for American multinationals, as well as in construction and agriculture. But wealth doesn't buy love. Writer Lyonel Trouillot famously labeled the local bourgeoisie as the "Most Repugnant Elite" for reducing Haiti, known as the "Pearl of the Antilles" when it was a French colony, to a state of abject poverty. In these impenetrable homes nestled in the hills overlooking Port-au-Prince, huge parties are held around swimming pools and in ritzy hotels, gyms, and salons. Here's an intimate look at Haiti's 1 percent.

Below, businessman Gregory Brandt.

Involved in the soap and oil sector, he is president of the Franco-Haitian Chamber of Commerce. "My children studied abroad, but they chose to come back to Haiti, despite the situation. It is my greatest source of pride.

Eric Jean-Baptiste, owner of Père Eternel, Haiti's second-biggest lottery.

He's a larger-than-life, self-styled entrepreneur from the Haitian middle class. Today there is not a block in the capital of Port-au-Prince or the entire country that does not have at least two or three lottery stands. The son of a leader in President François "Papa Doc" Duvalier's feared paramilitary force, the Tonton Macoutes, Jean-Baptiste has utter contempt for the mulatto elite that rules the core of the Haitian economy.

Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly

Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly, 50 years old, has gone from being the "President of Kompa," Haiti's carnival music, to being the new president of Haiti.

Upper-class revelers

At the Ritz hotel in the Pétionville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, upper-class revelers attend a concert of the Haitian group T-Vice during Carnival.

Haitian of Syrian descent

At the Milano, a posh beauty salon in Pétionville, a Haitian of Syrian descent, Zureki Zakour, 21, gets her nails and hair done.

Pascale Théard luxury shoe stylist

Pascale Théard is a luxury shoe stylist, interior designer, and heir to a Haitian tycoon. She has recently decorated the offices of Haiti's new president and is a strong promoter of local artists and handicrafts. -Relaxing with her children at home.

Philippe Dodard and his wife

Philippe Dodard and his wife in their house in the hills above Pétionville. Mr. Dodard is an artist who has become very close to the establishment and regularly receives commissions from banks and major Haitian companies. His sculptures and paintings grace the homes of many of the Haitian elite.

Trainer Dufaide Desgranges

Trainer Dufaide Desgranges leads a spinning class at Ultimate Fitness, a luxury fitness club in Pétionville. Pedaling furiously is Patrice Bayard (in white T-shirt), a vice president of Access Haiti, one of the main Internet providers for the country; Claudie Marsan, a prominent business lawyer, raises her hands in the air.

Marc-Antoine Acra of Acra Industries

Marc-Antoine Acra runs, with his extended family, Acra Industries, an industrial group that manufactures metal sheeting for construction, paper and plastic bags, and plastic plumbing pipes. They are also the country's biggest importer of rice and sugar. He walks with his daughter at his estate above Port-au-Prince; his family purchased the surrounding land to ensure the view is not marred by construction.

Read the related French article Published in the magazine Le Monde

- Les nantis d'Haïti

Par Arnaud Robert / Photos Paolo Woods 6 Janvier, 2012 -------------------------------------- Parce qu'ils ont soutenu les dictateurs, parce qu'ils ont peu investi dans l'économie locale, parce que certains sont les rois de la sous-traitance à bas prix..., les riches Haïtiens ont mauvaise réputation. Mais le président Martelly compte bien s'appuyer sur leurs capitaux pour reconstruire le pays. Il faut gravir une montagne qui surplombe Port-au-Prince, se présenter à la grille face à un gardien dont le canon scié tournoie dans l'air frais, puis garer sa voiture dans la mêlée de 4 × 4 rutilants. La porte est ouverte. Un intérieur à la californienne..... Continue reading Full Article HERE http://rockmasters-blogs.blogspot.com/2012/01/les-nantis-dhaiti-par-arnaud-robert-le.html