View source for Rackham Capital Investments

{{CorpsInfobox
|image1       = 
|sector       = Financials
|headquarters = 
|area_served  = Galactic
|key_people   = [[Zachary Rackham]] (CEO)
|products     = Investment service
|divisions    = 
|subsidiaries = 
|parent       = 
|founded      = 3200s
|dissolved    = 
|reorganized  = 
|merged       = 
}}
'''Rackham Capital Investments''' is an investment company owned by billionaire [[Zachary Rackham]] and based within the [[Federation]]. It is the sponsor of the annual [[Rackham Ultratech Expo]], and the builder of [[Rackham's Peak]], a scientific [[outpost]] far above the galactic plane.

== History ==
=== 3304 ===
On June 20, 3304, [[Zachary Rackham]] revealed he had made a large charitable donation to fund the development of new shipyards in the [[Colonia Region]], a move that financial journalist [[Bryanna Blanco]] noted coincided with a company-wide audit of Rackham Capital Investments.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b28db64b98e851882113912 GalNet: Investor Funds Colonia Shipyards]</ref> On August 16, Rackham was announced to be the winner of the [[Federal Grand Lottery]]'s one billion credit Galactic Jackpot; while Rackham insisted the money would be distributed to several charities, Bryanna Blanco claimed that it would likely be used to pay of Rackham Capital Investments' massive unpaid tax bill.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b742babd2776a48e50e0a32 GalNet: Billionaire Wins Lottery]</ref>

Rackham Capital Investments began providing funding for [[Herculean Machines]] to produce the [[Duradrive]] personal computer following the device's successful debut at the [[Rackham Ultratech Expo]] on October 3, 3304. By October 12, Herculean Machines began mass production of the Duradrive.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5b7fee50bc436a53684e176a GalNet: Computer Firms Promote New Designs]</ref><ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5bbf061ae5f15747340c6474 GalNet: Duradrive Enters Production]</ref>

On October 18, 3304, the personal account of Zachary Rackham was hacked by an organization calling itself the [[Collective]]. One billion credits were withdrawn and redistributed to several hundred former Rackham Capital Investments employees who had been previously denied company pensions. Financial journalist Bryanna Blanco of the [[Federal Times]] commented that the hack's purpose was apparently to reclaim the one billion credit prize that Rackham obtained from the Federal Grand Lottery in August.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/en/galnet/uid/5bc86024f69d6d07d1015900 GalNet: Rackham Hacked]</ref>

=== 3305 ===
On March 15, 3305, Rackham Capital Investments' board of directors appointed [[Taja Gavaris]] as CFO, replacing the late Aaron Salazar, who had been a personal friend of Zachary Rackham. Rackham himself was not present for the vote, as he had taken a leave of absence to grieve for Salazar. Insiders speculated that Gavaris' rapid rise was part of a plot by the board of directors to oust Rackham from control of his own company.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5c88e5b816af426782266a15 GalNet: Rackham Fatality Creates Power Struggle]</ref> On March 23, [[Bryanna Blanco]] accused Gavaris of being a pirate and rival of Rackham who used her knowledge of Rackham's past illicit activities to rise to the top of the company and eliminate Rackham's allies.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5c93b3ac61f61b4ad2157822 GalNet: Pirate History of Taja Gavaris Unveiled]</ref>

A second Rackham Capital Investments executive, Derrin O'Shea, also died abruptly and was replaced by a supporter of Taja Gavaris on March 29. Although authorities did not rule O'Shea's death as suspicious and also declined to investigate Gavaris and Rackham, Bryanna Blanco asserted that the emerging corporate power struggle resembled two pirate captains vying for dominance.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5c9ca1d7c71d03125111e44e GalNet: Second Fatality in Rackham Conflict]</ref>

The [[Federal Intelligence Agency]] finally opened an investigation into the executives' deaths and the activities of Rackham Capital Investments on April 4, and the Federal Times agreed to cooperate by sharing their files.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5ca6022a527fc02cb97be295 GalNet: Rackham Under Investigation]</ref> However, on April 12, the FIA firmly denied that it was conducting any investigation into RCI, noting that Zachary Rackham was a member of the FIA Civilian Oversight Board in good standing and there was no evidence that RCI was involved in criminal activity. This came as a surprise to Bryanna Blanco, who explained that credentialed FIA agents had come to the Federal Times' offices earlier and retrieved its files on RCI executives.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5cade98a6239f907386a27a4 GalNet: Rackham Investigation Ruled Out]</ref>

The RCI power struggle concluded on April 20, 3305, when Taja Gavaris and her loyalists resigned their positions and emigrated from Federal space. They also waived their final salaries and bonuses, which amounted to over 365 million credits. Bryanna Blanco commented that the false FIA agents who had retrieved the Federal Times' files on RCI were likely disguised operatives in Zachary Rackham's employ, and the files were apparently used to blackmail Gavaris and her faction into giving up their play for control of RCI. However, none of this could be proved. The Federal Times also confirmed that it had received a donation of 36.5 million credits from RCI "in recognition of the organisation's dedication to ethical journalism".<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5cb88bbf5da4893b0558c187 GalNet: Taja Gavaris Resigns as Rackham CFO]</ref>

In October 3305, as the galaxy was affected by a food shortage caused by a widespread [[The Scourge|crop blight]], Rackham Capital Investments was one of several private companies that donated funds to provide food shipments to areas in need.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5db1ac66bd3a9e3c5d110724 GalNet: In the Shadow of the Blight]</ref>

=== 3306 ===
On December 11, 3306, Zachary Rackham announced that Rackham Capital Investments would fund the construction of an orbital [[outpost]] in the HIP 58832 system, a remote location far above the [[Core Systems]] commonly known as the galactic zenith or "the Roof of Space". [[Universal Cartographics]] and several scientific organisations assisted RCI with the project.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5fd3a13084045c581358b6f2 GalNet: Outpost Planned for 'The Roof of Space']</ref> The outpost, named [[Rackham's Peak]], celebrated its opening on December 17. Zachary Rackham himself was in attendance to lead the ceremony. The extravagant party held afterwards for members of the press and celebrities resulted in alcoholic beverages being spilled on the outpost's sensor array control system; RCI agreed to pay Universal Cartographics to cover the damages.<ref>[https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5fdb5796013a51660b43d5c6 GalNet: Rackham's Peak Outpost Marks Galactic Zenith]</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Minor Factions]]
[[ru:Rackham Capital Investments]]