During Ranil’s government in 2002-2003, one of the most important news in Sri Lanka was the visit of Vijay Mallya, one of India’s leading businessmen at that time, to Sri Lanka and meet then-Prime Minister Ranil. The Sunday Times reported that he hopes to invest in Sri Lanka at the right time. Vijay Mallya came to Sri Lanka on a holiday. He met Prime Minister Ranil during his vacation. He has not brought any foreign investment to Sri Lanka. After that, Sri Lanka heard about him only after he was arrested for money laundering.
When Ranil was the Prime Minister from 2015 to 2019, one of the big news was the visit of famous investor George Soros to Sri Lanka. On November 8, 2015, the then Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil announced that Soros would visit Sri Lanka. On January 17, 2015, the Sunday Times reported that Soros had agreed to fund a three-year economic plan. Sunday Times newspaper reported that the Sore’s Open Society Foundation is making the economic plan together with the Lankan government. Soros also came to Sri Lanka. His visit received great publicity. But after that, Soros was never seen or heard of.
2015 Ranil met Google loon executive Mick Cassidy regarding obtaining internet Google balloon technology in Sri Lanka but it too failed.
When Ranil became the president the big news was the visit of billionaire Bill Gates to Sri Lanka. December 24, 2022, Daily Mirror reported that Bill Gates has been invited to Sri Lanka for the Global Renewable Energy Conference which is held in Sri Lanka in 2023, and that President Ranil has entrusted his advisor Ruwan Wijewardene to organize his visit and the conference. No such conference was held in 2023. Bill Gates did not come to Sri Lanka. After that, on December 03, 2023, Daily Mirror reported that President Ranil met Bill Gates at the COP 28 conference. The Daily Mirror had reported that Bill Gates and Melinda Gates Foundation promised to help digitize agriculture in Sri Lanka. The Daily Mirror newspaper said that Bill Gates is coming to Sri Lanka on December 4, 2022. There was no Key Renewable Energy Conference held in 2023 held in Sri Lanka as Daily Mirror said. Bill Gates didn’t even come and neither that the Bill Gates-Melinda Gates Foundation start projects in Sri Lanka.
The biggest news in Sri Lanka now is Elon Musk’s meeting with Ranil and his advisor, Ruwan Wijaywardene. Ruwan informed the Daily Mirror that Elon Musk will visit Sri Lanka at the end of this year, noting that his presence will greatly benefit the country. It remains uncertain whether Bill Gates or Elon Musk will visit Sri Lanka. Ranil’s government believes that announcing visits from Bill Gates and Elon Musk could garner votes. However, survey reports indicate that Sri Lankans feel the country is heading in the wrong direction.
