A modern Willy Wonka?

Mystery trader buys all Europe's cocoa:

17 Jul 2010 - The purchase was enough to move the entire global cocoa market, sending the price to the highest level since 1977, and triggering rumours and intrigue in the City.

It is unclear which person, or group of traders, was behind the deal, but it was the largest single cocoa trade for 14 years.

The cocoa beans, which are sitting in warehouses either in The Netherlands, Hamburg, or closer to home in London, Liverpool or Humberside is equivalent to the entire supply of the commodity in Europe, and would fill more than five Titanics. They are worth £658 million.
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This is the highest price for cocoa in Europe since 1977, and comes after a series of weak harvests in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, the main areas where the crop is grown. Fears of floods in the Ivory Coast have sent prices even higher, as speculators have bet on another poor harvest, and a shortage of supply.

At the same time demand is on the increase, especially as China and India develop an ever sweeter tooth.

Cocoa prices have more than doubled since 2007, forcing chocolate makers to raise prices and in some cases to change recipes to use less cocoa.

That was yesterday. Today it was revealed that British financier Anthony Ward was behind £658m cocoa trade:

The transaction, the largest single cocoa trade in 14 years, was carried out last Friday by Armajaro Holdings, a hedge fund co-founded by Mr Ward.

The businessman began his career as a motorcycle dispatch rider before becoming a commodities trader specialising in cocoa and coffee.

The former Chairman of the European Cocoa Association has amassed up to 15 per cent of the word's cocoa stocks in the last ten years.
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In 2002 Mr Ward made £40 million in two months after making a similar deal. He bought 204,000 tones of cocoa when West Africa was experiencing poor harvests and political instability in the equatorial area.

He then watched the price of cocoa increase from £1,400 a ton to £1,600 a ton.

I guess the prices of all my favorite dark chocolates like Lindt and Godiva will go through the roof.