Five years ago, Robert Yuksel Yildirim was planning to sell his business group’s 24% holding in CMA CGM.

Today, as the coronavirus pandemic catapults the container liner’s profits to giddying heights, Yildirim is relieved he never pulled the trigger on the sale.

“I’m glad I didn’t sell it,” the chairman of the Yildirim Group told TradeWinds on the sidelines of the Turkish Maritime Summit on Saturday.