Another theory: Everyone had to bribe Batista (the Cuban president) to do business there. Obviously, the United Telephone and Telegraph Company was in the same bribery pool. But bribery is supposed to be a discrete, silent business. So, when they gave Batista a flashy gold phone--and Batista bragged about it by passing it around the table and inviting the "gentlemen" to ooh-and-aaah over it--it put the bribery right out in the open, embarrassingly.

Michael and Roth also were on a bribery mission, but they preferred to keep it discrete. That's why they passed the phone without a comment or a glance, as if to say, "Those phone company guys are a buncha jerks--that friggin' gold phone is like flying the Goodyear blimp over Havana with a sign: 'President for Sale'. Batista, we're both part of the same hypocrisy, but never think it pays to brag about it openly."