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This is the timeline and other details:

The headhunter contacted me initially in May 2018. The job is in City-X and the parent company from City-Y is trying to setup a new branch in City-X for which they needed someone to head their whole operations in City-X. It is a managerial role & I need to lead a new branch in City-X, do local hiring, setup budgets etc, basically start everything from scratch. It is a fairly small but very rich company with the single CEO deciding everything. They already have business running in City-Y & wanted to expand in City-X.

I was contacted by headhunter, and he expressed interest in June to take it further. They held one round of interviews in City-X in June and then wanted to fly me to City-Y for interviews with parent company & other stakeholders, for which I needed a visa for City-Y. I waited as the company had just hired a new CTO and were busy with their new acquisitions and other important decisions being taken by the new CTO.

Finally, the company sent a formal endorsement letter needed for me to get a visa to visit City-Y for final round of interviews in August. Then they were supposed to arrange for flights and accommodation to fly me to City-Y which took another few weeks. Finally I flew in September to City-Y where I met all the stakeholders and it went exceptionally well. THE CEO personally introduced me to others saying I would start working there heading City-X operations. We discussed the salary and benefits and was told I would get the offer in 2 days, max a week. They said they wanted me to be there for 3-4 years (long term) and have heard good reviews about me.

2 days turned to 2 weeks. I contacted the headhunter and he said the CEO was busy with some budgeting & finances. Then 6 weeks passed and I emailed the CEO with no response. Finally October end the headhunter sent me a message apologising for extreme delays. He said the offer is on its way but the CEO is busy with getting licenses and setting up the offices in the new City-X.

A month passed and no offer letter. Mid November I emailed saying I am fed up and will accept another offer (which I don't). He again apologised profusely and said he understands my position. He said the company has received new huge ministry contracts and were extremely occupied working 18+ hours a day. Plus their HR quit and new HR was junior person. He accepted that they have not been able to role out other offers to other folks too due to this. They are about to offer me but everyone is extremely busy. He agreed to set a deadline for offering me but I told him not to do so for fear of losing out. I am still waiting for the offer letter.

The CEO has accepted multiple times that the interest in me is extremely high. They were almost about to offer me but due to multiple interruptions they haven't been able to do so. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt since it is very small but rich company with single person (CEO) handling everything. Plus the company branch itself needs to be setup in City-X so everything is to be done from scratch, hence the delays. Plus they might have got occupied in other contracts they got. This is a very long term position and is not like there is already a company with a vacant position. The whole things in City-X has to be done fresh & new.

As of today I am still waiting. Am I just being stalled & the offer will never come? Or does it look like they are genuinely busy and interested in me and I would get the offer finally?