Celebrities like Kanye West and Taylor Swift need to learn that we really don’t care what they think October 16, 2018 Taylor Swift, look what you made me do. Swifty has been a hallowed island of political neutrality in a sea of bad blood. But she’s now come out as a mid-term Democrat, and the love story is over. Maybe one day historians will look back and admire how Bob Geldof’s support for a People’s Vote [...]
Sacré bleu! Tour de France trophy stolen during UK tour October 10, 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas has made desperate appeals for thieves to return his trophy, after it was announced today that the coveted cycling prize was stolen at a show in Birmingham. The trophy, which was lent to bike maker Pinarello, was on a tour across the UK with Sky team’s other Grand Tour [...]
Tesla shares bounce back after Elon Musk agrees to step down as chairman October 1, 2018 Tesla shares have jumped over 16 per cent following a backlash last week over the company's $40m (£31m) fine from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Musk has been pursued by the SEC over a tweet he sent in August saying he has secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. The SEC said [...]
DEBATE: Is Elon Musk’s erratic behaviour just the price we need to pay for brilliant entrepreneurs? October 1, 2018 Is Elon Musk’s erratic behaviour just the price we need to pay for brilliant entrepreneurs? Kathy Gromotka, associate at Downing Ventures, says YES. We back entrepreneurs because we buy into their desire and ability to behave in a way that creates value, whether they’re a star in the spotlight or operating in stealth mode. Elon [...]
Character assassination: Business bosses are starting to realise that Twitter has a price September 30, 2018 It is not boardroom discord or tumbling profits that are causing mayhem for Elon Musk, the maverick and publicity-hungry Tesla chief who is set to lose his role as chairman. It’s his Twitter habit. His case exemplifies how Twitter, the social media platform that can send 280 poorly chosen characters right round the world in [...]
Tory civil war deepens as Boris Johnson lays into ‘deranged’ Chequers plan September 30, 2018 Boris Johnson poured salt on the wounds of Tory Party divisions this morning, branding Theresa May’s Brexit blueprint as “entirely preposterous” and “deranged”. In comments that are likely to fuel further speculation about his leadership ambitions, Johnson widened the rift between himself and the Prime Minister by saying: “Unlike the Prime Minister, I campaigned for [...]
Musk to step down as Tesla chairman and pay $20m fine in settlement with US regulators September 30, 2018 Elon Musk is to step down as chairman of Tesla after settling a fraud lawsuit with US regulators over tweets he made about taking the firm private. The billionaire boss of the electric car-making firm has also agreed to pay a $20m (£15m) fine from the US securities and exchange commission (SEC), staving off a [...]
Don’t play FTSE with your reputation September 28, 2018 FIGURES FROM THE High Pay Centre recently revealed that salaries for the highest-paid chief executives in the UK have risen six times faster than that of the nation’s workers. This story isn’t new – earlier this year I remember reading how FTSE 100 bosses earned more in three days than a typical worker will receive [...]
Outdated research is driving markets towards a pedestrian investment environment September 18, 2018 The equity research industry has had to contend with a wave of changes over the past few years. The growth of passive investing, increased in-house research capabilities, and new fintech challengers have all placed significant strains on the business model of a traditional equity analyst. It was the implementation of the revised Markets in Financial [...]
Labour has faced crises before, but this is uncharted territory September 18, 2018 After a summer of turbulence, the Labour party conference will get underway in Liverpool next week. The stories swirling around the run-up centre on the current maelstrom of fanatical support for Jeremy Corbyn, the increasing despondence of moderate MPs, accusations of antisemitism at the heart of the party, all against a backdrop of online discussion [...]