Ousted Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam to launch ‘blank cheque’ venture January 11, 2021 Former Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam is said to be launching a so-called blank cheque firm, a year after he was ousted following a lurid spy scandal. Thiam is raising $250m (£185m) for a special purpose acquisition vehicle that will invest in financial services businesses across the globe. JP Morgan Chase is helping to [...]
Man City investor Silver Lake eyes stake in New Zealand All Blacks January 11, 2021 The US private equity firm that holds a stake in Manchester City Football Club is said to be closing in on an investment deal with the New Zealand All Blacks. Silver Lake is in advanced discussions about taking a minority holding in New Zealand Rugby’s commercial rights arm and a deal could be announced as [...]
Social media site Parler sues Amazon over account suspension January 11, 2021 Controversial social media site Parler is suing Amazon over its decision to pull support for the app. The so-called free speech app, which is popular among right-wing extremists, accused Amazon of violating antitrust laws by suspending its account. In a complaint filed in Seattle, Parler said Amazon’s decision to stop hosting the app was “apparently [...]
Marks & Spencer buys Jaeger out of administration January 11, 2021 Marks & Spencer today confirmed it has bought fashion brand Jaeger, which collapsed into administration last year. The retailer has agreed to take over the Jaeger brand, and is finalising terms to buy up stock and marketing assets. The deal will not include any stores, and it is unclear whether any jobs will be saved. [...]
Democrats introduce article of impeachment against Trump January 11, 2021 Democrats in the House of Representatives have formally introduced an article of impeachment against US President Donald Trump over his role in the Capitol riots last week. The resolution contains a single article of impeachment charging the president with “incitement of insurrection”. It cites Trump’s comments at a rally shortly before his supporters stormed the [...]
BT poaches Bharti Airtel executive in digital shake-up January 11, 2021 BT has poached a top technology executive from Indian telecoms giant Bharti Airtel to lead its digital transformation plans. The FTSE 100 behemoth today announced the appointment of Harmeen Mehta in the new role of chief digital and innovation officer. Mehta, who will report directly to chief executive Philip Jansen, will oversee a new digital [...]
Bitcoin value slumps by a fifth as City watchdog warns of risk January 11, 2021 Bitcoin was on track for its biggest one-day drop since March today, just hours after the City watchdog issued a warning about the “very high risk” of investing in crypto assets. The digital currency slumped more than 19 per cent to $30,699, marking its lowest level since in a week. The sell-off brought to an [...]
Twitter shares slide following ‘problematic’ Donald Trump ban January 11, 2021 Twitter’s shares went into reverse this morning following the social media site’s decision to ban US President Donald Trump. The platform permanently suspended the president’s account over the weekend, stating that there was a risk of further incitement of violence following riots at the Capitol last week. “After close review of recent Tweets from the [...]
Screenshot: Will Sunak save music festival season? January 8, 2021 A weekly column from City A.M. bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: Reporting from the ruins of democracy **A rallying cry to save music festivals **Youtube, Talk Radio and the quagmire of online regulation Media Moment of the Week I usually [...]
Government blasted over ‘litany’ of broadband failures January 8, 2021 Small businesses could be locked out of full-fibre broadband for years to come due to a “litany” of failures by the government, MPs have warned. In a damning report published today, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the government had failed to make “any meaningful progress” in securing the policy and legislative changes needed to [...]