Zuckerberg defends Facebook: ‘Companies aren’t bad just because they’re big’ July 29, 2020 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg is set to tell Congress that “companies aren’t bad just because they are big,” as the world’s biggest social media company today faces a historic investigation into its size and power. Zuckerberg is expected to tell the US Congress that Facebook became successful “the American way, by starting out with nothing [...]
Love Island woos viewers as reality show tops ITV streaming charts December 28, 2020 Love Island topped the rankings for ITV’s most streamed shows this year as the pandemic helped drive up the broadcasters’ viewing figures. The most recent series of the wildly popular reality TV show, which was filmed in South Africa, racked up 130m requests on the channel’s on-demand platform ITV Hub. This topped the list and [...]
On the prowl for a new global goal for nature: will the UN pounce on “nature positive by 2030”? July 2, 2021 20 years ago I gave a talk to a group of investors about why it was important to think about issues beyond profit in investment decisions. I gave an example of an oil spill. I showed them pictures of environmental damage, of polluted waterways, habitat destruction and oil-soaked birds. My talk bombed – they weren’t [...]
National Trust to axe 1,300 staff amid plans to save £100m October 8, 2020 The National Trust has announced plans to axe 1,300 jobs, as the charity seeks to shore up £100m in annual costs through spending cuts as a result of the pandemic. The company said it will make 514 compulsory redundancies following consultation, with a further 782 employees set to take voluntary redundancy. The job losses represent [...]
Mast giant Arqiva pulls out of Freeview venture amid streaming row December 1, 2020 British mast giant Arqiva is pulling its investment in digital TV platform Freeview in the wake of a row over how to stave off pressure from streaming rivals. The telecoms group said it will step down as a shareholder in Digital UK, the company that controls its joint venture with the BBC, ITV and Channel [...]
Jeff Bezos investigator accuses Saudi government of hacking Amazon chief’s phone March 31, 2019 An investigator hired by Jeff Bezos has said Saudi Arabia hacked the Amazon chief's phone and gleaned private data from it. Bezos, one of the world's richest men who owns the Washington Post newspaper, hired Gavin de Becker to find out how his private messages regarding an extra-marital affair had been leaked to US tabloid the National [...]
Google parent Alphabet reveals record $10bn bond at lowest-ever price August 4, 2020 Alphabet borrowed $10bn (£7.66bn) in the investment-grade corporate debt market yesterday, marking its largest ever bond issue at its lowest price to date. Within the $10bn on offer, a $1bn five-year tranche was issued at a discount of 0.45 per cent — the lowest discount seen at that maturity since Apple issued a $1.5bn five-year [...]
Switch it up: Nintendo profit triples on lockdown gaming boom November 5, 2020 Nintendo’s profit tripled in the six months to the end of September as consumers splashed out on gaming during the coronavirus lockdown. The Japanese tech giant posted a first-half operating profit of 291.4bn yen (£2.1bn), up from 94bn yen in the same period last year. Nintendo has enjoyed booming demand for its Switch consoles, with [...]
How we can be inspiring leaders as we emerge from the pandemic July 29, 2021 Coming back to the office will bring many challenges and our leaders have to consider and embrace all of them. It requires both considered thinking and an open mindset. It is important to be aware of the cobra effect. This is the unintended consequences of the decisions made and the actions taken. The term cobra [...]
City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? September 1, 2021 City A.M.’s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. Pictet Wealth Management poaches Goldman Sachs veteran as new CEO Pictet Wealth Management has appointed a Goldman Sachs veteran as its new CEO, following the departure of its long-standing lead Heinrich Adami. Joining next week, Robert [...]