Love at first sight? Kylie takes stake in UK music streamer Roxi November 9, 2020 Kylie Minogue has taken a stake in Roxi as the music streaming service plots an initial public offering in London. The Australian pop legend joins Robbie Williams, Alesha Dixon and Sheryl Crow as a major shareholder in the company, and will front its new TV advertising campaign. Roxi, which offers a fully-licensed music catalogue through [...]
Nobel Prize in economics: What is auction theory and why is it important? October 12, 2020 US academics Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have won the 2020 Nobel Prize in economics for their groundbreaking work on the theory and practice of auctions. Milgrom and Wilson, 72 and 83 respectively, are both professors at Stanford University in California. They will split the 10m krona (£850,000) prize and each receive a gold medal. [...]
Crypto will never hit critical mass until cybersecurity improves September 29, 2020 Another week, another hack, another exchange, another theft. Welcome to the recurring world of crypto attacks and the reason why appalling cryptocurrency security is holding back the industry from entering the mainstream. This time it was Singapore-based digital exchange KuCoin and its customers that were taken for $150 million after the exchange noticed large withdrawals [...]
HSBC’s looming pensions crisis: will the bank win the battle but lose the war? September 4, 2020 A business of any reasonable size should have members of its team scanning the horizon for potential problems, like Frederick Fleet in the crow’s nest of RMS Titanic. The most dangerous crises, though, are those which fall on a company from an apparently cloudless sky: those which hit unprepared, and leave a business scrabbling for [...]
Bitcoin Is Here To Stay August 25, 2020 At a time of economic uncertainty, I’m certain about one thing: Bitcoin is here to stay. How can I be so confident? In its short life, Bitcoin has already been counted out numerous times. There is even a website that tracks each of its obituaries. However, each time it has come back stronger, and most [...]
CBILS: Three ways SMEs can avoid a coronavirus loan rejection July 27, 2020 It has been nearly four months since the Treasury introduced the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) in a bid to help firms through the pandemic. The scheme did not arrive without criticisms, coming under fire for what its critics called its unclear eligibility criteria and demanding personal guarantees. While some issues have since been [...]
Apple’s victory throws EU’s digital tax into doubt July 16, 2020 Apple’s successful appeal against a €13.1bn fine from the European Commission could leave the EU’s digital tax strategy at risk of unravelling, experts have warned. A top European court yesterday annulled a decision passed by the Commission in 2016 ordering Apple to pay Ireland more than €13bn in back taxes. It said the executive body [...]
Brexit vs. Business: Thanks to Covid-19, we’ll never know who was right June 12, 2020 Let’s start with some good news: Unilever has put its faith in Britain. The Dutch-Anglo consumer goods giant, owner of iconic brands from PG Tips to Marmite, announced on Thursday that it was unifying under its UK listing. How times have changed. A mere 18 months ago, Unilever was trying to move its headquarters to [...]
Facebook employees stage rebellion over Mark Zuckerberg’s inaction on Trump June 1, 2020 Facebook staff have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Mark Zuckerberg over his refusal to act against Donald Trump. Employees at all levels of the company, including some senior executives, took to criticising Zuckerberg for his decision to leave up the Facebook version of a tweet sent by Trump. The president appeared [...]
Shoe Lady at Royal Court review: Surreal, strange story fails to sweep us off our feet March 16, 2020 The IT Crowd’s Katherine Parkinson stars as Viv, or Shoe Lady, in E.V. Crowe’s latest piece at the Royal Court. The premise is simple but effective; lady has two shoes; lady loses one shoe; lady realises how much lost shoe stands for; lady tries to live without lost shoe but cannot. Shoes, of course, come [...]