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☆ PWC Aussie mess is classic do as I say not as I do
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Antony Currie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MELBOURNE, Sept 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - PWC Australia is likely to need a long time to recover from what is turning out to be a self-inflicted double whammy. Now the independent review sparked by the furore has laid bare another problem: PWC Australia took a do as I say not as I do approach to running its own shop. The report, commissioned by PWCA in May, written by one of the country’s corporate grandees, Ziggy Switkowski, and published on Wednesday, outlines a series of corporate governance failures. What’s worse, and even more ironic, is PWC Australia’s aversion to tapping external advice. Many of the changes will come from applying, “to the extent feasible”, the Australian Securities Exchange’s corporate governance principles and recommendations.

Persons: Tom Seymour, PWCA, Ziggy Switkowski, “, Kevin Burrowes, That’s, Una Galani, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Lehman Brothers, Silicon Valley Bank, Australian Securities, Thomson Locations: MELBOURNE, Australia, Silicon

☆ NextEra workers roll the dice with big bet on company stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Tim Mclaughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

America’s largest renewable power company is among several U.S. energy and utility companies, including Exxon and Southern Company, that continue to promote big, concentrated bets on company stock in worker retirement plans. Nearly 50% of the investments in NextEra’s employee-funded 401(k) retirement plan are in company stock, the highest among all 30 companies in the S&P 500 Utilities Sector (.SPLRCU). NextEra declined to comment on its use of company stock in employee 401(k) plans. "If we saw a concentration of more than 20% in a single company stock, we would definitely tell them it's a big risk." `Keith Rasmussen, a retired geologist, said he still feels the financial repercussions of holding big bets on company stock in his retirement plans.

Persons: Robert Knoche, Yoon, NextEra, ”, Alicia Munnell, Kristin McKenna, McKenna, Ryan Frazier, Keith Rasmussen, jolt, Rasmussen, “, ” Rasmussen, Richard Valdmanis, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Exxon, Southern Company, Corporate America, Enron, Utilities, Vanguard Group, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, Employees, Silicon Valley Bank, Darrow Wealth Management, SEC, Corporations, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Southern Co, Dominion Energy Inc, Dominion, Chesapeake Energy Corp, Thomson Locations: Douglas County , Kansas, U.S, Silicon, Boston, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ Why former Goldman Sachs partners say they left the firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

Goldman Sachs partners are leaving — some 202 during David Solomon's five years as CEO by Insider's calculation. In particular, before Solomon, Goldman nurtured many fiefs and then spread the wealth from the most successful ones across the firm. Of the former Goldman executives that Insider interviewed, here are the most cited reasons they gave for leaving Goldman. When both men struggled, senior partners left, and Goldman stumbled in its efforts to wind down its balance-sheet investments. Goldman Sachs partners are paid well by any standard: $950,000 in base salary and often multiples of that in annual bonuses.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Solomon's, Solomon, Goldman, David Solomon, John Waldron, Goldman's, Adebayo Ogunlesi, Mike Mayo, Andrew Toth, Devin Ryan, Ryan, Waldron, Tony Fratto, Mike Blake, Eric Lane, Julian Salisbury, Lane, Luke Sarsfield, Sarsfield, Marc Nachmann, he's, Fratto, Stephanie Cohen, Cohen, Kathy Ruemmler, Charles Dharapak, Barack Obama's, Kenneth Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Ruemmler, Unbeknown, Jeffrey Epstein, dealmaking, David S, Holloway, Mayo, David doesn't, GreenSky, Brendan McDermid, It's, Alison Mass, Hank Paulson, Russell Horwitz, David, it's, Emmalyse Brownstein Organizations: Wall, JPMorgan, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, Investors, Goldman, AWM, Sarsfield, BAE Systems, Justice Department, Street Journal, Bloomberg, Employees, Partners, Federal Reserve, United Capital Financial Partners, Reuters, GreenSky Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, Salisbury, Manhattan, Texas, Plano, London, Paris, Chicago

☆ FTX sues Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is suing founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s parents, accusing them of siphoning millions of dollars in company funds to enrich themselves and their “pet causes.”The lawsuit aims to recover funds that the company claims were “fraudulently transferred and misappropriated” by Bankman-Fried’s parents. FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November last year as questions about its finances rattled crypto markets and prompted a sudden, massive drawdown of customer funds. Despite Bankman-Fried’s assertions that his parents weren’t involved in “any of the relevant parts” of FTX, the lawsuit claims that his parents played a role from the beginning. She described herself as her son’s “partner in crime of the noncriminal sort,” the lawsuit claims. In April, FTX told the bankruptcy court it had recovered $7.3 billion in assets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, “, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried, Joe, Barbara, FTX, weren’t, Bankman, …, ” Fried, Fried’s, John J, Ray III, ”, Ray Organizations: New, New York CNN, Stanford, Southern, of, Bankman, FTX Group, Super Bowl, Alameda Research Locations: New York, of New York, Bahamas, FTX

☆ Wells Fargo: Former executive avoids prison time for her role in fake-accounts fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Former Wells Fargo executive Carrie Tolstedt was sentenced to three years’ probation on Friday for her role in the bank’s sprawling fake-accounts scandal. Wells Fargo has spent billions of dollars over the past eight years to settle allegations related to the accounts scandal, in which Tolstedt played a key role. Tolstedt, the only Wells Fargo executive to face criminal charges in the scheme, paid $17 million to settle a civil case with the the OCC, and $3 million to settle with the SEC. She received a $125 million retirement package when she left Wells Fargo, though the bank has clawed back about $67 million of that. Wells Fargo has struggled to get its house in order since the fake account scandal.

Persons: Carrie Tolstedt, Tolstedt, Wells Fargo, Wells, John Stumpf, Stumpf, Jeff Skilling, — CNN’s Matt Egan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Former Wells, Securities and Exchange Commission, OCC, SEC, Wells Locations: New York, Wells Fargo’s, Wells Fargo

☆ Are office buildings the next 'Big Short' or the next widow-maker trade? The trader behind the ubersuccessful mall short shares his playbook for making money without flaming out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Dan McNamara's Polpo Capital is shorting office real estate, a risky move that could be lucrative. If you're looking for a doomsday vision of commercial real estate, you can find it there. "I don't think this is the 'Big Short,'" McNamara told me. This doesn't mean he doesn't have a game plan to make money off cultural shifts that could forever change the state of commercial real estate. Lucas Jackson/ReutersWhere he's going longOne risk of shorting real estate is that it's more susceptible to what's known in real-estate circles as "extend and pretend."

Persons: Dan McNamara's, McNamara, it's, It's, shorting, Carl Icahn, Jim Chanos, Brendan McDermid, Dan McNamara, McNamara's, Braver Stern, Dan McNamara McNamara's, suede loafers, McNamara didn't, Josh Nester, Polpo, he's, Morgan Stanley, Kamil Sadik, Lucas Jackson, Manus Clancy, You've, David Tepper's, Trepp's Clancy, Clancy, David Tepper Organizations: Central Park, New, Polpo, New York University, Columbia, Kynikos Associates, Enron, Asset Management, Reuters, UBS, Co, Societe Generale, Securitized Credit Partners, Credit Suisse, MP, Fund, Bloomberg, of America, Simon Property, Federal Locations: Manhattan, Sixth, Central, New York City, New York, MatlinPatterson, America, China, Italy, Westchester , New York, Tribeca, York, Westchester, Waterford , Connecticut, Baltimore, San Francisco

“No way I can get a fair trial, or even close to a fair trial, in Washington, D.C. Several January 6 defendants have argued that there’s been too much pretrial publicity in DC for a fair trial and that the jury pool in the city would be too biased. Still, Trump attorney John Lauro on Sunday cast doubt on the idea that Trump could receive a fair trial in the nation’s capital. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who recently made his sharpest condemnation of Trump, told CBS on Sunday he “would hope” Trump can receive a fair trial in Washington. That’s one reason why the January 6 defendants’ trials have gone forward without delay even though so many attempted to move their cases out of Washington, DC.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Trump –, there’s, Roger Stone, Richard Nixon, Trump, John Lauro, ” Lauro, CNN’s Dana, Lauro, ”, I’m, Trump’s, Chris Christie, Bash, ” Christie, Mike Pence, Jeffrey Skilling, Tsarnaev Organizations: CNN, DC, Capitol, Democratic, ”, Court, CBS, Union, District of Columbia, Sunday, Enron, Boston Marathon Locations: Washington ,, Washington, DC, West Virginia, “ State, New Jersey, Houston, Boston

☆ FTX planned to purchase the Pacific island nation of Nauru to build an apocalypse bunker, lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX is suing Sam Bankman-Fried and other former bosses for $1 billion. SBF's brother discussed turning the island country of Nauru into an apocalypse bunker, the suit says. FTX wanted to purchase the Pacific island nation of Nauru to build a bunker in case of an apocalyptic event, according to a new lawsuit. The complaint says that the FTX founder's brother, Gabriel Bankman-Fried, discussed with an officer for the FTX Foundation a scheme to purchase the country of Nauru. A spokesperson for Sam Bankman-Fried did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, John J, Ray III —, Gabriel Bankman, Gabe Bankman, Fried Organizations: FTX, EA, FTX Foundation, Twitter Locations: Nauru, It's, Australia

July 20 (Reuters) - FTX Trading on Thursday sued founder Sam Bankman-Fried and other former executives of the cryptocurrency exchange, seeking to recoup more than $1 billion they allegedly misappropriated before FTX went bankrupt. FTX is now led by John Ray, who helped manage Enron after the energy trader's 2001 bankruptcy. FTX said Bankman-Fried and Wang also misappropriated $546 million to buy shares of Robinhood Markets (HOOD.O), while Ellison used $28.8 million to pay herself bonuses. The case is FTX Trading Ltd et al v Bankman-Fried et al, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. The main bankruptcy case is In re FTX Trading Ltd et al in the same court, No.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, Caroline Ellison, Gary, Wang, Nishad Singh, Fried, John Ray, Ellison, Singh, Jonathan Stempel, Mike Scarcella, Leslie Adler Organizations: Alameda Research, Enron, U.S, Robinhood, Bankruptcy, District of, FTX, bk, Thomson Locations: Delaware, Alameda, U.S, District, District of Delaware, New York

The Australian scandal is the latest in a number the "big four" professional services firm has faced around the globe. Auditor PwC said it was unable to comment on client issues due to confidentiality clauses. Its auditor PwC and affiliates agreed to pay $33 million in fines and compensation to settle U.S. litigation in 2011. India's market regulator barred PwC's local affiliate from auditing listed companies for two years in 2018, but that was overturned the following year. ($1 = 1.4984 Australian dollars)Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Praveen Menon and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kristin Stubbins, PwC, Lewis Jackson, Praveen Menon, Sonali Paul Organizations: SYDNEY, PricewaterhouseCoopers, International, Wyelands Bank, Colonial Bank ., Satyam, Enron, PwC, Thomson Locations: Australia, Brazil, Britain, Alabama, Colonial Bank . India

☆ Former SEC chief Harvey Pitt passes away at 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 31 (Reuters) - Harvey Pitt, a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, passed away on Tuesday, according to a statement from the director of the SEC Historical Society shared with Reuters. At the time, fellow SEC Commissioner Roel Campos said: "There has certainly never been anyone who loved this agency more than Chairman Pitt." Pitt was a graduate of St. John's University School of Law and the City University of New York, according to the SEC's website. He passed away on Tuesday, according to the statement from Jane Cobb, executive director of the SEC Historical Society. "Over the years, Harvey has been extremely generous with his time and sage advice," said Michael Piwowar, a former SEC commissioner.

Persons: Harvey Pitt, Pitt, George W, Bush, Roel Campos, Jane Cobb, Harvey, Michael Piwowar, Chris Prentice, Douglas Gillison, Niket, Shinjini Ganguli, Paul Simao Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC Historical Society, Reuters, SEC, FBI, Enron, San Francisco Chronicle, Oxley, St, John's University School of Law, City University of New, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, Kalorama Partners, Thomson Locations: City University of New York, Washington, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Harvey Pitt, SEC Chairman During 9/11 and Enron Meltdown, Dies at 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Mark Maurer | Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/harvey-pitt-former-sec-chairman-during-9-11-and-enron-scandal-dies-1fb717e2

Persons: Dow Jones, harvey, pitt Organizations: enron

☆ Enron Short Seller Lists Miami Beach Condo for $21 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/enron-short-seller-lists-miami-beach-condo-for-21-million-eb9321af

☆ Credit ratings agencies like Moody's decide the US credit rating. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Credit rating agencies are once again in the spotlight amid the ongoing high-stakes debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. What is the purpose of credit rating agencies? Put simply, credit rating agencies provide their opinions and issue a score evaluating the likelihood that a borrower will repay its debt. Rating agencies first rose to prominence over a century ago, but today, the three major agencies dominate the market. Bonsall has studied the effectiveness of credit rating agencies and their possible conflicts of interest.

☆ Central bankers face a balance sheet reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Edward Chancellor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON, May 26 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Central banks’ balance sheets have exploded in size since 2008. That’s not a problem, we’re told, since central banks are not bound by ordinary accounting rules. Ferguson and his colleagues examined fourteen central bank balance sheets over a period of 400 years. Central bank hawks on the other hand, are typically slow to expand their balance sheets during crises. Central banks with weak balance sheets are less credible bastions of a fiat currency.

☆ EY calls off plan to split audit, consulting units
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 11 (Reuters) - Accounting firm EY has called off a plan to break up its audit and consulting units, slamming the brakes on a proposed overhaul of its businesses that was meant to address regulatory concerns over potential conflicts of interest. But the plan, code-named "Project Everest", faced resistance from some of EY's partners. The company said its U.S. Executive Committee decided not to move forward with the split. UK auditing and accounting regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, had asked the Big Four firms in 2020 to separate auditing as a standalone business in Britain by June 2024. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Shinjini Ganguli and Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Accounting-Fraud Indicator Signals Coming Economic Trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Josh Zumbrun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The M-Score determines whether a company is engaging in earnings manipulation. Manipulation of earnings from Corporate America is on the rise, an ominous omen for the U.S. economy. That is the conclusion of new research on accounting fraud, using a technique that flagged Enron as an earnings manipulator several years before the energy company’s spectacular 2001 implosion.

☆ Why Blackouts, Power Outages Are Becoming More Common
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Power outages have increased 64% from the early 2000s, and weather-related outages — many driven by the worsening climate crisis — have increased 78%. A record-breaking blizzard in Buffalo, New York, this winter caused power outages throughout the city, resulting in the deaths of 47 residents. In 2021, a heat wave led to power outages and the deaths of hundreds in the Pacific Northwest. While regional organizations might use fees to penalize companies for power outages, it's now much harder to pinpoint and hold a person or entity responsible. In the meantime, the climate crisis will continue to wreak havoc on an aging grid system that puts profits over reliability.

☆ 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry brushes off the latest US banking crisis: 'I am not seeing true danger here'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Burry is not seeing "true danger" from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The fund manager, who called the 2008 housing crash, expects the fiasco to "resolve very quickly"Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. Michael Burry, the legendary investor who called the 2008 housing market crash, dismissed concerns around the financial turmoil caused by Silicon Valley Bank's demise. Burry's latest remarks came a day after comparing SVB's collapse to the great financial crisis and dot-com crash. Meanwhile, Burry last week compared SVB to Enron, the energy-trading giant that was busted for accounting fraud and went bankrupt in 2001.

☆ Bernie Sanders says Silicon Valley Bank's failure is the 'direct result' of a Trump-era bank regulation policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bernie Sanders is blaming a Trump-era policy for the Silicon Valley Bank run. "Now is not the time for US taxpayers to bail out Silicon Valley Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shut down the Silicon Valley Bank on Friday following a catastrophic bank run. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has now become the largest bank failure in the US since the 2008 financial crisis. However, startups with money in Silicon Valley Bank exceeding $250,000 are now in danger of not being able to make payroll next week.

☆ The implosion of Silicon Valley's largest bank has investors worried worse is to come: 'There might be some kind of crack in the financial system'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | James Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The implosion of the California lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Silvergate has investors worried. Christopher Whalen, the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors, a financial consultancy, said Silicon Valley Bank was "just the tip of the iceberg." He added that the situation at Silicon Valley Bank was "a reminder that many institutions are sitting on large unrealized losses" on bond holdings. Mould said the "fire sale" of Silicon Valley Bank's bond portfolio raised broader concerns. Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker on Thursday implored customers to "stay calm" in an apparent bid to stave off further mass withdrawals and avert collapse.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank crisis: Everything you need to know about SVB Financial as its share collapse rattles major stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SVB Financial's share plunge is dragging on major bank stocks like JPMorgan and Bank of America. Here's everything you need to know about Silicon Valley Bank and its parent company SVB Financial. SVB is a Santa Clara-based bank that lends money to and takes deposits from Silicon Valley tech startups. Why has SVB's stock price crashed? "The failure of SVB Financial could destroy an important long-term driver of the economy as VC-backed companies rely on SVB for loans and holding their operating cash," he said on Twitter Thursday evening.

☆ Cratering Silicon Valley Bank's troubles could be the first sign of a new financial crisis. Here's what Burry, Ackman and El-Erian have to say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cratering Silicon Valley Bank's troubles could be the first sign of a new financial crisis. While some say the US banking system is solid, others think this could be the first sign of a new financial crisis. Well, and highlighting the current economic/financial/policy fluidity, we have something: banking system worries," El-Erian said on Twitter. Silicon Valley Bank going under would be exponentially worse. Activist Investor Ryan Cohen"Does this mean I don't have to pay back Silicon Valley Bank?"

☆ 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry issues a grave warning after Silicon Valley Bank's stock rout: 'It is possible today we found our Enron'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

'Big Short' legend Michael Burry just compared Silicon Valley Bank to Enron. The bank's stock plunged 60% Thursday as its parent company offloaded shares after massive bond losses. "It is possible today we found our Enron," the 'Big Short' investor said Thursday in a now-deleted Tweet, referencing the scandal-hit energy firm that collapsed during the early 2000s. Enron collapsed as the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index plunging 78% in just over two years. The bank's updated investor deck, which was filed Wednesday, showed that the company's $21 billion bond portfolio had a yield of 1.8% and an average duration of just over three years.

☆ Binance continues to get more popular with Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX out of the picture, despite increased regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Binance is extending its dominance in crypto trading since FTX collapsed in November. Its market share grew to 61.8% in February from 59.4% in January, CryptoCompare data showed. According to data from CryptoCompare cited by CoinDesk, Binance increased its market share for the fourth consecutive month in February, growing to 61.8% from 59.4% in January. Coinbase was a distant second with trading volume of $39.9 billion, down 29% from the prior month, and Kraken was third with $19.3 billion, down 11%. Meanwhile, former rival exchange FTX continues to wade through bankruptcy procedures and is effectively out of the picture as far as competition.

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