DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Private equity is finally stepping up its tech game. Here's who is leading the charge.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

What's the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the term "private equity?" PE firms do plenty of things quite well (and they are certainly compensated for their work), but their internal tech has never been a top priority. What I find most fascinating about the so-called "digitization" of PE isn't so much the actual tech but the culture. Click here to learn more about the 12 executives helping PE firms get up to speed on cutting-edge tech they can use to source and close deals. Silicon Valley Bank, which is the go-to bank for tech startups, is under pressure amid the market downturn, the Financial Times reported.

☆ Young VCs thought the good times would never end. They did, and now they're pissed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insider's Stephanie Palazzolo and Madeline Renbarger have a fascinating report on how young venture capitalists who came from investment banking and consulting are not having a good time. I encourage you to read Stephanie's and Madeline's story, which has all the juicy details about the current environment for young VCs. I've written a lot about how young investment bankers view their jobs as a means to an end, as opposed to an actual career. Timing has a lot to do with why young VCs are feeling like they've gotten such a raw deal. Click here to read more about why some young investment bankers are regretting their move to venture capital.

☆ Citadel joins a growing number of firms rolling out internships for undergrads looking for a fast track to the buy side
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Investment banks, you've been put on notice: The buy side is coming for your young talent. Insider's Emmalyse Brownstein has a full rundown on an undergrad internship at hedge fund Citadel for aspiring fund managers. The Citadel Associate Program (CAP) is a tough nut to crack, with an acceptance rate of only 1%. Click here learn more about Citadel's ultra-exclusive associate program, along with tips to get ahead during the application process. And if you're wondering who is left leading the world's largest hedge fund, look no further than our list of the fund's top 11 executives.

☆ PayPal's CEO search amid an uncertain economy will be no easy task
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In case you missed it, PayPal CEO and President Dan Schulman announced his plan to retire at the end of 2023 earlier this month. Coming off an extremely difficult 2022, and with competition seemingly coming at them from every which way, PayPal has to find a new CEO. I hesitate to compare this to the seemingly never-ending CEO search at Carlyle, but it's easy to see how a difficult quarter or two could complicate this entire search. The rich stay rich thanks to another loophole that helps them save on taxes. Elliott Management's Paul Singer and Two Sigma's David Siegel both played second fiddle to Haidar Capital's Said Haidar in 2022 when it came to comp.

☆ Here's who's keeping top payment players like Stripe, PayPal, and Square ahead of the competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fun fact Friday: The only letter of the alphabet that doesn't appear in a US state name is "Q." There are plenty of reasons to want to get in (money changes hands A LOT, whether it's between people, companies, or both). This list from Insider's Bianca Chan and Paige Hagy looks at the people pushing top payment companies to stay ahead of the innovation curve. Bianca and Paige spoke to more than a dozen industry insiders to identify executives who are making sure companies like PayPal, Stripe, Apple, and Visa are keeping the competition at bay. Click here to check out eight executives ensuring the top payment players stay ahead of the competition.

☆ These bankers got deals done despite a dismal environment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Top M&A bankers of 2022. That's why you could argue that this year's edition of "The Rainmakers" — Insider's annual list of the 20 M&A bankers who handled the largest deals of the year in North America — is more impressive than previous editions. What's interesting about this year's list is how it was made up of bankers almost entirely from the bulge-bracket. Check out our list of the top-20 M&A bankers who made the most during a difficult year for dealmaking. Jeff Bezos' $500 million yacht finally hit the open water.

☆ The behind-the-scenes role that's minting future stars at BlackRock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some of the most powerful people on Wall Street are men and women you've never heard of. Click here to learn more about BlackRock's new chief of staff and why the role is rising in importance across Wall Street. Everybody wants macro traders. A fintech helping companies engage with their retail investors got backing from Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six. These are the top 10 holdings in the church's investment portfolio, including one Wall Street titan.

☆ I asked an AI chatbot to give me advice on how to manage finances with my spouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Managing finances with a significant other isn't the sexiest thing to talk about, but it's an important topic to breach. If you're unfamiliar with Replika, it's an AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT, with one big exception. After a brief intro, I explained my problem: I needed help managing finances with my wife. Maintain separate accounts: It's also a good idea for each spouse to have their own personal account for individual expenses and financial independence. For example, if one spouse makes significantly more than the other, they may contribute a larger portion to joint expenses.

☆ Wall Street trading firms aren't giving up on crypto just yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A bunch of high-profile Wall Street investors just piled into a startup that pledges to fix a major issue in the crypto industry. And while plenty of those bets blew up — the most spectacular of which was crypto exchange FTX — that hasn't stopped Wall Street. Click here to read more about a new crypto startup that's got backing from some of Wall Street's top trading firms. For a breakdown of all the key partnerships between Wall Street and cloud partners, check out our running list of more than 30 deals. Cheman Cheung left Wall Street after his father passed away to recover from a state of "mental chaos."

☆ Does anyone want to stay in investment banking these days?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Banker salaries will get you in first class, but the potential total comp at PE firms and hedge funds will get you flying private. PE firms have been known to grind through people, but nothing quite compares to life at an investment bank. An investment bank's analyst program remains the go-to route to get your foot in the door on the Street. Click here to read more about salaries being offered by top PE firms to 2024 associates. All kidding aside, this deep dive by ProPublica is a fascinating look into how investment firms are helping the ultrarich save on taxes.

☆ A disappointing 2022 has led some Goldman Sachs partners to ask: Is it time for a change at the top?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On tap, we've got stories on why not-so-flashy land is actually the hottest investment on Wall Street, the firms minting money by navigating FTX's bankruptcy, and the coolest houses on Airbnb. It's only February, but the Ides of March might be coming to Goldman Sachs. We've talked at length over how people are looking to pin the blame on Solomon as things have soured at Goldman. Certain issues have been easier to overlook than others, but the bank recently broke a cardinal rule of Wall Street: Don't mess with bankers' compensation. Forget beachfront, the hottest real estate for Wall Street is industrial land.

☆ Harvey Schwartz has his work cut out for him at Carlyle. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But first, a Wall Street firm finally finds its CEO. Harvey Schwartz Goldman Sachs1. In many ways, Carlyle and Harvey Schwartz are perfectly imperfect for each other. Might as well call it "Carefree Carlyle," because that's the vibes I'm getting under the soon-to-be Schwartz era. Click here to read more about what'll be expected of Harvey Schwartz as CEO of Carlyle.

☆ NFTs are back, and this time they could wreck havoc on the crypto market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Imagine if it's actually a way to serve fast food without you realizing it. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs in Times Square during an NFT conference in June. Look, the idea of borrowing against artwork is actually a well established, and smart, way to manage your money. Crypto's track record with risk management leaves a lot to be desired, and crypto lenders haven't exactly been crushing it. Here's more on how the bankrupt crypto exchange is trying to take back the $90 million in political donations.

☆ ChatGPT is coming for Wall Street next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insider's Paige Hagy and Bianca Chan asked industry experts how they see a tool like ChatGPT impacting all areas of Wall Street, from investment banking to financial planning to consumer banking. So if your boss pitches you on using ChatGPT to help "streamline your workflow" understand that you could be training your replacement. Click here to read more about the types of jobs ChatGPT might upend across Wall Street. Wall Street trading firm GTS Securities is looking to make investing in music royalties accessible to the general public, Bloomberg reports. Stephanee Beggs made seven figures selling her study materials on TikTok and Etsy, which means she cleared more business than half the bankers on Wall Street.

☆ ExodusPoint's 2022 struggles is a lesson for all of Wall Street: Play the hits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I shudder to compare some of the greatest artists of our generation to a hedge fund, but I can't help but notice some similarities between their disdain for their biggest hits and ExodusPoint's difficult 2022. The hedge fund, which still holds the industry's largest launch in history, ended the year with fewer assets, employees, and PMs than it started with. The world's biggest hedge fund has a new co-CIO. Ken Griffin, the billionaire owner of hedge fund Citadel, is causing quite the stir over his suggestion that a historic home on a property he owns in Miami be relocated. The firm continues to cut back on the size of a venture-capital fund its raising, The Wall Street Journal reports, with a new goal of $5 billion.

☆ Blackstone's real-estate business is totally fine, so please stop asking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Blackstone's real-estate business is literally fine, everyone. Yes, the private-equity giant had to limit investors from pulling their money out from the $69 billion Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) in December. And yes, it's also true that Blackstone had to tell investors again on Wednesday that investors were pulling money from BREIT. Murphy, an executive at Standard Investments, serving as Blackstone's new COO of corporate private equity and Heather von Zuben's appointment as COO of Blackstone's credit arm. As much as I enjoy poking fun at Blackstone, Schwarzman and Gray aren't necessarily wrong, to a degree.

☆ A night with Wall Street's stars: Take a look at Insider's celebration of top investors, dealmakers, and traders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Michelle Abrego | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hello 10 Things on Wall Street readers! As you might know, for the last few years Insider has been highlighting some of the most talented young people on Wall Street. Take a look at all the photos from Insider's celebration of Wall Street's rising stars here. A decade after the private-equity giant helped launch Athene Holdings, more private money managers are moving into insurance as they hunt for higher yields, the Wall Street Journal reports. Adam Berry, head of US loan trading is leaving Wall Street to join the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Bloomberg.

☆ From FTX to Adani Group, Fraud Allegations Are Going to Rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Then there's the Adani Group, which lost a jaw-dropping $72 billion in market value after short-seller firm Hindenburg Research last week accused it of "brazen" market manipulation and accounting fraud. Adani Group, whose founder's net worth recently approached Elon Musk's, has vehemently denied the allegations. Could Wall Street get hit by the Adani Group fiasco? But Wall Street is placing its bets on a California chipmaker, helping its founder get richer to the tune of $5 billion. From Madonna to Tom Brady, many celebrities who shilled for crypto or NFTs are either being sued civilly or facing regulatory scrutiny, according to the Wall Street Journal.

☆ As Wall Street drops drug-testing policies, could microdosing be next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many big banks, in particular, maintained drug-testing policies for new hires as recently as a few years ago. But as the public appetite, and market, for drugs like psychedelics continues to rise, it'll be interesting to see how Wall Street responds. Click here to get the latest on the drug-testing policies at Wall Street's biggest banks. More on Solomon's salary adjustment and how it compares with other Wall Street leaders. Turns out FTX might owe top Wall Street banks some money.

☆ Due diligence is top of mind for Wall Street in the wake of blowups at Frank and FTX. Here's what it means for the state of M&A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In the long list of boring, behind-the-scenes stuff for deals to get done, due diligence ranks close to the top. One of the more fascinating knock-on effects is how buyers might leverage FTX and Frank as a way to get better terms on deals. Click here to read more about the new state of due diligence in the wake of FTX and Frank. I know you're a passionate bunch, so we compiled everything Wall Street is saying about the EV maker's fourth-quarter earnings. Which fast-food joint has the best coffee?

☆ PE firms' eagerness to recruit junior bankers is blowing up in their faces. Here's why they need to change.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

As Insider's Emmalyse Brownstein reports, some PE firms are scrambling to fill positions that, in years past, would have been locked up for months. Some context on PE recruiting: Firms recruit, interview, and make offers to junior bankers well ahead of their actual start dates. Some junior bankers didn't feel comfortable interviewing for a new role when they had barely settled into their current ones. The fact PE firms need to go back to the well to fill open seats should be a wake-up call. Click here to read more about how PE firms' early recruitment of junior bankers backfired.

☆ It's not all gloom and doom on Wall Street. Here's where finance firms are still hiring.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For many on Wall Street, those questions are top of mind. Insider's finance team canvassed more than a dozen recruiters to get their takes on the job market. From investment banking to hedge funds to fintechs, here's who's hiring and who's at risk of making more cuts. Click here to read more about the hiring landscape across Wall Street, from banks to hedge funds and fintechs. We've got a list of the best and worst US airlines, according to The Wall Street Journal.

☆ Elliott Management's Jesse Cohn just picked his next target for an activist campaign: an ailing software giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A battle is on the horizon between Jesse Cohn and Salesforce. But the first rule of activist investing is you HAVE to talk about your activist investment. Jesse Cohn, a managing partner at the hedge fund Elliott Management, is leading his firm's latest activist campaign against troubled tech giant Salesforce via a multibillion-dollar stake. Activist investing, as we've previously covered, is set to be all the rage in 2023. Click here to learn more about Jesse Cohn, a tenacious activist investor who just set his sights on Salesforce.

☆ Ken Griffin has built two of Wall Street's most powerful firms. His next target could be influencing politics.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel. It's good to be Ken Griffin. Plenty of people find success on Wall Street that most can only dream of. But Ken Griffin seems to be winning in ways that even his peers can't fathom. Click here to read more about Ken Griffin rise to the top of Wall Street and what could be next for the billionaire.

☆ Wall Street succession plans: The case for why all 6 big banks could consider a leadership change this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman confirmed what everyone already presumed: There are three executives in the running for his job. It turns out you could make the case for every top US bank making a change in leadership, either with or without the consent of their CEO. At 64 years old, he's the second-oldest CEO among the big six US banks. When discussing succession plans with Bloomberg on Thursday, Gorman acknowledged he doesn't want this job forever. And at 63 years old, he's not exactly a spring chicken.

Search resuls for: "Jeffrey Cane"

25 mentions found