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☆ Meet GoDigital, the happiness-obsessed company that wants to buy Vice Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Vice Media Group logo Pavlo Gonchar | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesWhen Suroosh Alvi, Gavin McInnes and Shane Smith founded Vice magazine, which later expanded to Vice Media, they built a business based on a punk rock, counterculture image. GoDigital Media Group is a privately held conglomerate that owns video and music rights, especially in the Latin genre, and an array of different businesses. GoDigital plans to bid for Vice on Tuesday at a price between $300 million and $400 million, according to people familiar with the company's thinking. He will preach that message to Vice's employees on Day One if GoDigital acquires the company, he said. Smith, Vice's executive chairman and former CEO, couldn't be reached for comment.

Persons: Pavlo Gonchar, Suroosh Alvi, Gavin McInnes, Shane Smith, Smith, Jason Peterson, Logan Mulvey, GoDigital, Jason DeRulo, Peterson, Berkshire Hathaway, what's, Mulvey, John Leguizamo, Craig Greiwe, Sean, Diddy, Combs, couldn't, haven't, ' Peterson, Alex Wallace, Wallace, Gay Hendricks, We're, Adam Neumann's, I'm Organizations: Media, Lightrocket, Vice Media, GoDigital Media, Berkshire, Eastern Mountain Sports, NGL, Fortress Investment, Soros Fund Management, Monroe Capital, Fortress, Yahoo, CNBC Locations: Brooklyn , New York, Los Angeles

A spokesperson for the hedge fund declined further comment on Thursday. Big banks typically agree terms with hedge funds that allow them to cut ties at short notice, five sources from prime brokerages and hedge funds told Reuters. Prime brokerages may now refine due diligence processes and perform more thorough background checks on hedge funds, said Jim Neumann, chief investment officer of Sussex Partners, which advises investors on how they give their money to hedge funds. But many of these agreements mainly focus on the financial viability of the hedge fund, two of the sources said. One hedge fund manager said he was asked in his due diligence with the bank if he was approved by the UK regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority.

Persons: Banks, Crispin Odey, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, MS.N, Odey, Epstein, Michael Oliver Weinberg, JPMorgan Chase, JPM.N, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Hwang, brokerages, Jim Neumann, Neumann, Archegos, Erika Kelton, Phillips, Cohen, Nell Mackenzie, Kirstin Ridley, Carolina Mandl, Dhara Ranasinghe, Elisa Martinuzzi, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Wall, Odey, Management, Financial Times, Tortoise Media, JPMorgan, Odey Asset Management, Reuters, CMT, Archegos Capital Management, Sussex Partners, UBS, Financial, Authority, Thomson Locations: London, New York

☆ WeWork Faces More Turmoil After Its Chief Executive Departs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Maureen Farrell | Peter Eavis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A real estate executive, he became the chief executive of the troubled office space company in 2020 after a failed initial public offering pushed it to the brink of collapse. He instilled discipline and order on a business that had grown fast and chaotically under its co-founder Adam Neumann. Instead of building a company that would “elevate the world’s consciousness” as Mr. Neumann had wanted, Mr. Mathrani focused on the staid details of running a real estate company. He steered WeWork through the pandemic, got its landlords to accept less rent, took the company public and oversaw a financial restructuring, completed last month, that cut the company’s debt. But just weeks after the restructuring, the company said on May 16 that Mr. Mathrani would step down, and that no permanent successor was lined up.

Persons: Sandeep Mathrani, Adam Neumann, Neumann, Mathrani, — Organizations: Wall Street Locations: WeWork

☆ Adam Neumann, the ousted CEO of WeWork, toyed with a rescue package for the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Al Yoon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adam Neumann made motions in October to invest in WeWork, The New York Times reported. Options for the company have been whittled down, and now include bankruptcy, The New York Times reported on Monday. One opportunity batted away by Mathrani came from Adam Neumann, who was pushed out as WeWork's CEO in 2019, the Times reported. The meeting, which was potentially to discuss an investment with other investors of as much as $1 billion and a debt buyback, didn't happen, the Times reported. More recently, IWG, a company that also offers work spaces for remote and hybrid workers, made an offer to operate WeWork's spaces, according to the Times.

Persons: Adam Neumann, Sandeep Mathrani, IWG, —, Mathrani, Neumann, JLL, WeWork, Trepp Organizations: The New York Times, Service, Times, WeWork Locations: WeWork, The

☆ 'Succession' is over, so now what?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Viewers of “Succession” are mourning as the series came to a dramatic close after four seasons, leaving Sunday nights with an empty space to fill. If you loved “Succession,” here are just a few other shows you might enjoy. HBO Max“The Righteous Gemstones”(From left) Edi Patterson, Danny McBride and Adam Devine in "The Righteous Gemstones." “The Righteous Gemstones” is streaming on Max, which is owned on CNN’s parent company. Jeff Neumann/ShowtimeAnother drama similar to “Succession,” “Billions” will also give you your rich-people-behaving-badly fix.

Persons: Roy, HBO Max “, Patterson, Danny McBride, Adam Devine, Ryan Green, it’s, “, Paul Giamatti, Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll, Michael, Mike, Prince, Jeff Neumann, ”, Damian Lewis, Bobby Axelrod, Kevin Costner, Kevin Lynch, Dutton, … Sia, Christopher Polk, Sia, I’ve, ’ ”, Count, Maddie Ziegler, Marcelo Hernandez, Taylor Hawkins, Can’t, … Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes, I’m Organizations: CNN, HBO, Showtime, Justice Department, Paramount, Yellowstone, Paramount Network, Dolby Theatre, NBC, NBCU, Bank, Getty, Singer, “, Foo, Lollapalooza, Parque Bicentenario Cerrillos, Foo Fighters, Netflix Locations: Yellowstone, “, ”, Montana, Los Angeles , California, Lollapalooza Chile, Santiago , Chile, America

☆ Netflix shareholders reject sky-high executive pay packages
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Netflix shareholders voted on Thursday to reject multi-million dollar pay packages for the company’s top executives including for co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty ImagesNetflix’s proposed executive pay packages for 2023 included up to $40 million for Sarandos, including base salary, a performance bonus and stock options. Netflix’s board, meanwhile, is able to disregard the results of this “say on pay” vote and approve executive compensation plans in spite of shareholder wishes. The board has already unanimously recommended voting for the pay packages. Last year, just 27% of Netflix shareholders approved of 2022 executive compensation packages.

Persons: Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, ”, Meredith Stiehm, Frederic J . Brown, Peters, Reed Hastings, Spencer Neumann, David Hyman, Rachel Whetstone Organizations: New, New York CNN, Netflix, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, WGA, Guild of America, Comcast, Getty, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: New York, Hollywood , California, AFP

☆ It's not realistic to be completely decoupled from China, HSBC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIt's not realistic to be completely decoupled from China, HSBC saysFrederic Neumann of the bank discusses the Group of Seven's aim of de-risking, rather than decoupling, from China.

☆ How screwed is WeWork? One of its bonds trades at 56 cents on the dollar, and Fitch Ratings thinks default is a real possibility.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Alistair Barr | Joe Ciolli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of its bonds trades at 56 cents on the dollar, and Fitch thinks default is a real possibility. One of WeWork's bonds, which matures in 2025, recently traded at 56 cents on the dollar, according to Bloomberg data. A healthy company's debt often trades at 100 cents on the dollar, or at a very slight discount. Fitch upgraded WeWork's issuer default rating to 'CCC-', in a nod to the debt restructuring. Discussions of debt restructuring represent a striking new low for a company that used to be one of the most valuable startups ever.

☆ WeWork short-sellers have made $440 million in profits as shares have plunged 96% in a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

WeWork short-sellers have made a hefty $440 million in profits over the past year. The big gains come on the back of a 96% plunge in the real-estate company's stock in the past 12 months. The abrupt departure of CEO Sandeep Mathrani has also weighed heavily on WeWork's share price. Short-sellers raked in paper profits of about $440 million for the year through Wednesday's close, S3 Partners data shows, cited by Bloomberg. The hefty gains for traders come on the back of a 96% plunge in WeWork's share prices over the past 12 months.

Macro and trend-following hedge funds dropped 3.2% this month through March 29, while algorithmic commodity trading advisor funds (CTAs) dove 6.8%. Hedge fund strategies based around macroeconomic ideas like those run by Rokos, DG Parters and EDL Capital fund posted negative performances in March, sources and bank data said. Trend-following hedge funds, which trade on systematically programmed ideas, also posted big losses. The bank decided not to change clients' borrowing limits, but it has increased diligence oversight on the hedge fund exposure, including new clients, the broker said. Trend-following funds tend to bail quickly on trades that stop working, said a pension fund director who invests in hedge funds.

☆ As space junk threat grows, government and investors seek solutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

And with no set norms for military space behavior, some fear a potential space weapon attack that could generate far more debris. U.S. Space Command on Friday released a formal list of what it views as responsible space behaviors, in a bid to steer military norms in orbit. The wide-ranging report includes a section on space debris that urges space players to dispose safely of their defunct satellites and notify other operators if any problems with their spacecraft might pose a debris hazard. Another part of the space debris mitigation equation is in-space satellite servicing, concepts in development by dozens of firms including Astroscale, Northrop Grumman (NOC.N), Maxar (MAXR.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA). Australia-based Neumann Space, for instance, is developing a technology that could help recycle old, defunct satellites into fuel - using the scrap metal to generate plasma thrust for new satellites.

In a country of 1.4 billion people, job fairs are one of the most efficient ways for employers and workers to connect. There will be more job seekers battling for offers this year." About 60% cited the "uncertain economic environment" as the main factor affecting their confidence, up from 48.4% in 2022. Policymakers are expected to aim for growth of about 5%, which would still be below the blistering pre-pandemic pace. ($1 = 6.8767 Chinese yuan renminbi)Additional reporting by Xiaoyu Yin Editing by Marius Zaharia and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China has U-turned on almost all major policies it put in place in the last 3 years — and it's not surprising, given the state of its economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But the country reversed some major policies in response to the abysmal GDP growth. China's GDP grew by 3% in 2022 — the worst since the chaotic Cultural Revolution ended. Most recently, after three years of pandemic lockdowns and isolation, China abruptly reversed course and abolished its zero-COVID policy — leaving the world guessing why. China's GDP grew only 3.0% in 2022 — the worst in nearly half a century since the chaotic Cultural Revolution ended. China's GDP growth is vital because it is the world's second-largest economy after the US, so it's a driving force for global investment and trade.

☆ Billionaire investor Marc Andreessen warns remote work is 'not a good life' for young workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Marc Andreessen said remote work has "detonated" the role of office relationships in people's lives. The billionaire said during a summit that young remote workers are "cut off from everything." It's not the first time Andreessen has addressed the rise of remote work. Last year, he said remote work could cause an "earthquake" in how we live. In 2021, he said in a blog post that remote work was "a consequence of the internet that's maybe even more important than the internet."

☆ 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.

☆ WeWork cofounder Adam Neumann suggests tenants in his apartments will plunge their own clogged toilets because they'll feel like owners
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Adam Neumann said renters in Flow apartments will plunge their own toilets. Neumann spoke at a conference about how Flow wants to create a sense of ownership for renters. During the conference, Neumann said the goal of Flow was to make the resident feel valued. "If you're in an apartment building and you're a renter and your toilet gets clogged, you call the super," Neumann said. Neumann said during the conference he wanted Flow apartments to provide an "elevated experience" and a "community" to tenants.

Hong Kong CNN —China will fully reopen borders with its special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao next week, in what is expected to be a major boost for the economies of the two cities. From Monday, travelers entering mainland China from Hong Kong or Macao will no longer need to provide proof of negative Covid tests, as long as they have not traveled abroad in the previous week, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said in a Friday statement. Hong Kong is a major international financial center, and, before the pandemic, Macao was the world’s casino capital. Over the past three years, limited cross-border travel to mainland China has been listed as the top concern for businesses across the city, according to industry groups. Businesses began seeing some relief last month, when residents of Hong Kong and mainland China were permitted to resume two-way, quarantine-free travel.

Still, hedge funds piled into Shaw, betting the deal would go ahead. But now, together, the 12 hedge fund firms have made hundreds of millions over the nearly two-year period between Mar. POPULAR TRADEThe 12 hedge fund firms together owned 7.05% of Shaw's shares, or 33.6 million shares, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. Millennium, for example, is a multi-strategy firm - meaning it operates different hedge fund strategies. If the competition bureau had prevailed, analysts had predicted Shaw shares would have dropped to the pre-bid level of C$23, pointing to steep losses for the hedge funds.

☆ How Charlie Javice's Frank Sale to JP Morgan Wound up in Allegations of Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Her financial aid startup, Frank, was featured in the New York Times, CNBC and Wall Street Journal. After leaving the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton business school, Javice traded on her reputation, bolstered by glowing profiles, as a successful entrepreneur. In a 2018 interview with Insider, Javice claimed Frank secured an average of $28,000 for its users, and was helping students get "thousands off their tuition." "Charlie's first company fizzled after 18 months, so after losing all her investors' money, she convinced every one of them to fund her next company, Frank." At Frank, Javice admitted she sometimes painted a more positive picture of the company's health than was supported by the facts.

☆ Netflix insiders applaud new co-CEO Greg Peters, 'the only real visionary' in the C-suite, but scratch their heads over what other exec changes mean for the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Netflix's elevation of Greg Peters to co-CEO shows the importance of its advertising sales effort. But Bela Bajaria's rise to content chief has caused some confusion about the future of the TV and film organization. The Netflix veteran now shares the role with current co-CEO Ted Sarandos, as company cofounder Reed Hastings steps down and settles into an executive chairman position. The move made a lot of sense to industry insiders, and even publicly, Netflix had been signaling the ascension for some time. Netflix insiders said Bajaria's new title underscored the importance of TV versus film in the streaming wars.

☆ Netflix set for slowest revenue growth as ad plan struggles to gain traction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Eva Mathews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Bing GuanJan 17 (Reuters) - Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) is expected to report its slowest quarterly revenue growth on Thursday as its ad-supported plan struggles to attract customers in the saturating U.S. market, which could pressure the company to pull back on content spending this year. "Given current interest rates, Netflix will have to be very selective about green-lighting content and how they would finance it." It returned to subscriber growth in the third quarter, but its stock, an investor favorite during its years of rapid growth, still ended the year with a drop of more than 50%. "As overall streaming growth flattens out, most of the more mature streaming platforms have leveled off as well," MoffettNathanson said, adding that Netflix's reach fell by 200 basis points in the quarter. Reuters GraphicsStill, some analysts believe that the ad-supported plan will pay off in the long run, especially in developing markets, where spending power is weaker.

Insider identified 75 of the most powerful execs at the streamer, in an interactive org chart. Product chief Greg Peters took on additional duties as chief operating officer and has since broadened his purview to include gaming. Former PepsiCo exec Sergio Ezama joined in 2021 to become Netflix's chief talent officer. Insider identified 75 of the most powerful executives now at Netflix. They include C-suite executives finance chief Spencer Neumann, as well as business leads like Bajaria and movie boss Scott Stuber.

☆ Massive waves, power outages plague California coastal community amid storms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kate Fishman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] A member of a Pacific Gas & Electric crew works to repair a power line, following storms in Mendocino, California, U.S. January 5, 2023. At the southern end of Mendocino county, the small towns of Point Arena and Gualala have been largely without power for around 24 hours. About 2,500 households and businesses were without power in the county, which is home to about 91,000 people. California's storied coast road, Highway 1, is closed in four places in Mendocino County because of fallen trees, the California Department of Transportation said. The high tide brought swells that washed debris across the beach and its parking lot, the high waves crashing into the mouth of the Noyo River.

☆ Here's what's next for the tech sector in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb, and I've got some news: Today is my last edition of 10 Things in Tech. Below, we're taking a look ahead at the new year, and discussing what's next for the tech sector. Wall Street analysts explain why they think tech is headed for a huge rebound in 2023. Tech companies saw a challenging 2022, but analysts at Wedbush say the industry will grow in the coming year, with nowhere to go but up. The past 12 months have been volatile for the ad industry — and it foreshadows even more change in 2023.

☆ Nonstop partying, lavish spending, and sexual-harassment accusations: Inside the self-destruction of Pollen, the music startup once worth $800 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Melkorka Licea | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +41 min

About 400 Pollen employees were camped out in Mendocino County, California, for five straight days of partying. Two former Pollen employees told Insider that they recalled the assistant telling them about Callum's inappropriate comments at the time. (The Pollen representative said Callum and Bedi didn't date at Pollen or at any other company connected to Pollen. Out of 360 events Pollen announced over the past 12 months, 39 were canceled, the Pollen representative said. (The Pollen representative said that "out of hundreds of thousands of customers, fewer than 100 people were moderated" online.)

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