The Big View podcast

The Exchange: How Facebook takes away our humanity

5 Feb 2019

That’s the way early investor Roger McNamee describes what the social network – and Google – is doing without proper oversight. In discussing his book, “Zucked,” he explains why just changing Facebook management won’t solve its problems and why he remains hopeful of a solution.

The Exchange: Joseph Tsai

29 Jan 2019

Alibaba’s co-founder and executive vice chairman joins Breakingviews to reveal what the future holds for the $400 billion tech giant. As investors fret over economic uncertainties, Tsai also tackles the recent fallout from Huawei, a bruising trade war and the case for tax cuts.

The Exchange: Flint Mayor Karen Weaver

18 Jan 2019

Before its tainted-water scandal hit in 2014, the Michigan city was already infamous for high crime and poverty rates after a prolonged economic slump. Weaver discusses the fallout from the water crisis – and explains how the birthplace of General Motors is undergoing a revival.

The Exchange: Big Weed’s big year

11 Jan 2019

Bruce Linton runs the world's biggest cannabis producer, Canopy Growth. He visited Breakingviews to discuss what's coming down the pipe in 2019, why a $100 bln weed company is still some way off, and why he doesn't actually partake - yet.

The Exchange: How corporate competition died

27 Dec 2018

Jonathan Tepper’s book “The Myth of Capitalism” is full of scary facts: two companies control 90 pct of America beer, while five banks account for half the country’s banking assets. He joined Breakingviews to explain the inexorable rise of monopolies and what we can do about it.

The Exchange: Gary Shteyngart

17 Dec 2018

To create the hedge fund manager character Barry Cohen – the protagonist in his latest novel “Lake Success” – Shteyngart spent lots of time with real-life financiers, from quants to activists. He discusses what he learned about Wall Street and the money business with Rob Cox.

The Exchange: Joe Kaeser

10 Dec 2018

It’s hard to imagine a company embodying as many of the challenges and opportunities of 21st century capitalism as Siemens. The German conglomerate’s CEO swings by Times Square to discuss trade, breakups, power, automation, labor, Saudi Arabia and lots in between with Rob Cox.

The Exchange: Erika Karp talks climate change

5 Dec 2018

As world leaders meet in Poland to beef up the Paris accords, Cornerstone Capital’s founder explains why the economics of battling global warming trump naysaying politicians. She also lays out how to spot green washing and says investors who ignore ESG factors should go to jail.

The Exchange: 1MDB, Goldman, Jho Low and Leo

19 Nov 2018

The new book “Billion Dollar Whale” chronicles the Malaysian mega-scandal involving Goldman Sachs and Leonardo DiCaprio. Co-author Tom Wright joined Breakingviews in Hong Kong to discuss how alleged mastermind Jho Low pulled it off and what the saga’s next chapter may bring.

The Exchange: Pascal Lamy

6 Nov 2018

Few people have dedicated their careers to expanding international trade and globalism like Lamy, the former head of the WTO and EU commissioner. But rising rhetoric and increased tariffs between the U.S. and China have him worried, as he tells Rob Cox and Liam Proud in Paris.

The Exchange: Goldfingers

2 Nov 2018

Oliver Bullough's book "Moneyland" delves into the parallel world of super-rich super-crooks, where rules are for the little people. He discusses wealth, corruption, tax havens and how to fix it all with Clara Ferreira Marques and Nicholas Shaxson, author of “The Finance Curse”.

The Exchange: Leta Hong Fincher

26 Oct 2018

China’s fledgling feminist movement has laid the foundations for a #MeToo moment. In the wake of the infamous one-child policy, author Hong Fincher has documented the development of women’s rights, and activism. She joins Katrina Hamlin to explain why their work worries Beijing.

The Exchange: Kevin Rudd

23 Oct 2018

Australia's prime minister in 2008 told Breakingviews how his government decided to spend some 6 pct of GDP on tax breaks, infrastructure and cash payments to citizens. That helped the country heavily exposed to China, commodities, finance and housing avoid a recession – just.

The Exchange: Stephen Harper

19 Oct 2018

Canada’s former prime minister, in office through the financial meltdown a decade ago, is an advocate for conservative politics with a small “c.” He talked to Breakingviews about the revamped NAFTA, Donald Trump’s standoff with China and the pros and cons of the loonie.

The Exchange: Anshu Jain

15 Oct 2018

Deutsche Bank was credited with coming through the 2008 crisis in better shape than many of its rivals. Jain, who rose from running the German lender’s global markets business to eventually become CEO, stopped by Times Square to speak with Rob Cox about the state of finance.

The Exchange: Howard Marks

11 Oct 2018

The founder of Oaktree Capital, with $120 bln of assets, doesn’t see signs of an imminent correction or crisis. But investors, particularly in the credit markets, are acting bullish in ways they’ll inevitably regret when the cycle turns, Marks told Rob Cox earlier in October.

The Exchange: Jeff Lacker

9 Oct 2018

The presidency of the Richmond Fed, whose territory included two top U.S. banks, offered a unique window on the financial crisis. Wachovia needed rescuing and BofA’s deal to buy Merrill Lynch nearly collapsed. Lacker reflects on what went down and where finance is headed.

The Exchange: Neel Kashkari

4 Oct 2018

Even before Lehman Brothers went belly-up, the U.S. Treasury was hatching a contingency plan. Kashkari was one of the architects of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which plugged some $250 bln into banks. He joins Rob Cox from his current perch running the Minneapolis Fed.

The Exchange: Sheila Bair

28 Sep 2018

The chair of U.S. bank regulator FDIC in 2008 recalls how competition and disagreements between watchdogs contributed to the crash. A decade later, despite leaving the industry, she still feels an obligation to warn of the dangers of rolling back some post-crisis reforms.

The Exchange: Vikram Pandit

26 Sep 2018

As the chief executive of Citigroup, Pandit engineered the bank’s rescue and recovery from the crisis ten years ago. He swung by Times Square to discuss lessons learned, the things that still worry him and where he’s placing his bets on the future of the financial industry.