Category Archives: Investment management

Satyajit Das: The Rich Are Different!

A discussion of how the rich got to be that way and why their justifications for their advantaged status don’t stand up to much scrutiny.

Consumer Boycotts Can Inflict More Pain on Israel-Backing Companies than Divestiture

A look at some of the courses of action to impose costs on Israel and its backers, here, economic costs.

How Banks and Investors Are Fueling a Global Biodiversity Crisis

Commercial financial flows to the forest-risk commodity sectors are driving the majority of tropical deforestation and biodiversity loss.

China’s Local Government Financing Vehicles (LGFVs): Ponzi Finance on Steroids

How China’s local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) became China’s most complex economic challenge.

Financial Times Tells CalPERS Not to Go Further Into the Private Equity Haunted House

The Financial Times debunks private equity flim-flammery even as CalPERS and others sign up for more.

Texas Law Forces Pension Funds and Municipalities to Drop Use of Financial Firms that Support Net Zero

Texas is counter-sanctioning Big Finance firms over Net Zero initiatives designed to choke money flows to fossil fuel businesses.

Private Equity Buying Up Accounting Practices. What Could Go Wrong? The Health Industry Gives Some Ideas

Private equity is setting out to hoover up accounting practices. The sorry experience in health care says there is cause for pause.

Bizarre Valedictory Interview by CalSTRS Investment Chief, Chris Ailman, Asks Private Equity to Be Nice and Share with Workers

A revealing, and not at all in a good way, discussion of private equity by departing CalSTRS Chief Investment Officer Chris Ailman.

Bill Lerach on Litigating Corporate Wrongdoing: “The System Is Set Up to Defeat Deterrence”

The formidable and controversial former lawyer Bill Lerach explained in a recent interview why corporate misconduct is so deeply entrenched.

New Study Reveals Greenwashing as Key Obstacle for “Sustainable” Funds

Sustainable fund managers have discredited the sector by being way too company-friendly, such as accepting greenwashing claims.

Why Elon Musk’s ‘Self-Driving’ of Tesla’s Board and Its Decision to Pay Him $56B Collided with the Law – and What Happens Next

Elon Musk learned a costly lesson: he is not bigger than the law, here administered by a Delaware court judge.

We Deserve Medicare for All, But What We Get Is Medicare for Wall Street

An overview of health care, particularly Medicare, rentierism, with private equity playing a starring role.

Michael Hudson: Neoliberalism, Industrial Capitalism, and the Rise of Debt

Michael Hudson reprises favorite themes, particularly the role of rentiers and debt dynamics, with some new tidbits.

“Should CalPERS Fire Everyone and Just Buy Some ETFs?”

Another well-substantiated critique of CalPERS’ investment performance.

Wolf Richter: Not Sure How Long It’ll Last: Spending on Factory Construction Does a Historic Spike, after Years of Going Nowhere

This is amazing, and I’m not sure how long it will last.