The Business

There are few things that are as fascinating, thrilling - and sometimes as completely confounding - as the stock market. Right now, that's as true as ever. Consider Nvidia, which became the world's first $5 trillion company last month - putting its value higher than the GDP of every country except the US and China. Is there a logic to it, or is this plain madness? To get a grip on the forces at play, Dom and Hannah explore some historical parallels, first with Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York-based financial journalist and author of the book 1929, which explores the market crash of that year. Plus, veteran investment analyst Stephen Clapham joins Dom and Hannah.What can we learn from the market crashes of the past? Is there a brewing AI bubble about to pop? And are there some more troubling, lesser known stress points in the system? Guests: Andrew Ross Sorkin, journalist and author of 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History — and How It Shattered a NationStephen Clapham, veteran investment analyst and founder of Behind the Balance Sheet, an investment research and investor training consultancy Hosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioYou can buy the following books mentioned in this episode at the Times Bookshop:1929 by Andrew Ross SorkinToo big to fail by Andrew Ross SorkinNudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R SunsteinEngines that move markets by Alisdair NairnProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The Business is sponsored by PwC.All eyes are on Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she prepares her autumn Budget. There have been hints at manifesto-breaking tax increases as she warns that everyone will have to do their “bit for the security of our country and the brightness of its future.” But what could all that mean in practice for business? Barret Kupelian, UK Chief Economist at PwC and Claire Blackburn, PwC UK Head of Tax, join Dom and Hannah on this bonus episode to consider the choices the Chancellor is facing, what measures she might announce - and what they may indicate for Britain’s economic trajectory.    Guests:Barret Kupelian, UK Chief Economist at PwCClaire Blackburn, PwC UK Head of TaxHosts:Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times Radio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it like to have a window into the spending habits of 80 percent of British households? Alex Baldock knows very well. As the chief executive of Currys, he leads one of the nation’s biggest retailers, a job that involves overseeing hundreds of bricks and mortar stores across six countries - and some 24,000 employees.Alex joins Hannah and Dom to talk about how a retail business survives - and thrives - in the era of one-click online shopping, why cyber attacks are a daily threat, and what he wants to see from Rachel Reeves's Budget. Plus, Black Friday and why the LED face mask has joined the air fryer as the must have item this Christmas. Guest: Alex Baldock, Chief Executive, CurrysHosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour has gone in hard with a big, bold promise - build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament. That means 300,000 homes a year, a target it is already failing to hit. In fact, just this week, Britain’s developers told the Office for Budget Responsibility the end-of-decade building goal will not be met, and its forecast for economic growth from homebuilding is far too optimistic. On this episode, Helen Gordon, the chief executive of Britain’s largest listed landlord, Grainger, makes the case for Build to Rent and addresses Labour’s attempts to fix this perennial problem: there aren’t enough homes to go around. She tells Hannah and Dom the current model for building affordable housing just doesn’t work, the public sector’s ability to deliver housing has been lost - and the private sector simply cannot fill the void alone. Guests: Helen Gordon, Chief Executive of Grainger plcMelissa York, Assistant Property Editor, The Times and The Sunday TimesHosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s widely acknowledged that diversity is good for business, but white men still dominate the top echelons of UK companies. The pay gap, though narrowing, persists - and, across the workforce, men outearn women by 13%. So, fifty years after the Equal Pay Act came into force, why are some businesses still not taking it seriously? And what can companies do to fix it?Guest: Edwina Dunn, entrepreneur, founder, The Female Lead and author When She’s in the Room: How Empowering Women Empowers the WorldHeather Blundell, Chief Executive, GraylingHosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordClips: BBC ArchivePhoto: The TimesGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vishal Marria is a homegrown business success story; a Balham local who took the leap from his secure job to launch his own company that is now worth over £2B - achieving that mythical unicorn status. His firm Quantexa, which uses AI to help companies make sense of big data, raised £140M earlier this year to make acquisitions and fund further expansion in the US - and now may be on the cusp of going public. So just how did he do it? Was it about the people he met along the way, or the work ethic installed working in his parents' cash and carry, or something entirely different? He joined Hannah & Dom to talk about the early days of “going all in”, bootstrapping the company with his own money and securing those crucial investors. Plus, amid growing fears about an AI bubble, and increasingly gloomy outlook for the state of British business he talks about the tensions between listing in New York and London - and Britain's future as a tech hub. Guest: Vishal Marria, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, QuantexaHosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordPhoto: The TimesGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's one of Britain's most successful industrialists and part-owner of Manchester United. Sir Jim Ratcliffe - regularly found near the top of the Sunday Times rich list with an estimated wealth of over £17bn - is the founder and CEO of the chemicals giant INEOS. So what's the future for his business? Why does he think Net Zero is a disaster? And how will he make Man United 'the most profitable club in the world'?In the first episode of The Business, Associate Business Editor of The Sunday Times Hannah Prevett and Times columnist and Times Radio business presenter, Dominic O'Connell chew over it all.Watch more: Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Manchester United, Farage and the future of British industry on our YouTube channel.This podcast on our YouTube channel.Read more: Nigel Farage woos Ineos tycoon who called clean energy targets 'absurd'Collapse of chemical sector will put 1m jobs at riskI'm giving Amorim 3 years at Manchester UnitedGuest: Sir Jim RatcliffeHosts: Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday TimesDominic O’Connell, columnist, The Times & business reporter, Times RadioProducer: Miriam HallSenior Producer: Julia JohnsonDevelopment Editor: Sandra ShmueliExecutive Producer: Kate FordPhoto: Getty ImagesGet in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new weekly podcast all about the world of business starts on Thursday 9th October. Today's biggest companies wield more influence than many countries. The people who run them are visionaries, philanthropists - and sometimes crooks. With new technologies and business opportunities emerging daily, never before has navigating this ever-changing landscape been more important. Uncovering the personalities, power plays, boardroom dramas and sheer ambition that drive the world of business, Hannah Prevett and Dominic O'Connell get the inside story from the people who are in the room when the deal goes down - from start-ups to tech titans, market movers to City CEOs. If you want to know what’s really going on, join Hannah and Dominic for The Business every Thursday. Hannah Prevett is an expert voice on the tech sector, new enterprise and entrepreneurship. Associate business editor of The Sunday Times, Hannah understands the business world inside out. Her contacts include female founders, small business owners and the CEOs of some of the UK’s biggest companies. Dominic O’Connell is an award-winning business journalist, prized for his unmatched knowledge of markets and the corporate world. A Times columnist and Times Radio busines reporter, from a 1999 interview with a fractious Donald Trump, to conversations with leading CEOs, Dom has broken dozens of big stories and reported on booms, busts and boardroom dramas.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special extra episode for you from the daily podcast from The Times;President Trump has ordered firms to stop doing business with social media giant TikTok over security concerns. Microsoft was the front-runner to buy the company, but now Twitter has emerged as a possible suitor. What has made the app so popular and so controversial? If you like this episode please rate and subscribe. Simply search for Stories of our times on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests: Danny Fortson Sunday Times west coast correspondent.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: NBC, Tik Tok, ABC Australian, Biteable, France 24, CNBC, Fox News, Huffington Post, ABC News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today an edition of our new daily podcast - Stories of our times. Our new free daily news podcast takes you to the heart of the stories that matter, with exclusive access and reporting. Published for the start of your day, it is hosted by Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch.Technology might be the answer to our problems - but could we be giving up our privacy in return for our liberty? Guest: Danny Fortson, The Sunday Times West Coast correspondent Host: David AaronovitchIf you want to hear more please search for Stories of our times and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an additional bonus episode to Tales From Silicon Valley, The Sunday Times’ tech correspondent Danny Fortson brings on Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, for the full interview that was featured in episode 1 of Tales Of Silicon Valley. He talks about growing up in Utah (0:45), setting up his first business at age 10 (3:00), managing the games department (4:20), coming to Silicon Valley (7:10), working at Ampex (8:30), playing Space War (9:30), starting a gaming company with $500 (12:30), creating Pong (16:20), running on a shoestring (19:15), selling to Warner (23:30), the Atari culture (24:40), hiring Steve Jobs (27:00), making more than all of Hollywood combined (32:00), turning down an offer to be the first investor in Apple (34:40), his worst day of work (38:15), why the tech industry took root in Silicon Valley (39:00), why he’s excited about tech in 2019 (41:00), his other ventures (45:20), what Steve Jobs got right (48:25). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Millions of people are working every day, every hour, every minute to keep the web safe for the rest of us. They are human filters, finding and blocking the worst things that humanity can muster. But who are they? Why do we hear so little about them? We take an inside look at the world of content moderators, the shadow work force that is doing the web's dirty work - often to their own detriment.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Kriens helped build the internet. Now he’s helping undo the havoc it has unleashed with a mountain retreat centre he’s built on the doorstep of Silicon Valley. We journey to 1440 Multiversity in the Santa Cruz mountains to commune with nature, go device-free and explore how the tech industry is trying to find its soul.In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERLongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The ValleyRead Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A race has broken out in Silicon Valley to create a breakthrough "brain-computer interface". Such a device would herald a new era of telepathy, and eventually merge with artificial intelligence. It also brings with it a hornet’s nest of challenges. Who will control it? Will our thoughts be policed? Billions of dollars are being poured into the technology that remains wrapped in secrecy. We talk to people on the front lines to figure out what is really going on.In this new eight-part series, The Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through surprising narratives and portraits of key players. DIVE DEEPERlongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The Valleyread Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Jim Carey at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fifty years on from Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk, we investigate how billionaires are racing to become the first to settle on the moon. They are convinced that humans will soon be a multi-planetary species, with a permanent settlement in outer space within five years. Is this the ultimate ego trip? Is it realistic? We find out all the answers.In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERLongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The ValleyRead Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The city by the bay is ground zero of the tech revolution, but it has taken a dystopic turn. We dive inside San Francisco, where there are more billionaires per square foot than anywhere on the planet, but also more injection drug user than high school students. Families are fleeing; homelessness is soaring. We examine what the city can tell us about our techno-centric present - and the future.  In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERLongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The ValleyRead Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Xochi Birch launch Bebo, one of the first social networks, and ride it to extraordinary heights before it all comes crashing down. In the conclusion to this two-part story, we tell of the rise and collapse of Bebo, and how the Birches become billionaires anyway. In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERlongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The Valleyread Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael and Xochi Birch launched Bebo, one of the first social networks. They sold it at the height of the market for $850 million to AOL Time Warner. Two years later, AOL sold it again - for $1. In a two-part podcast, we tell the Bebo story: its extraordinary rise, the fall, and how the Birches made away with the GDP of a small nation.In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERlongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The Valleyread Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nolan Bushnell arrived in Silicon Valley in 1968 - and changed it forever. He started Atari, launched the video game industry, gave Steve Jobs his first job, and created the wild, convention-defying model of the modern tech executive that everyone from Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg has followed.In this new eight-part series, the Sunday Times' technology correspondent Danny Fortson tells the story of the valley through portraits of key players through its short history. DIVE DEEPERlongform interviews on Danny's sister podcast, Danny In The Valleyread Danny's longform commentary on the series at thetimes.co.ukProduced by Cheeka Eyers at Rethink Audio for Wireless Studios and The Sunday Times. Matt Hall is the executive producer for Wireless Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.