2022: A Year of Corporate Drama and SurprisesThis year, the business world was filled with unexpected events and personalities, making corporate reporting feel like reading tea leaves. From billionaires behaving badly to surprising investment moves, it was a year that kept everyone talking.Climate change skeptic Gina Rinehart made billions from green metals, boosted by a significant Trump bump in the sector. Meanwhile, James Hardie’s boss, Aaron Erter, faced a disastrous acquisition and a poor response to investors, leading to his chairwoman’s removal, yet he remains one of the highest-paid CEOs.Human reactions to these events ranged from outrage to amusement. The spotlight on artificial intelligence, despite sucking up huge amounts of cash, failed to deliver much practical value, perhaps explaining why many of us still have our jobs. Telstra’s boss, Vicki Brady, confidently assured the market that AI’s hallucinations were sorted, but the Commonwealth Bank later reversed plans to replace call center workers with AI, showing that tangible benefits are still largely imaginary.New findings also revealed some personal scandals. Astronomer chief executive Andy Byron lost his job after being caught on a stadium kiss cam with his chief people officer. Similarly, the relationship between former Super Retail boss Anthony Heraghty and his HR boss, Jane Kelly, ended abruptly, with Heraghty losing millions in bonuses after the board found his prior disclosures unsatisfactory. This situation continues to unfold, raising questions about the current chairwoman’s role.As we close out this wild year, it’s clear that the corporate landscape is as unpredictable as ever. From billionaire antics to ongoing legal battles, the stories behind the numbers often tell a much more compelling tale.

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