Harvey Bracken-Smith welcomes Luke Sloman back to Personable. Luke is a third-year Business & Management student at the University of Exeter, currently on year abroad at the University of Sydney. He grew up in Tokyo until age 13 before moving to the UK for boarding school. His academic focus is on finance-related modules that complement his broader Business & Management studies. This is Luke’s 3rd time on Personable.

In this episode Luke and Harvey unpack the week’s biggest market stories - from the record-breaking EA leveraged buyout to Tesla deliveries, Pfizer policy deals, the UK IPO slump, US fiscal risks and political volatility in France and Japan. Luke brings a student’s curiosity and a global perspective (Tokyo → UK → Sydney) to market structure, sovereign wealth flows, and what everyday investors should watch.

In this episode Luke Sloman discusses:
◽️ EA’s $55bn LBO — structure, sovereign wealth involvement, cultural impact
◽️ Saudi sports/“sports-washing” and private equity / Four Seasons style deals
◽️ Tesla Q3 deliveries, EV tax credits, and the longer-term robot/AI narrative
◽️ Pfizer + Trump Rx: pharma, tariffs, and on-shoring manufacturing
◽️ UK IPO & M&A slump — causes, consequences, and what would fix it

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:57 Luke returns — background and why he’s back on the show
02:06 EA $55bn LBO — who’s involved and deal anatomy
03:22 Cultural impact: EA Sports, FIFA, and player/community effects
07:21 Sovereign investors & the “fronted” private equity model (Four Seasons analogy)
11:13 Tesla Q3 surprise, US $7,500 EV credit, and the humanoid/robot thesis
22:43 Pfizer + Trump Rx deal: tariffs, manufacturing investment, and consumer impact
30:44 UK IPO & M&A slump — data, causes, and policy implications
37:30 Real-time markets: X, Caoshi, and how instant feedback changes behaviour
42:30 Eurozone & France — political instability, budget fights, and market moves
51:28 US debt downgrade, debt servicing vs defence spending, and shutdown costs
1:03:14 Breaking: French PM resignation — market reaction and political context
1:14:41 Japan outlook — likely next PM and market implications
1:18:49 Outro

📌 Resources
Luke Sloman:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-sloman-87a6742a9/?originalSubdomain=uk

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ The Draft (Sign up): https://thedraft.io
◽️ Fundraising: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/LouLouRacefoiundation?utm_term=PvByaxmdn

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023. 

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

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