In a thought-provoking discussion, Simon Brewer, former Chief Investment Officer and Money Maze podcast host, Adrienne Buller, political economist and author, and Lucy Kellaway, ex-FT columnist turned educator, redefine value in today's world. They tackle how the financial landscape shifts with ESG considerations and the influence of private equity. The panel emphasizes prioritizing community and well-being over mere profit, arguing for a societal shift that values sustainability, health, and personal fulfillment over traditional monetary metrics.
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insights INSIGHT
Long-Term Value Assessment
Assess value with long-term historical context, not short-term trends.
Recognize that markets are often influenced by fleeting trends and hype.
insights INSIGHT
Private Equity's Rise
Private equity's growth shows a shift in investments due to public markets not serving investors well.
Private equity offers permanent capital, unlike the volatile public market.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Integrating ESG
Integrate ESG factors into investment evaluations as standard practice.
Avoid extreme or unrealistic ESG agendas, which can have negative consequences.
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In 'Educated,' Tara Westover recounts her journey from a childhood in rural Idaho, where she was raised by survivalist Mormon parents who opposed public education and medical care, to becoming a scholar at Harvard and Cambridge University. The book details her struggles with physical and verbal abuse, her self-education, and her eventual admission to Brigham Young University. Westover's story is a powerful exploration of resilience, the importance of education, and the complexities of family relationships. She navigates the tension between her desire for knowledge and her loyalty to her family, ultimately finding a way to reconcile her past and present selves.
The Value of a Whale
On the Illusions of Green Capitalism
Adrienne Buller
In *The Value of a Whale*, Adrienne Buller critiques the current approaches to addressing climate change, particularly the reliance on green capitalism. She argues that these solutions, such as carbon pricing and offset markets, are flawed because they prioritize profit over genuine environmental reform. The book explores how these market-centric strategies perpetuate economic injustices and ecological crises, highlighting the need for a more equitable and sustainable approach.
How do we define value? How has this changed over time? And who decides what is deemed valuable? For centuries, society has seen value mainly through an economic lens: one takes a job because of its monetary benefits; marriage is a financially beneficial relationship that enables stability; and the true test of a business is its profit at the end of the year. But is this changing? In recent years, factors such as climate change, social justice and the pandemic have forced us to reconsider how we define value. We are in the era of the Value Revolution.
In this episode, recorded on July 5 at Y TREE's second live event in the Futureverse series, three experts discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues that have arisen as a result of this critical turning point: Will private equity transform the financial industry? Can capitalism really adapt so that things other than monetary value are considered important in business, including fairness and environmental impact? And are we finally seeing a growing awareness that value is not always quantified by a price tag? Some things, such as time, health, job satisfaction and the survival of our planet are surely worth more than a number in a bank account.
Simon Brewer, host of the award-winning Money Maze Podcast, gives us his thoughts on the dramatic shifts in the economy over the last few decades. Political economist and author Adrienne Buller argues that businesses that engage in sustainability initiatives and ‘green capitalism’ are harming rather than helping the planet. And Lucy Kellaway, former FT columnist, now charity founder, author and maths and economics teacher, offers a fresh way to decide what to prioritise in our personal and professional lives. Expertly hosted by broadcaster Jon Sopel, this is a conversation that is guaranteed to change the way you think about value and worth.
Intelligence Squared 
