Forbes Talks

Sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine sent tanker values soaring, boosting the fortunes of these Greek maritime moguls to record highs and minting at least seven new 10-figure fortunes.Forbes estimates there are now at least 12 shipping billionaires in Greece, more than at any other time in history. Seven of them are making their debut in Forbes’ billionaire ranks. They are worth a collective $32 billion—the equivalent of roughly 12% of the country’s gross domestic product.These tycoons are the latest in a line of swashbuckling pioneers hailing back to iconic figures like Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos, who launched the global oil tanker trade after World War II and became famous for their glamorous marriages and lifestyles. This newer group has been in shipping for decades but kept a lower profile. (Despite their success, none would speak to Forbes, while their representatives either declined to comment or did not respond.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On "Forbes Talks," attorney John M. Phillips joined Forbes Senior Law Editor, Liane Jackson, to discuss former President Trump's NYC hush money trial, the Trump team's approach to Michael Cohen, the cases he is working on, and more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years of turbulence, including jail time for the founders of the two biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, many providers are getting serious about controls and regulation. Coinbase leads our list of the 20 most trustworthy marketplaces in an industry that still requires caution.Forbes reporter, Nina Bambysheva and Javiar Paz discuss the top crypto names and market-places. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the biggest expenses in geothermal power is finding the right spot to dig. Utah-based Zanskar thinks its big data and machine learning platform can help.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Founder and CEO of FindMine Michelle Bacharach joins "Forbes Talks" to discuss her company, which uses AI in the retail space, and her thoughts on AI over the past decade. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2023, female-owned venture capital firms received just 3% of the total $107 billion raised across venture firms worldwide, up from 2% in 2022. It is within this environment that Renata Quintini, cofounder and managing director of Renegade Partners, is announcing the close of a fresh $128 million in dry powder. The close of Fund II brings her firm’s total assets under management to $228 million, a size Quintini believes is a “Goldilocks” fit for the work she and cofounder Roseanne Wincek want to do. “If you’re managing a billion dollars, the math works against you,” she said during a sitdown interview at the Forbes studio. “At our fund size, we can write checks for $10 million, or in some cases have single digit percentage ownership that makes sense for our fund math… I’d much rather own a bite of a watermelon than the whole grape. Let’s optimize for opportunities to say yes to great founders.” Quintini also dished on what aspiring founders—of companies and venture firms alike—need to know about operating in 2024.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hiring managers have long used the reputation of a new college graduate’s alma mater as an indicator of an applicant’s ability and expected job performance. Elite national consulting, banking and investment firms focused their recruiting on the Ivy League and a handful of the other most selective schools. Big companies looked more widely, but still often favored a limited number of highly ranked universities. Regional firms would tap graduates of schools with the best reputations in their geographic area.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’re not imagining things: The Ivy League is forfeiting its standing as America’s producer of great talent. Here are the schools producing the hard-working high achievers that employers crave.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rhino Onward International, or ROI as it called itself, launched in 2022 with some big promises. The renewables development firm claimed that its “proprietary process and technology” put it in position “to assume the leading role in Green Hydrogen production.” The company said it was building a green hydrogen plant in Arizona that would be worth about $530 million within 5 years, according to marketing materials it shared with investors.ROI raised $31 million from over 200 investors but apparently only invested $200,000 in the business; the firm’s promoters Paul Croft and J.D. Frost diverted the rest of the investors’ money to themselves and entities they control, according to an investor lawsuit filed in Illinois last month, which cited bank records obtained through subpoenas. Beginning in 2021 until last year, Croft, a 42-year-old entrepreneur living in Chicago, and Frost, a 40-year-old accountant based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, raised approximately $46 million from a series of phony renewables investment schemes, which the pair used to live extravagantly, pay employees at their tax advisory business, pay down short-term loans and even lend money to embattled professional hockey player Robin Lehner, according to allegations in lawsuits, bankruptcy filings, former investors and ex-employees of Croft’s and Frost’s businesses who spoke with Forbes on the record, and others with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak about sensitive information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

YouTube creator and former Forbes Under 30 lister Sean McLoughlin "Jacksepticeye" spoke about why he's giving fans at least two more years on his channel before retiring. However, McLoughlin is already testing other business opportunities with his coffee company Top Of The Mornin' Coffee and his comic book series The ALTRVERSE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.