Behind the Money

In September 2014, the FT’s Dan McCrum received a tip about a fast-growing German fintech group, Wirecard. Over the next couple of years Dan and his colleagues uncovered the secret behind the payment company’s meteoric growth: many of the customers listed in company documents did not exist. In this episode Dan tells the story of the whistleblowers, shoe-leather reporting, hacking, suspected surveillance and legal threats that led to Wirecard’s downfall.  ---Review clips: CNBC, Deutsche Welle Further reading:The double life of Wirecard’s Jan Marsalek https://www.ft.com/content/511ecf86-ab40-486c-8f76-b8ebda4cc669Inside Wirecardhttps://www.ft.com/wirecardDan’s 2015 story for Alphavillehttps://ftalphaville.ft.com/2015/04/27/2127427/the-house-of-wirecard/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the US, commercial mortgage backed securities are a $1.2tn market, and an integral part of how banks lend to commercial property owners. But as the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns changed almost every sector of the economy, commercial real estate has changed too. Hotels and retailers have been hit hard by the shutdown, and mortgage and rent payments they have deferred are coming due. The FT’s Joe Rennison explains what this means for the CMBS market. We also hear from two people who are helping lenders and landlords deal with the upheaval. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, it was as if a fire was ignited. His death, along with the killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have sparked the most widespread protests in the US since 1968. Hundreds of thousands of people have marched under banners such as “Black Lives Matter”, “No Justice, No Peace” and “Say Their Names”. Now, the voices of activists are converging around a call to “defund the police”. In this episode, we hear from Rachel Harmon, a professor of law at the University of Virginia, and Vesla M Weaver, a professor of political science and sociology at Johns Hopkins University, about the role the federal government, and federal funding, have played in transforming policing in the US.---To get free access to the FT’s Coronavirus Business Update newsletter for 30 days, visit ft.com/behindthemoneycovid or https://www.ft.com/newsletter-signup/coronavirus?segmentId=12f1abd6-6f16-e2df-e4ff-7aaa9346f98e. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An update on this week's episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last December executives at the Carlyle Group worked into the night to sign what they imagined would be one of the private equity firm’s most enduring deals. In 2020, however, there may be no such thing as a stable business. Carlyle is now trying to walk away from a deal with American Express Global Business Travel before any money has changed hands. Our US private capital correspondent, Mark Vandevelde, reports on the ensuing legal row, and what it could mean for dealmaking during the pandemic.  To get free access to the FT’s Coronavirus Business Update newsletter for 30 days, visit ft.com/behindthemoneycovid or https://www.ft.com/newsletter-signup/coronavirus?segmentId=12f1abd6-6f16-e2df-e4ff-7aaa9346f98e.A few stories for further reading:Inside Carlyle’s ‘long-term’ Amex bet that coronavirus cut short (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/e710b3dc-3eba-4227-9258-6a678d66f6e1Apollo: how a private equity giant is navigating the crisis (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/6fce9808-84ab-11ea-b555-37a289098206Coronavirus: private equity’s bailout moment (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/f7cc82d7-70b9-40c3-b4a0-815ebc5d99d5   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was supposed to be a record year for the US meat industry. But when coronavirus hit the meat-packing plants, it exposed a vulnerable link in the supply chain. We take a look at how our meat gets from the farm to the supermarket, and ask what the fall in production could mean for the US-China trade truce. With the FT’s Gregory Meyer. To get free access to the FT’s Coronavirus Business Update newsletter for 30 days, visit ft.com/behindthemoneycovid.Further reading:Coronavirus: return to work divides US meat industry (paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/f6e2b4ad-4a62-4c6f-8348-38704e3e81f6Tyson Foods warns of sales declines and rising costs (paywall)https://www.ft.com/content/f0b4f894-cd46-44f2-b7b0-10707de449dbJohn Tyson laments breakdown of meat system his family pioneered (paywall)https://www.ft.com/content/82c2f5fa-1070-4388-853b-a2ed430fbf04Pandemic accelerates shift to meat substitutes (paywall)https://www.ft.com/content/0127984a-6def-4040-9bca-002b6ffd4e0a---On 12-14 May, the Financial Times, in partnership with TNW, will gather the most senior global decision makers and leading minds in policy, business, tech and finance for three days of online conversations with top FT journalists, analysing the impact of the pandemic across global economies, industries and markets, and outlining what is required to shape the optimal conditions for recovery at this most challenging of times. Register at globalboardroom.ft.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration’s small business bailout programme has been plagued by problems from the start, with complaints that large companies crowded out the kinds of small enterprises and independent contractors it was designed to help. With a fresh round of funding on offer from Washington, we hear from several business owners trying to get their share, as well as the FT’s Laura Noonan who has been reporting on the programme since it launched. To get free access to the FT’s Coronavirus Business Update newsletter for 30 days, visit ft.com/behindthemoneycovid.A few stories for further reading:US small business rescue fund strained by rush of claimshttps://www.ft.com/content/0467d0e1-6814-4cc4-ad4b-e25c80169466Can Congress save US small businesses? FT reporters answer your questionshttps://www.ft.com/content/55b0f191-5ea2-4762-bf8c-13d6a11e61ed‘Where is my loan?’ Small businesses miss out on US rescue fundshttps://www.ft.com/content/e6a06f94-5d2f-43a0-8aac-c7adddca0b0e----You might also be interested in a three-day digital conference hosted by the Financial Times. On 12-14 May, the FT, in partnership with TNW, will gather the most senior global decision makers and leading minds in policy, business, tech and finance for three days of online conversations with top FT journalists, analysing the impact of the pandemic across global economies, industries and markets, and outlining what is required to shape the optimal conditions for recovery at this most challenging of times. Register at globalboardroom.ft.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mauren Pereira's drapery business was on track for its most financially successful year to date. That was until the coronavirus outbreak reached Virginia. Behind the Money reports on how one small business owner is navigating the current economic crisis. With Brendan Greeley, US economics editor for the Financial Times. We want to hear from you. Please go to ft.com/behindthemoneysurvey and fill out our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling headphones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When credit markets seized up earlier in March, more than 130 companies rushed to their lenders to draw down at least $124bn of emergency credit lines to shore up cash, with Ford and General Motors drawing the largest amounts. We look at how the auto industry is preparing for the economic uncertainty that lies ahead. With the FT's Peter Campbell and Gillian Tett.We want to hear from you. Please go to ft.com/behindthemoneysurvey and fill out our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling headphones.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the Money wants to hear from you, our listeners, about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting your business and your work life. Email us at behindthemoney [at] ft.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.