Behind the Money

About 10 years ago, two legendary private equity firms, Apollo Global Management and TPG, teamed up to carry out a leveraged buyout of one of the biggest and most iconic gaming companies, then known as Harrah’s. They financed the purchase by taking advantage of Harrah’s real estate. Now, an obscure regional casino group out of Reno, Nevada is set to scoop up what has become the Caesars Entertainment empire in a deal that is making use of a pretty similar kind of financing. The FT’s Sujeet Indap tells the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Fiat Chrysler Automobiles withdrew its proposal for a €33bn merger with France’s Renault it reversed plans to create what could have been the world's third-largest carmaker. The FT's David Keohane, Leo Lewis and Rachel Sanderson tell the story of how the bid came together, how it eventually fell apart and what it means for the future of global carmakers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past 54 years, shares in Berkshire Hathaway have outpaced the broader market. But now the conglomerate is holding onto more than $100bn in cash that it would rather be investing. The FT's Eric Platt guides us through the Berkshire Hathaway operation, and how its 88-year old chairman and chief executive is thinking about the company's future. Read more at FT.com.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What it means for a generation of tech companies with huge valuations to be making the shift to the public markets, and why some are doing it by unconventional means.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Denmark’s Danske Bank find itself at the centre of one of the largest money-laundering scandals the world has ever seen? The FT’s Richard Milne explains. This episode was originally published on October 30, 2018. Read the latest on the Nordic money-laundering scandal at FT.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, followed months of mounting scrutiny of the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker. The FT's Nic Fildes explains how Huawei grew to be such a big player, and why western intelligence officials are warning against working with the Chinese company on the next generation of mobile technology. This episode was originally published on December 18, 2018. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sprint and T-Mobile have a long on-again, off-again history. Together the companies serve a combined total of about 30 per cent of the US mobile market. Now, after a third attempt at merging, the companies are awaiting regulatory approval from the Trump administration. The decision could shape the telecoms industry and American consumer options for decades to come.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two mid-sized American banks are joining forces in a $66bn merger - BB&T and Suntrust. It is the biggest US bank deal since the financial crisis, and analysts say the deal will up the ante on rival banks to consolidate. The FT's Robert Armstrong and James Fontanella Khan dig into the details of the deal, and what it means for the broader industry.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shares in the British bakery chain more than doubled from the time it listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2014 to late last year, just before it emerged that its accounts were largely fictitious. The FT's retail correspondent Jonathan Eley walks us through what happened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is a corner of the credit market that has started to worry regulators - leveraged loans. How does the $1.2tn leveraged loan market work and why do some say it could pose a risk to the financial system? The FT’s Colby Smith and Joe Rennison explain. Read more at FT.com/debtmachine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.