Behind the Money

Not long ago, the Swedish battery maker Northvolt was seen as Europe's best hope for staying competitive with other global players during the green transition. Investors flocked to it, and it even became the continent’s best funded startup. But things look very different now. The company is fighting for survival and even filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November. The FT’s Nordic and Baltic bureau chief Richard Milne spent years reporting on Northvolt and explains its meteoric rise and what its implosion means for Europe’s battery industry. Clip from Aftonbladet- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:How Europe’s battery champion descended into crisis‘There was so much promise’: How Northvolt tumbled into bankruptcyThe Northvolt dilemma: can European EVs avoid relying on Asian batteries?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Richard Milne (@rmilneNordic) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

This week, we’re going back to Omaha, Nebraska. Behind the Money and the FT’s senior corporate finance correspondent travelled there this spring to attend Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting. America’s “last great” conglomerate is preparing for a leadership transition, and we examined what Warren Buffett’s empire will look like after he’s no longer at the helm. Clips from CNBC- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Berkshire after Buffett: is Greg Abel up to the top job?Berkshire after Buffett: prized energy business faces upheavalBerkshire after Buffett: the risk ‘genius’ pulling the insurance stringsBerkshire after Buffett: can any stockpicker follow the Oracle?- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Eric Platt (@ericgplatt) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. 

Lately, China’s economy has been in the doldrums, with the risk of a “deflationary spiral” lurking. Plus, toss in the election of Donald Trump in the US — and reaching the economic goals President Xi Jinping set more than a decade ago looks even more difficult. The FT’s China bureau chief Joe Leahy examines Beijing’s latest plans to fix the country’s economy and whether it will be enough to keep up with Xi’s long-term plans for growth.  Clips from Bloomberg, CBS, Yahoo Finance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Why Xi Jinping changed his mind on China’s fiscal stimulusWhy China is betting on local governments to spur the economyIf China’s statistics can’t be scrutinised, doubts about the economy will only grow- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Joe Leahy (@leahyjoseph) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Who will corporate America's winners and losers be under four more years of Donald Trump? This week, the FT’s Brooke Masters, Stephen Morris and Jamie Smyth explain what changes a second Trump administration will bring to three crucial sectors: Wall Street, tech and energy.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Can the renewables boom withstand Trump?A Wall Street giddy over Trump should remember historyWho’s who in the Musk ‘A-team’ vying to shape Trump 2.0Trump 2.0: winners, losers and Elon- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Brooke Masters (@brookeamasters), Stephen Morris (@sjhmorris), Jamie Smyth (@JamieSmythF) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Private equity earned a reputation as a ruthless and lucrative business. But over the past few years, large groups have been doing something that seems like the opposite of their cutthroat image: giving equity worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the ordinary workers at the companies they own. Antoine Gara, the FT’s US private & institutional capital correspondent, explains how these payouts make business sense for private equity firms – and help soften their tough image.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Workers getting share in windfalls as private equity firms soften imagePrivate equity groups’ assets struggling under hefty debt loads, Moody’s saysBlackstone plans to list some of its largest investments - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Antoine Gara (@antoinegara) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

On November 5, voters in the US will head to the polls to decide who should be the next president: Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. But over the past several months, people from around the world have been placing millions of dollars on who will win that race. As interest in betting on US politics reaches a new high, the FT’s Oliver Roeder and Sam Learner explain how these markets work and what can (and can’t) be learned from them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Prediction markets can tell the future. Why is the US so afraid of them?Take political betting markets literally, not seriouslyWhat the polls can’t tell us about America’s election- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Attend the FT Global Banking Summit, December 3 and 4 in London: Enter BTM20 for a 20% discount (applicable on all ticket types), register here.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Activist investors tend to rely on an element of surprise to catch their target company off guard: quietly building up a stake and swooping in with a slide deck full of strategic changes at just the right moment. That’s not what happened at the beginning of a recent campaign led by the hedge fund Starboard Value against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The FT’s Oliver Barnes, US pharmaceutical and biotech correspondent, and Maria Heeter, US deals correspondent, examine what went awry and what happens next.    Clips from CBS, ABC, CNBC, NBC   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:Starboard plotted a campaign against Pfizer’s chief. Then a blank email dropped in his inboxWhy Pfizer sorely needs the activist treatment Starboard-Pfizer battle strains Guggenheim’s relationship with drugmaker- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Oliver Barnes (@mroliverbarnes), Maria Heeter (@HeeterMaria) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Attend the FT Global Banking Summit, December 3 and 4 in London: Enter BTM20 for a 20% discount (applicable on all ticket types), register here.  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

When it comes to trading, Wall Street’s investment banks are falling further behind. And independent trading firms, such as Jane Street and Citadel Securities, are taking the lead in everything from stocks and options to derivatives and crypto. The trading firms argue that they’ve made the process more efficient, but what risks does that carry? The FT’s US banking editor Joshua Franklin explains.   Clips from Lionsgate- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For further reading:New titans of Wall Street: how trading firms stole a march on big banksNew titans of Wall Street: how Jane Street rode the ETF wave to ‘obscene’ riches‘King of the geeks’: how Alex Gerko built a British trading titan The limits of bond market electronification- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - On X, follow Joshua Franklin (@FTJFranklin) and Michela Tindera (@mtindera07), or follow Michela on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com