Raters of the Private Assets

Raters of the Private Assets

Did you know that George Lucas originally wanted Tom Selleck to play Indiana Jones? However, contractual obligations to Selleck’s moustache and, of course, his role as Magnum P.I. got in the way and landed Harrison Ford as the iconic Professor Jones instead. This...
Fraud or Risk?

Fraud or Risk?

After the failures of Tricolor, a Texas-based subprime lender, and First Brands, an automotive supplier, Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase famously said that if you see one cockroach there are probably more around. Late in February, another one (allegedly) showed up in...
Please, Release Me, Let Me Go

Please, Release Me, Let Me Go

My crinkly brain has been stuck on this song Please, Release Me (1949) made popular by Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967 (look up Izzard’s skit about workshopping that artist name). It gets weirder because the earworm was brought to me by an owl, specifically Blue Owl...
(Im)Perfect Crime

(Im)Perfect Crime

By definition, only the less smart criminals get caught. If you really think about it, that opens the possibility of many perfect crimes out there that we will never see in a limited series. On the other hand, if the indictment stands to proof, there is a good chance...
Creative Destruction

Creative Destruction

About a month ago, the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Joel Mokyr, an economic historian, and Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, both economists, for their insights on how sustainable growth happens through creative destruction. Their work is centered on how,...