Lessons from the Archegos Capital Collapse: Managing Financial Leverage
How Archegos used concentrated swaps and leverage to create hidden risk, leaving global banks with billions in losses when margin calls arrived.
Joon Press
How Vin Baker Rebuilt His Life After Losing $100 Million
How former NBA All-Star Vin Baker rebuilt his life after addiction and financial loss by accepting help, starting over, and finding a new purpose.
How Michael Carroll Lost His £9.7 Million Lottery Fortune
How Michael Carroll lost a GBP 9.7 million lottery fortune, and what his experience reveals about sudden wealth, spending controls, and financial guidance.
CVS Walked Away From $2 Billion to Match Promise With Action
TL;DR: In 2014 CVS pulled tobacco from all 7,600 stores, forgoing about $2 billion a year.The exit unlocked its healthcare pivot, capped by the $69 billion Aetna deal. On February 5, 2014, CVS Caremark announced that every one of its more than 7,600 U.S. drugstores would stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products by October … Read more
Kodak Invented a Digital Camera. Why Was That Not Enough?
TL;DR: Kodak built the first digital camera in 1975, then shelved it to protect film profits.By 2012 it was bankrupt, selling those digital patents for $525 million. In 1976, Eastman Kodak controlled roughly 90 percent of American film sales and 85 percent of camera sales, a monopoly so complete that the “Kodak moment” became part … Read more
Luckin Coffee’s $300 Million Sales Fabrication Scandal Explained
How Luckin Coffee’s fabricated transactions made false growth appear credible, and what investors can learn about controls, evidence, and verification.
WeWork’s Failed IPO Exposed a Governance Crisis
How WeWork’s failed IPO revealed founder conflicts, unconventional metrics, weak governance, and the limits of growth without accountable leadership.
How Marvel Escaped Bankruptcy by Betting on Its Own Characters
How Marvel moved from bankruptcy and low-value licensing deals to financing its own films, controlling its characters, and building a global franchise.
When Sales Goals Eclipsed Customer Rights at Wells Fargo
How aggressive sales incentives at Wells Fargo harmed customers, weakened accountability, and produced years of regulatory penalties and remediation.
FTX Looked Untouchable Until Customers Asked for Their Money
How FTX’s liquidity crisis exposed hidden transfers, weak controls, and the danger of trusting reputation without independently verifying customer assets.