After Hours

Mihir and Felix think about the current crisis in banking. Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail? Is the demise of Credit Suisse a result of the contagion in the United States? And what’s the future of banking? Will the big banks get even bigger? Even more prone to fail? Would we be better off if all deposits were insured? If banks were kept to a smaller size?

Felix, Mihir and Charlotte Howard of The Economist consider why retailers are buying primary care providers and if wage compression will last and what it means for the economy.

Felix, Mihir and The Economist’s Charlotte Howard debate the merits of a new class of weight-loss drugs that drastically lower a person’s weight. Is this incredible scientific advance the solution to the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the planet? Should health insurance companies cover the pricey drugs? Will obesity become even more prevalent now that we have effective medication? Plus, we discuss the roller coaster that is Moderna. What’s next for one of the pandemic’s biggest winners? Is there a life post generous government support? 

Felix, Sarah and Mihir discuss Chat GPT, if AI is truly transformational, the future of search, and how to digitally detox from all this AI talk. 

Mihir and Felix are joined by Rawi to talk about the far-reaching consequences of the current turmoil in energy markets. Is Qatar the next Saudi Arabia? Are the oil majors actually saying goodbye to renewables? Are we seeing the de-industrialization of Europe? Plus, we debate the consequences of shrinking populations. Will it blow up social security? Could it be good news?

Felix and Mihir debate the latest phase of meme-stock craziness and the wisdom of retirement planning without annuities.

In our first-ever After Hours sports episode, we ask why sports teams have become so valuable (is it really just the vanity of billionaire owners), debate the merits of paying amateur athletes, and explore why tennis pros receive such a small fraction of the sport’s overall revenue. Can hedge fund icon Bill Ackman save tennis?  

In this episode, Felix, Mihir and Sarah consider the merits of the most recent antitrust actions against Google, the ethics of unpaid labor, and the end of Noma.

Felix, Mihir and Frances Frei discuss why many workplace issues seem so vexing—and how to fix them. We also talk about Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand’s prime minister. Is she leaving too early? How do you best choose your exit?

Felix and Mihir celebrate Lunar New Year by talking about BYD, Electric Vehicles, and capital allocation in China.