Latest Interviews
Showing 766–780 of 1,515 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs18 min
Facing Rising Rates, Insurers Turn to Private Assets, Real Estate — Even Crypto
Representing over $26 trillion in global assets, the insurance sector leverages its stable, long-duration capital structure to navigate rising inflation and recession fears while shifting allocations toward private markets and inflation hedges. The 11th edition of the 2022 industry survey, reflecting responses from entities managing half of the global market, highlights emerging crypto adoption, divergent regional ESG strategies, and a focus on solvency amid geopolitical instability. These strategic adjustments aim to capitalize on higher reinvestment yields and lower entry points, ultimately seeking to enhance savings product returns and stabilize future premium rates.
- The Economist13 min
China in Africa: should the West be worried?
Bright Akwe, Papa Star Times, Gadi Epstein, John McDermott
Since the 1960s, China has deployed billions in infrastructure financing and military expansion to forge deep strategic bonds across Africa, securing control over critical assets ranging from railways in Zambia to a permanent naval base in Djibouti. This approach, facilitated primarily by state-owned banks and opaque lending terms, has generated approximately $160 billion in African debt while enabling Beijing to leverage financial dependencies for diplomatic support and media influence. Although Western nations criticize these tactics as debt-trap diplomacy, the strategy simultaneously entrenches Chinese geopolitical power through leading roles in telecommunications and defense equipment sales.
- Goldman Sachs20 min
Crypto Volatility: What’s the Outlook for Digital Assets?
Mathew McDermott, Allison Nathan
Hosted by Goldman Sachs between May 3 and May 16, 2022, this discussion analyzes the 30% year-to-date decline in Bitcoin and the TerraUSD collapse as catalysts that distinguished algorithmic risks from asset-backed stability within the evolving digital asset ecosystem. The speakers detail how institutional adoption is accelerating through volatility-focused strategies and regulatory frameworks like the US executive order, while blockchain innovations such as the European Investment Bank's tokenized debt issuance demonstrate T+1 settlement efficiency. Furthermore, the dialogue explores the future trajectory of synthetic CBDCs and retail versus wholesale Central Bank Digital Currencies across 87 countries, projecting a market normalization that balances high venture valuations against the structural benefits of on-chain transparency.
- The Economist9 min
War in Ukraine: the emerging global food crisis
Arkady, Ed, Shashank, Sasha Nauta
The ongoing war in Ukraine is precipitating a global food crisis by blocking critical export routes through Odessa, destroying domestic harvests, and disrupting fertilizer supplies, which threatens hundreds of millions in nations like Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Simultaneously, the prospective NATO accession of Sweden and Finland is expected to significantly strengthen Baltic security through Finland's substantial artillery capabilities, despite President Vladimir Putin leveraging the expansion to fuel narratives of Russian encirclement. This geopolitical shift occurs against the backdrop of US legislative uncertainty regarding escalating aid packages and potential changes in Washington's strategic posture ahead of the 2024 presidential election, raising concerns among European allies about future burden-sharing.
- The Economist18 min
Press freedom: why you should be worried
Daphne Galizia, Avantika Chalkoti, Rana Ayyub, Rebecca Vincent, Matthew, Corinne, Veronika Munk, Sebald Stuhl
Global press freedom is facing severe erosion in both authoritarian regimes and established democracies, evidenced by a rise in journalist murders, the misuse of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and systemic financial bullying. Prominent cases such as the legal persecution of Indian journalist Rana Ayyub and the consolidation of media under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary illustrate how authorities employ subtle tactics to silence critics. In response to these threats, initiatives like the European Commission's directive to dismiss SLAPPs and the creation of reader-funded outlets like Telex demonstrate emerging strategies to maintain independent reporting despite restricted resources and intimidation.
- Y Combinator16 min
Investors Said No, Now What?
Harj Taggar, Michael Seibel, Brad Flora
Startup founders are advised to treat investor rejections as data points on fit rather than definitive judgments on their product's quality, since over 90% of investment decisions fail and specific stated reasons often mask the true causes. While investors rely on pattern matching and stack-ranking that frequently leads to initial rejections even for eventual successes, the most effective strategy for regaining a former investor's interest is demonstrating tangible business momentum like new customer acquisitions. By maintaining conviction and updating past "no" investors monthly with factual progress rather than argumentative explanations, founders can overcome the common tendency to pivot based on superficial feedback.
- The Economist18 min
Rape in the British military: women speak out
Rebecca, Emma Norton, Lucy, Jean, Graham House, Anne-Marie Element
Following a 2021 parliamentary inquiry that documented systemic sexual harassment and bullying among British military women through over 4,000 testimonies, the government introduced reforms to strengthen dismissal powers and separate investigations from the chain of command. Despite these measures, conviction rates for rape remain significantly lower in military courts than civilian ones, and critics maintain that the military culture of impunity persists because key recommendations like transferring cases to civilian authorities have not been fully adopted. Consequently, victims continue to face severe psychological trauma and career risks, as the institution's internal incentives prioritize reputation over justice.
- The Economist7 min
Dr Fauci: follow the science
Dr Fauci, Dr Anthony Fauci, Edward Carr, Sasha Nauta
Former NIH Director Dr. Anthony Fauci reflected on his seven-presidency tenure and the unprecedented polarization he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he prioritized scientific evidence over political alignment despite enduring misinformation and death threats. He described a toxic shift in public discourse that forced him to correct presidential claims, resulting in severe attacks from far-right groups and a disturbing rise in hostility toward the scientific community. Fauci concluded by urging the next generation of researchers to remain engaged in public service to counteract this erosion of institutional trust and objective fact.
- The Economist11 min
Climate change technology: is shading the earth too risky?
Proponents of solar geoengineering, including Harvard scientist David Keith, argue that reflecting sunlight into space is a necessary supplement to emission cuts for protecting vulnerable populations from extreme heat, while critics like the Sámi Council and experts such as Raymond Pierre Humbert warn that the technology creates severe ethical hazards, including moral hazard, indigenous rights violations, and geopolitical conflict. Tensions intensified after the Sámi Council successfully pressured Sweden's space agency to cancel a 2021 Harvard balloon test over their territory, highlighting the fundamental disagreement over whether research should proceed to mitigate "termination shock" risks or be halted to preserve global climate action integrity. As scientists explore localized solutions like marine cloud brightening on the Great Barrier Reef, the debate remains centered on establishing equitable governance frameworks to manage the technology's uncertain side effects and potential for catastrophic regional disruption.
- Y Combinator20 min
Why You Should Leave Your FAANG Job
Dalton Caldwell, Michael Seibel
This analysis targets technical founders by deconstructing the recruitment strategies that position FANG roles as ideal training grounds, revealing that most hires work on low-impact projects rather than core infrastructure. It details specific retention traps, including gamified equity vesting and lifestyle inflation, which psychologically and financially deter talent from launching ventures by creating high barriers to exit. The discussion concludes with a framework for aspiring entrepreneurs to define strict exit timelines, select ethical projects to preserve optimism, and manage financial burn rates to successfully transition from corporate employment to founding.
- The Economist8 min
Crypto: a beginner’s guide
Mathieu Favard, Alice Fullwood, Helen Joyce
This presentation defines cryptocurrency as a decentralized system using blockchain technology to validate transactions without intermediaries, detailing the mining process that secures networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It distinguishes unique assets from standard tokens by explaining Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and traces the origins of industry slang such as "hodler" within the market's volatile culture. The discussion ultimately contextualizes the sector as a complex landscape where technical innovation in finance coexists with significant concerns regarding fraud, environmental impact, and narrative cycles.
- The Economist16 min
War in Ukraine: The Economist interviews Tony Blair
Tony Blair, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair characterized Vladimir Putin as a detached autocrat who has dismantled Russian democracy to build personal wealth while predicting his eventual downfall and Ukraine's future integration into the European Union. Blair critiqued Western strategic retreat in Africa and the Middle East, arguing that bureaucratic inefficiency has allowed China and Russia to expand their influence despite local preferences for Western ties. He urged Europe to accept short-term economic sacrifices to supply Ukraine with offensive weaponry and warned that the 21st century's defining geopolitical challenge lies in managing the United States' complex relationship with China without pushing Beijing into an alignment with Moscow.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
How Policymakers are Navigating Stagflation Risk
Eric Rosengren, Philipp Hildebrand, Jan Hatzius, Alison Nathan
Economists Eric Rosengren and Philip Hildebrand warn that the U.S. and Euro Area face heightened stagflation risks driven by multi-decade inflation levels and supply shocks from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While the Federal Reserve is criticized for being behind the curve in raising rates, strategies involving balance sheet recalibration are debated to avoid a policy-induced recession predicted by Goldman Sachs analysts. Policymakers remain compelled to continue tightening to anchor inflation expectations, even as forecasts suggest a shallow normalization cycle and a growth slowdown to approximately 2%.
- The Economist11 min
War in Ukraine: is a peace deal possible?
Ongoing negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow remain stalled over the core triad of territorial status, sanctions sequencing, and Crimea's strategic corridor, as Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov lacks final authority to offer concessions without President Vladimir Putin's direct approval. While Ukraine has hardened its stance by rejecting pre-1991 borders and exploring security guarantees akin to Finnish neutrality, Putin's strategy is increasingly driven by domestic consolidation rather than genuine security needs, reflecting a calculated worldview that prioritizes legacy over realistic military outcomes. This strategic deadlock, compounded by Putin's internal miscalculation and the reluctance of his kleptocratic inner circle to risk nuclear escalation, leaves both sides facing a stalemate with no substantive progress toward a comprehensive peace deal.
- Goldman Sachs18 min
Gene Editing: The Future of Genomic Medicine & Biotech Investing
Salveen Richter, Allison Nathan, Selvine Richter
Gene editing distinguishes itself from traditional gene therapy by utilizing molecular scissors like CRISPR-Cas9 to permanently correct genetic defects in liver, eye, and neurological applications, with recent ex vivo successes for sickle cell disease and the first in vivo proof-of-concept for TTR. As two CRISPR-based therapies approach regulatory filings in 2022 and pivotal studies advance for rare diseases, the industry faces rigorous FDA safety mandates requiring fifteen years of follow-up data alongside complex reimbursement challenges stemming from the high one-time cost of curative treatments. While significant venture capital and pharmaceutical acquisitions drive the integration of next-generation tools like base and prime editing, the field maintains a strict consensus against germline modifications to mitigate ethical concerns and long-term safety risks.