Ray Dalio makes the point in todays FT that the West is blind to the rise of China and probably missed out on opportunities. For as long as I can remember, people have said that China cannot succeed. Communism doesn’t work. Authoritarianism doesn’t work. The Chinese aren’t creative. They have a big problem with bad debts and property speculation. Yet every day we see China succeeding in exceptional ways. Basically Ray makes the point that while we predict failure and worry about risks, China succeeds in exceptional ways. Facts on China The IPO paperwork registered in Hong Kong and just … Continue reading Ant Financial IPO

From German Ethics Council – German only for now. The German Ethics Council Yesterday issued a 55-page report on the justifiability of “risk-free certificates” that would allow those who are immune to coronavirus to move around more freely. In view of the many uncertainties that still exist regarding immunity against the novel coronavirus, the German Ethics Council does not recommend the use of immunity certificates at this time. Commercially available tests to detect immunity against SARS-CoV-2 should be more strictly regulated, considering doubts around their reliability and the resulting potential dangers. The results of the deliberations of the 24 person … Continue reading Germany wrestles with the covid (passport) certificate question

London UK: Prices and sales have fallen in the London financial district and bankers and lawyers are staying away (FT) Ontario Canada; More first-time home buyers and minorities have also been looking to the suburbs for affordability, he added. (Real Estate Monitor) — — Something is happening to urban environments. I can see it with my own eyes as someone who lives in a downtown driven by Financial Services. Recent press is beginning to observe a significant shift to suburban homes. Here are some thoughts, observations and questions. A typical food court downtown would have 25 – 40 storefronts. The … Continue reading Is the post Pandemic property shift to suburban a sign of systemic change?

With that cryptic tweet, Musk lays the door wide open for Battery day on Sep 22nd. We think about Tesla making electric cars. More and more it looks like a power company that manufactures cars and trucks, from a platform that fulfils the sustainability requirements of ESG investment criteria. More to come. Here are some quick soundbites. When I look at Tesla.com and the detail in the Powerwall section that covers features exited in a data centre, we see: back up redundancy when the grid is down recharge with clean energy when linked to solar Uninterruptible Power Supply: appliances running … Continue reading Battery Day – who would have thought !

This is a backgrounder on payments in China. First Africa (M-Pesa), now China (WeChar, and AliPay). While the west juggles with multi million dollar upgrades, China eliminates can and credit cards by replacing with a QR code on a piece of paper or a phone screen. This has become a central topic because of Softbanks investment in the technology coupled with Japans crazy infatuation with cash. With his reputation on the line, Japan’s most controversial tech investor needs a win with the PayPay app [] https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-Big-Story/SoftBank-wants-to-burn-money At a glance, PayPay is the kind of mobile wallet commonly seen across Asia. … Continue reading Why do third world countries own payment modernisation – Softbank takes the challenge on