The Closer: Deals Change the World

Bed Bath & Beyond's decline and fall is complete. The iconic home goods retailer said this week that it was entering bankruptcy and that all of its stores would be shuttered by the end of June. Ben and Aimee discuss Bed Bath & Beyond's collapse, diving into stock sales, failed turnarounds, share buybacks, meme stocks and yes, those iconic blue and white coupons. Is there a business or deal story t...

Alongside the release of Netflix's quarterly earnings, the streaming service announced two big pieces of news this week. One, that it would be ending its DVD mailing business, and two, that it would be delaying a crackdown on password sharing in the US. Ben and Aimee discuss the past, present, and future of Netflix's growth ambitions. Is there a business or deal story that you’d like Aimee and Ben...

This week, we're looking at a deal one of our listeners on Twitter asked us to cover. It's JetBlue's $3.8bn takeover of discount carrier Spirit Airlines. The deal was approved by Spirit shareholders last fall, but US authorities have sued to block it on antitrust grounds. Ben and Aimee cover how the deal came together, the regulatory concerns, as well as how the deal fits into the bigger picture o...

Two of the biggest names in fighting, WWE and Endeavor’s UFC, are coming together to form a new, publicly traded entity. It’s a tie-up of larger-than-life personalities in the ring (or octagon) and in the boardroom. Ben and Aimee discuss the roles of three executives at the heart of the deal - Ari Emanuel, Vince McMahon and Dana White - and the potential implications of the merger. Is there a busi...

Shares in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba jumped this week after founder Jack Ma made a rare visit to mainland China, and the company announced plans to break itself into six business units. Ben and Aimee discuss the latest in the tense relationship between Chinese authorities and the country's tech sector. Is there a business or deal story that you’d like Aimee and Ben to cover? Get in touch!...

JP Morgan Chase thought it owned 54 metric tonnes of nickel, the most highly valued base metal. The bank had reason to believe this nickel was stored in bags at a warehouse in Rotterdam. It turns out these bags are, instead, full of stones. Ben and Aimee discuss the case of JP Morgan's missing nickel and how this story is just the latest drama in the nickel trade. Is there a business or deal story...

Financial Times journalist Tabby Kinder was one of the first to report on weaknesses at Silicon Valley Bank. In this episode of The Closer, she breaks down the bank's swift collapse and tells us what it's been like covering the story as it unfolds. Read Tabby's reporting at ft.com/tabby-kinder For more from The Closer, visit TheCloser. FM. The Closer is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Br...

David Bowie: ground-breaking musician; artistic shape-shifter; style icon; and ... savvy financial player? We dive into “Bowie Bonds” with the man who created them and unpack their impact on the music business. To sign up for The Closer newsletter and to read more from our team, go to TheCloser. FM. The Closer is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/p...

When Brazilian private investment firm 3G took over Kraft and Heinz, they thought they had a perfect plan. The Closer digs into where it went wrong and who got hurt. It's the story of Ketchup, the evolution of capitalism and the limits of any single successful business strategy. To sign up for The Closer newsletter and to read more from our team, go to TheCloser. FM. The Closer is a Project Brazen...

A scrappy startup wanted to help people sort their medications, and in the process took on some of the titans of Big Pharma, and won. But that success made it a target for a tech behemoth obsessed with new customers - Amazon. To sign up for The Closer newsletter and to read more from our team, go to TheCloser. FM. The Closer is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or...

An exec at the center of Whatsapp’s $19 billion sale explains how the deal finally came together and the dispiriting conflict that roiled the companies after the deal closed. We go inside the story of Facebook’s biggest acquisition. Is there a business or deal story that you’d like Aimee to cover? Get in touch! You can email us at hello@thecloser.fm or find us on Twitter or Instagram @thecloserpod...

WeWork’s failed IPO was a stunning failure that played out in daily – at times, hourly – headlines around the world. But before that disaster there was another deal that fell through in private, putting WeWork and its founder Adam Neumann on course for eventual public humiliation. This is the story of Project Fortitude. To sign up for The Closer newsletter and to read more from our team, go to The...

The 2013 merger between American Airlines and US Airways created the world’s largest airline. But it also marked the ascent of one of the American labor movement’s most visible faces. To sign up for The Closer newsletter and to read more from our team, go to TheCloser. FM. The Closer is a Project Brazen production. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus and get exclusive bonus...

The inside story of the deals that changed the world, as told by the people who know how it all went down. The Closer, out now. Landmark deals can change everything. They can transform how we live. They can alter the course of the economy. The Closer asks: Who made these deals, and why? Hosted by Aimee Keane, an award-winning financial journalist, each episode features a deal that made an impact o...