Send us a text

 In this episode, I am joined by one of the top technology investment bankers on wall street, Ted Smith. Ted is the Co-Founder and President of Union Square Advisors, a technology focused investment bank.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame University, Ted began his career at Morgan Stanley, where he was an early member of the firm’s technology investment banking group. 

Prior to co-founding Union Square Advisors he was a Managing Director at Credit Suisse, where he headed the global software investment banking practice. He also served as a corporate executive at Novell, including as Vice President of both Corporate Development and Business Development. 

In our episode we chat about his time in the early days of Morgan Stanley’s tech group, the dot.com era, founding Union Square, his career journey, AI tech trends, work life balance, and his advice for junior investment bankers. 

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode of the FinanZe podcast, I am joined by one of the top investment bankers on Wall street, Steve McLaughlin. Steve is the Founder and CEO of FT Partners, one of the premier investment banks in the world and the largest focused on Fintech. 

After graduating with a finance degree from Villanova University, Steve spent his first few years working at GE Capital in their famous financial management program. He then received his MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, leading him to Goldman Sachs, where he spent 8 years at the firm becoming the head of the fintech group until his departure in 2002. With his entrepreneurial spirit and love for fintech, Steve started Financial Technology Partners in San Francisco. Steve was named the most influential dealmaker in Fintech by The Institutional Investor in 2017 and has continued to close some of the biggest deals in the fintech industry. 

Thank you to our sponsors at Magic Mind. Please learn more about the healthy energy drink shot at https://magicmind.com
Order your Magic Mind today at https://a.co/d/4R06mLi

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode I am joined by another amazing guest Mrs. Saira Malik. Mrs. Malik has had a fantastic career in the finance world. Mrs. Malik is currently the Chief Investment Officer of Nuveen, one of the largest investment management firms in the world. 

Previously, she spent her first 6 years at J.P. Morgan Asset Management in equity research. Saira was recognized as one of Pensions & Investments’ "Most Influential Women in Institutional Investing" in 2023 and has been profiled in Barron’s, which ranked her among the top 100 most influential women in U.S. finance. She was also named one of the LinkedIn "Top Voices in Finance". 

Saira holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and a masters of finance from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lastly, she holds the CFA designation.

Enjoy the episode!

Support the show

Send us a text

Thank you to our sponsors at Magic Mind. Please learn more about the healthy energy drink shot at https://magicmind.com

Order your Magic Mind today at https://a.co/d/4R06mLi

Hi everyone, and welcome to the FinanZe podcast, episode 19. Today I am joined by another fantastic guest Mr. Tom Gotsch. Tom has had a fantastic career in the finance world with over 9 years of investment banking experience. Tom is currently a Director at TD Cowen, one of the top investment banks in the world. Tom began his professional career with Raytheon Technologies where he was a program manager for 8 years before transitioning to MHT Partners, which was eventually acquired by Cowen and Cowen was recently acquired by TD Bank. Tom holds a bachelors and masters degree in industrial engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In addition, Tom earned his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Business.

Support the show

Send us a text

Robert is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Dolby, the #1 audio company in the world for entertainment technology. Previously, he also served as the VP of Finance for Chegg, Paypal and BlueJean Networks. 

In 2021 Dolby was named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and consistently among the top-ranked companies leading the music industry forward.

Robert began his finance career with Ernst & Young, one of the big 4 accounting firms, serving numerous technology clients. 

Robert holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. 

In this episode we will be talking about the value of an accounting background, how to break into the corporate world, and the steps to climbing up the corporate ladder!

To learn more about our podcast, follow us on Instagram @The_Finanze_podcast to receive updates on new episodes and our podcast’s future, or subscribe to our youtube channel at The FinanZe Podcast. To receive updates about our podcast episodes, join our emailing list at [email protected]. Enjoy the episode!

Support the show

Send us a text

On today’s episode,  we are joined by Mr. Paul Polman.  Business leader, campaigner, Co-Author of “Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take”, recently published October 2021.  I loved the book so please go check it out on Amazon here: Net Positive Book on Amazon. To learn more about Mr. Polman and what he is trying to accomplish regarding ESG please check out his website here: Net Positive Website.

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to tackle climate change and inequality. A leading proponent that business should be a force for good, Paul has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”. Being named Investor Magazine CEO of the Year 3 years in a row from 2010 to 2012, as well as being named European Business Leader of the year by The Wall Street Journal.

As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he demonstrated that a long-term, multi-stakeholder model goes hand-in-hand with excellent financial performance. Paul was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and which he continues to champion, working with global organizations and across industry to advance the 2030 development agenda.

Paul’s new book, “Net Positive”, is a call to arms to courageous business leaders, setting out how to build net positive companies which profit by fixing the world’s problems rather than creating them. He Chairs IMAGINE, a social venture dedicated to systems change, and Saïd Business School, and he is Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact as well as a B Team Leader. Paul isHonorary Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years.

In part 2 of today’s discussion we hit on topics such as  what it takes to be successful in the corporate world, what makes a great ceo, how people are at the heart of business, and what Paul thinks are a leaders most important attributes. 

Mr. Polman is a once in a lifetime CEO… please enjoy this episode. This one was my favorite podcast and I hope you guys enjoy.

To learn more about our podcast, follow us on Instagram @The_Finanze_podcast to receive updates on new episodes and our podcast’s future, or subscribe to our youtube channel at The FinanZe Podcast. To receive updates about our podcast episodes, join our emailing list at [email protected]. Enjoy the episode!

Support the show

Send us a text

On today’s episode,  we are joined by Mr. Paul Polman.  Business leader, campaigner, Co-Author of “Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take”, recently published October 2021.  I loved the book so please go check it out on Amazon here: Net Positive Book on Amazon. To learn more about Mr. Polman and what he is trying to accomplish regarding ESG please check out his website here: Net Positive Website. 

Paul Polman works to accelerate action by business to tackle climate change and inequality. A leading proponent that business should be a force for good, Paul has been described by the Financial Times as “a standout CEO of the past decade”. Being named Investor Magazine CEO of the Year 3 years in a row from 2010 to 2012, as well as being named European Business Leader of the year by The Wall Street Journal. 

As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), he demonstrated that a long-term, multi-stakeholder model goes hand-in-hand with excellent financial performance. Paul was a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel which developed the Sustainable Development Goals and which he continues to champion, working with global organizations and across industry to advance the 2030 development agenda. 

Paul’s new book, “Net Positive”, is a call to arms to courageous business leaders, setting out how to build net positive companies which profit by fixing the world’s problems rather than creating them. He Chairs IMAGINE, a social venture dedicated to systems change, and Saïd Business School, and he is Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact as well as a B Team Leader. Paul isHonorary Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, which he led for two years.

In part 1 of today’s discussion we hit on topics such as  the consumer goods industry, private labeling, how a consumer goods company buys a new brand, how he turned Unilever into a more ESG company, the most important points of his Book: Net Positive, the greatest challenge when it came to turning the company into a more net positive business, the idea of being driven and motivated, and role of consumer goods companies.

Mr. Polman is a once in a lifetime CEO… please enjoy this episode. This one was my favorite podcast and I hope you guys enjoy. 

To learn more about our podcast, follow us on Instagram @The_Finanze_podcast to receive updates on new episodes and our podcast’s future, or subscribe to our youtube channel at The FinanZe Podcast. To receive updates about our podcast episodes, join our emailing list at [email protected]. Enjoy the episode!

Support the show

Send us a text

On today's episode, we have self-made billionaire Ken Fisher, an esteemed author, CEO, and financial columnist. With Mr. Fisher, we discuss current economic and market conditions, money management, the true meaning behind diversification in a portfolio, key metrics when deciding when to buy a stock, Biden’s new infrastructure plan, how his Father Phillip Fisher (famed growth investing pioneer) shaped him into the person he is today, and Mr. Fisher's experience as an author and businessman.
 
Most notably, Ken Fisher was the CEO and founder of Fisher Investments, an investment and financial advisor for people across the globe; he is now currently executive chairman of the firm. As of today, the firm manages close to $200 billion in assets and is the largest regulated investment advisor firm. Mr. Fisher is also on the Forbes 400  list of richest Americans and as of 2021 is worth $4.3 billion. In 2010, he was named to Investment Advisor magazine's "30 for 30" list of the 30 most influential people in the investment advisorybusiness over the last 30 years.

He authored the "Portfolio Strategy" column in Forbes magazine. Fisher helped readers with financial and investment decisions through writing as well as through his business. "Portfolio Strategy" is the longest continuously running columnist in Forbes magazine's history, running for thirty-two and a half years. Fisher has also been featured in a number of other magazines across the globe as a columnist, featuring in prominent magazines such as Taiwan's Business Weekly, Chosun Mint in South Korea, elEconomista in Spain, De Telegraaf in the Netherlands, and Handelszeitung in Switzerland. 
   
 Further than finance and investing, Mr. Fisher has been devoted to research as a pioneer of many research studies. Most recently in "Cognitive Basics in Market Forecasts" Mr. Fisher studies behavioral finance alongside Dr. Meir Statman of Santa Clara University. Mr. Fisher is the innovator of investment theory, the idea of a price being determined by solely supply and demand. 
    
To learn more about our podcast follow us on Instagram @The_finanze_podcast to receive updates on new episodes and our podcast's future, or subscribe to our youtube channel at The FinanZe Podcast. To receive updates about our podcast episodes join our emailing list at [email protected]. If you enjoyed our episodes and learned from them we would appreciate it if you gave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts to help the growth of our podcast to help other individuals. Enjoy the episode!

     

Support the show

Send us a text

On today's episode, we have Jim Rogers, billionaire co-founder of The Quantum Fund and Soros Fund Management.

Mr. Rogers is known by many in the finance world as one of the greatest investors of all time.


From 1973 to 1980, the Quantum Fund portfolio gained 4,200% while the S&P advanced only about 47%.  He is also accredited as the creator of the Rogers International Commodities Index (RCI) and co-founder of Soros Fund Management. In addition, Rogers is a holder of three Guinness World Records and is much more than just an investor and businessman. 

Rogers speaks about "The Millennium Adventure," where he takes part in a journey spanning over 3-years in a unique Millennium Mercedes-Benz car, giving Jim Rogers and his wife, Paige Parker, a new way to discover the world. Rogers passes through 116 countries, more than 245,000 kilometers of land on six continents, finally ending in Iceland at the beginning of 1999. 
 
Another topic covered this episode was Rogers' Quantum Group of Funds. Out of London, New York, Curacao, and the Cayman Islands, the Quantum Group of Funds helped investors build long-term wealth and create more diversification within their investment portfolios. Helping others meet their financial goals, the company works as a private family fund for the Soros family and retail investors. 

Finally, Rogers talks about the Soros Fund Management, a former hedge fund, which has been impactful in the world of business for many years. The fund initially began as an investment firm and hedge fund, but now works as a private family office. Even today, Soros Fund Management is involved in the financial and business world by owning and investing in holdings and cryptocurrencies. Outside of business Jim Rogers created "The Rogers Foundation," a foundation in Nevada dedicated to providing art and education to young children. The foundation has donated more than $90 million to programs to support its goals. Enjoy!

Support the show

Send us a text

GTOAT- The Greatest Trade of All Time.


On today’s episode we have one of the best if not the best hedge fund manager of all time, John A. Paulson. And today we reveal how he pulled off his Big Short during the 2008 financial crisis.

Paulson leads Paulson & Co., a New York-based investment management firm he founded in 1994 and turned his hedge fund into a family office in 2020. He has been called "one of the most prominent names in high finance" and "a man who made one of the biggest fortunes in Wall Street history."

Paulson executed the greatest trade of all time, making $20 Billion off one trade. He was the 100th richest person in the world in 2016 with a net worth of $9.7 Billion. In 2010, he set another hedge fund record by making $5 billion in one year. He was one of the first people to predict The Great Recession in 2004.

Mr. Paulson has only done 5 public interviews in his career. This is the ONLY PUBLIC interview about his Big Short.

Paulson is also known for his philanthropy. He donated $400 million to Harvard University back in 2015 (largest donation in school history), and around $2.5 Billion to other charitable causes. Such as  Between 2009 and 2011 Paulson made several charitable donations, including $15 million to the Center for Responsible Lending, $20 million to New York University Stern School of Business (auditorium now named after Paulson), $5 million to the Southampton Hospital on Long Island, $15 million to build a children's hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and £2.5 million to the London School of Economics for the John A. Paulson Chair in European Political Economy. In October 2012, Paulson donated $100 million to the Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that maintains New York City's Central Park. And he has put half of his wealth into the Paulson Foundation. 

Today we will talk about how he got into finance, the basics of hedge funds, merger arbitrage, long/short strategy, how he predicated the fall of the mortgage market, his Big Short, his advice for everyone in the world,
how he executed his trade, CDOs, credit default swaps, mortgage backed securities, assets under management used to make his Big Short, risk/return trade off, why he made the trade during a prosperous housing market, his UK and US Stock shorts, his philanthropy career, and more.

Follow the podcast on Instagram @The_finanze_podcast for live updates on new episodes. You can check out our Youtube Channel at The FinanZe Podcast.

Join our email list by emailing us at [email protected]

If you enjoy listening to our episodes and are learning then we’d be extremely grateful if you gave us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts.

Enjoy the episode with one of the greats.

Support the show

Send us a text

CHAPTER MARKERS:

0:09- Introduction

1:35- Chris Larsen's Origin Story

4:35- The Story of E-loan.

8:40- Chris Larsen's greatest challenge starting E-loan.

11:25- His advice for all future & present entrepreneurs and What makes a great entrepreneur

16:52- The Overview & Creation of Ripple and XRP.

20:45- How Chris Larsen got into cryptocurrency.

22:15: Chris Larsen’s opinion on Bitcoin and its energy usage

23:24- What makes XRP so valuable?

24:30- What is a cryptocurrency?

25:00- When is something a currency and when is it a security?

25:55- Store of Value in a cryptocurrency 

26:50- The Concept of Fungibility 

29:45- Is All Fiat Virtual?

30:50- Paying Taxes with Cryptocurrency

31:30- The Idea of Value & Price of a Cryptocurrency.

33:12- The main differences & use cases between cryptocurrencies.

34:50- The Cryptocurrency World is Tribal 

37:35- How cryptocurrency transactions work on XRP Ledger & in General.

40:40- How blockchains work using clean & bad energy

45:40- What to know before entering the cryptocurrency world.

46:10- Is XRP really decentralized?

48:20- Chris’s views on Dogecoin and Elon Musk’s recent dip in Bitcoin.

50:35- How to start investing in the cryptocurrency world.

53:47- Outro

On today’s episode we have Chris Larsen, a successful angel investor, and entrepreneur who has founded numerous Bay Area startups. Today we will hear about his origin story and his thoughts on recent cryptocurrency trends. He is best known for being one of the co-founders, Former CEO, and current Executive Chairman of Ripple, a global blockchain software company that is used widely around the world. Larsen received praise, as he was able to create seamless financial transactions through blockchain payments with people on a global scale. 

Chris was the richest person in cryptocurrency until early this year and ranked #319 on the Forbes 400 list with a peak net worth of $4.6 Billion. Chris helped create one of if not the largest real-time gross settlement, currency exchange, and remittance networks in the world called Ripple. His company Ripple Labs specializes in the digital asset XRP, helping facilitate value transfer around the world. XRP has grown 30,000% from 2017 to 2018, surpassing crypto giants like Ethereum, and became the 2nd largest digital currency by market capitalization in the world. 

He is also responsible for the creation of E-loan in the 1990s, one of the first online mortgage lending services in the United States. E-Loan became the first company to freely provide consumers' FICO credit scores. He continued to run the growing company until it was bought out in 2005. A year later, he founded Prosper Marketplace. Its focus was to create a more personalized peer-to-peer lending service, which connected people on a global scale. 

He has made his mark as one of the most influential CEOs in the blockchain world. Gaining the respect of his peers, he has shown time and time again his deep understanding and success with cryptocurrency. Mr. Larsen has changed the world for the better, and I hope you all learn something new from this brilliant man. 

If you are loving the show please go ahead and follow us on your favorite podcast app., and leave us a review on apple podcasts. You can get in touch with us by email at the.finanz

Support the show