McDonald’s Golden Arches once represented a family-owned chain serving high-quality products at affordable prices. Today, they represent a low-quality last resort meal. In recent year, the once-undisputed leader in the fast food industry has faced significant challenges. As consumer preferences shift towards healthier and more sustainable options, McDonald's must evolve to maintain its market position…

Celebrities wear many hats—actors, singers, directors, entrepreneurs, and now, rising stars in the VC world. But what is it that celebrity investors bring to the table that traditional investors might not? This article dives into the unique edge celebrity investors offer and uncovers what truly sets celebrity-led VC firms apart from their traditional counterparts.

When an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in 2020, the global financial system faced a severe strain on resources. Industries like sports and entertainment in particular were met with difficult economic downturns due to operational challenges, and health and safety concerns. However, despite the severe struggle, there was one industry that performed beyond expectations: esports…

Despite the increasing appeal of nearshoring from countries like Mexico and Bangladesh to the United States, due to the rise in US on-shoring, these countries faces inherent limitations like poor infrastructure, a lack of skilled labour, and security uncertainties that prevent them from fully replacing the deeply interwoven relationship China has in manufacturing exports to the United States...

Despite its global reverence for speed, technology, and prestige, Formula 1 has struggled to gain a firm foothold in the American market. A lack of competition, a flawed economic model, and the absence of genuine American representation have all hindered its expansion efforts. This article seeks to explore the key missteps that have plagued Formula 1's ambitious push into the U.S. market.

In an era of mega-airlines, budget airlines are working hard to stay operational through challenges with rising costs, greater regulations and less developed infrastructure. As major airlines continue to grow, the survival of these low-cost airlines become dependent on their ability to build partnerships. This article explores the importance of budget airlines to consumers and why major airlines should be encouraged to partner with them.

Nearly two years have passed since the European energy crisis tormented Europe’s markets, with ripple effects throughout the global economy. Post a brutal wake-up call to reduce dependency on Russian gas, Europe rapidly mobilized to increase renewable energy infrastructure, and fell back on non-renewable sources to meet critical demand. This article steps back in time to examine the events of the energy crisis and the implications on future sustainable investments amidst irreversible shifts in Europe’s energy markets.

BNPL has become a significant part of our everyday spending, and the industries growth has been nothing short of remarkable. This growth comes with its risks, as this form of financing caters to those with low credit ratings, and the loans themselves are subject to securitization. This article seeks to explore the slow pace of regulation within the BNPL space, and how a continued ignorance of its growth can lead to a credit crisis akin to 2008.

In the grand narrative of rebuilding distressed or developing economies, foreign investment (FI) often takes center stage as a beacon of hope and progress. Governments and corporations champion the infusion of capital from abroad as a catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement. To some extent, the FI received does contribute to these factors by allowing countries to rebuild and providing many corporations with the resources they need to be successful...

From the lost decades to the present era, delve into the pivotal role of corporations in Japan and how they might bring about the changes necessary for Japan’s prosperity. This article explores the role of corporations in the Japanese economy and highlights some of the ways in which the government and corporations work together to shape the nation’s future.

With the rise in popularity of using GLP-1 injections for fast and easy weight loss, Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical company based in Denmark has had massive economic success. Market capitalization of the company is $428.99 billion, a 52.25% increase from the prior year. Their weight loss treatments continue to unsustainably bolster their growth, and the Danish economy is heavily reliant on this growth...

In the 1950s, the space race kicked off to a frantic start, with the Soviet Space program and NASA working to get their feet off the ground and out of the atmosphere. Each agency was fueled by establishing its political superiority as well as ensuring that it could not be threatened from the indefensible front of space through the Cold War...

For many Canadians, the COVID-19 pandemic represented a brutal start to the 2020s. Lives were forever altered, numerous companies collapsed, and the financial markets were in disarray. Remarkably, in this rather depressing economic state, Canada’s tech ecosystem reached its pinnacle. Dubbed the “Canadian Tech Boom”, 2021 was a record-breaking year in which venture capital investments were at an all-time high; tech giants, like Microsoft, expanded their Canadian presence, and new talent stayed local due to the restrictions limiting travel...

In 1959, around 1700 billion cubic meters of natural gas were found in Holland’s Groningen region. At the time, gas prices were near their all time high and the Dutch had a relatively strong ability to harvest oil through the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM), which was jointly owned by Esso and Shell. The discovery of natural gas was believed to enable the Dutch economy to grow and prosper, which it appeared to do so through the 70s ...

Nearly everyone is familiar with the Russian-Ukrainian war that exploded at the beginning of 2022, but why did it start? Was the capital gain for Russia’s elite a surprising side effect, or an important consideration all along? This article explores the unintended consequences of the West’s response to the war and how Russia’s social and political system enables oligarchs to continue profiting off of times of crisis.

Tesla is considered one of the key leaders in the EV market, but with other players slowly entering the EV market and facing increasing pressure from its growing competitors, can Tesla still keep its title of being a leader in the EV market? This article explores how Tesla can expand beyond being just a leader in the EV space, and instead become a broader leader within the entire energy transition.

With nearly 50 million users active daily, Roblox is one of the most popular video games in the world. In fact, categorizing Roblox as a video game is misleading - it is one of the most successful platforms in the world, allowing developers to make their own video games on the Roblox platform.

Dry powder in private equity has swelled since 2013 to almost $3 trillion. With this record amount of dry powder and recent run-up in asset prices, firms are eyeing alternative assets to capture uncorrelated returns and diversify their portfolios. Over the past decade, sport franchise values have skyrocketed and grown rapidly when compared to nearly every other asset class.

With the proliferation of new technical bugs, computer viruses and ransomware, the demand for comprehensive security plans to protect businesses and individuals has never been greater. Even testing tools such as security scans are often inadequate and thus hiring hackers to instead test corporations’ platforms proves to be beneficial. With cybercrimes being very lucrative and hackers being viewed as technological tools, it is critical to understand what incentivises cybercriminals.

As an era of rapid monopolization spurred by Big Tech begins to boom, efforts made by governing bodies through antitrust legislation grow more aggressive. This article explores the idea that despite the honourable intentions in preventing a monopolistic market, the war on big tech is not as black and white a conflict as it may initially seem. The deeper you look, the more evident it becomes that antitrust legislation is less a protective mechanism fighting against the monopoly power of Big Tech, but rather an economically misguided, politically motivated and legally conspicuous institution focused too much on tearing things down and too little on building them back up.

With a worsening climate situation worldwide, India is one of the most vulnerable nations to drought-linked disaster.This article explores the systemic climate-based risk facing the Indian insurance sector, and how it could tap the global markets to offload this risk and prepare the country for impending climate catastrophes.

With rising environmental, social and governance (ESG) corporate standards in the recent decade, the oil and gas (O&G) industry has been pushed under the spotlight. Contributing to 57% of global energy consumption, O&G has become the top sustainability priority for industry professionals to work towards. This article explores why the future of ESG relies heavily on O&G advancements and provides frameworks under how steps could be taken for changes underway.

When hearing the phrase “energy conflicts” the mind immediately races towards fossil fuels and the issues facing their consumption. From climate change to human rights concerns, the challenges faced by the global consumption of this commodity are well documented and understood. The solution proposed is the transition towards the green economy.

Psychedelics have the potential to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry. However, can regular people take advantage of this investment opportunity? This article explores how the cards may be stacked against individuals looking to capitalize on the psychedelics boom.

SPACs may be the only commonality between Lazard, Shaquille O'Neal and Chamath Palihapitiya. With clear guidelines, stronger leadership and potential, the rise of SPACs poses a threat to IPOs. This article explores the rise of SPACs and why they may lead to the demise of the traditional IPO.

After BlackBerry’s iconic rise and fall, many thought the company’s best years were behind them. However, BlackBerry has remained resilient, shifting their focus towards the B2B software market. Will the company dwindle or emerge as a contender in the industry? This article explores how management’s business strategy transition has revitalized BlackBerry and transformed the company into a future ready business.

Although 2020 was a record setting year for the advancement of space technology, the space industry as a whole is just breaking through the atmosphere. Explore the challenges that companies in the space industry face, and how the business decisions they make could impact their success now and in the future.

The gig economy saw a rapid growth since the Great Recession when numerous workers were introduced to the concept. It has been twelve years since the Great Recession started, will the growth continue? This article seeks to answer this very question.

Renegade into the future? Not so fast. TikTok’s had a viral run over the past year, bringing us new challenges, trends and fun. With rising concerns surrounding the app, a forced divestiture of its American operations may lead to the demise of the app as we know it.

How many video subscription services do you subscribe to? As a myriad of new players enter the market, competition is heating up and your favourite shows are most likely offered on different platforms. Explore how the evolution of the streaming market has been detrimental to the consumers it was created to serve.

How can alternate data aggregation help eliminate systemic inequities that plague credit markets? The article explores novel mechanisms to integrate thin-file underbanked individuals into formal financial status.

Haven't had a chance to ride the electric wave? As Tesla continues to grow at unprecedented levels through the pandemic, WBR takes a look at how smooth this ride may really be. Catch a glimpse into the world of electric vehicles and why Tesla may be overvalued.

Have you been spending all your time inside playing video games? As gaming becomes the new source of entertainment during this period of self-isolation, live streaming platforms have seen a surge in viewership. This WBR article explores how the esports industry has been able to mitigate the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency shrouded much in mystery. Is it merely a medium of exchange or is it more controversial than it is meant to be? Feel free to read through this WBR article as it aims to explore how Bitcoin can be used as a tool to facilitate money laundering.