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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Investors accuse Florida businessman Patrick Orlando of diverting millions of Trump Media shares from them.</li><li>Orlando was the CEO of the blank check firm that helped take Trump Media public.</li></ul>Investors have accused the ex-CEO of the blank check firm that helped take the parent company of President-elect <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-election-victory-impact-investments-costs-housing-taxes-childcare-2024-11">Donald Trump's</a> social media site public of stiffing them out of million of shares.The plaintiffs — more than three dozen investors — allege in a new lawsuit against Florida businessman Patrick Orlando that he "engaged in malicious and intentional self-dealing of monumental proportions to the tune of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars" by diverting assets to himself and his family through entities including an offshore shell company.The plaintiffs say in the lawsuit that they are founding members of Orlando's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-dump-djt-stock-sell-lockup-truth-social-2024-8">ARC Global Investments II</a> entity, the sponsor of a SPAC that merged with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-truth-social-resignation-whistleblower-propublica-2024-10">Trump Media &amp; Technology Group</a> to take it public earlier this year. Orlando was the CEO and chairman of the SPAC, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/digital-world-acquisition-corp-and-trump-media-technology-group-corp-announce-completion-of-business-combination-1033193991">Digital World Acquisition Corporation</a>.The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Delaware's Chancery Court, alleges that Orlando and ARC Global have failed to transfer what is owed — roughly 75% to 80% of the total approximate 8.1 million shares of stock in Trump Media that ARC Global owns — to the plaintiffs.Trump Media is the operator of Trump's social media platform, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-truth-social-tmtg-stock-wealth-election-harris-x-2024-9">Truth Social.</a>Orlando, his attorneys, and attorneys for ARC Global did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider on Thursday.The lawsuit accuses the defendants of "coordinated and intentional theft of stock" and "egregious breaches of fiduciary duties" by Orlando.Orlando, the lawsuit alleges, "orchestrated a scheme with the other Defendants to divert the majority of ARC ownership interest to himself and his family through a closely held alter-ego entity named Franlu LLC" and a Cayman Islands-based entity called Belsize Ventures Ltd. Franlu and Belsize are also named as defendants in the lawsuit."In doing so, Orlando intentionally breached his fiduciary duties owed to Plaintiffs by diluting the ownership interests of the Plaintiffs," the lawsuit says. "Specifically, as Managing Member of ARC, Orlando conveyed roughly 46% of ARC's membership interest to Franlu in a secret transaction for zero consideration in exchange."The lawsuit alleges that ARC Global is diverting shares to Orlando and his "inner circle" and "liquidating remaining shares to fund Orlando's own legal defense efforts and other personal expenses on a commingled basis with ARC's own assets.""While claiming that ARC was not in position to distribute shares, Orlando has been enriching himself through a series of lavish purchases, including a brand new six-million-dollar home in Miami, from the proceeds of TMTG stock that he misappropriated," the lawsuit alleges.To date, the plaintiffs have received only a "meager fraction" of the Trump Media shares they say they are owed by ARC Global under the terms of their subscription agreements, the lawsuit says.The merger that allowed Trump Media to trade under the stock ticker DJT was completed in March, with the lock-up period ending in September, the lawsuit says."Even assuming the lock-up period stood as the hurdle to Plaintiffs receiving their Founder Shares, the lock-up period ended over one month ago," the lawsuit says.The lawsuit says that in September, Orlando emailed ARC Global members, including the plaintiffs, "claiming that 'ARC has matters that must be addressed before equity distributions are made.""As examples, Orlando listed certain 'liabilities of ARC,' including 'bona fide creditors, such as professional advisors or noteholders, as well as costs imposed upon ARC through litigation,'" the lawsuit says.The lawsuit says that Orlando emailed ARC Global members again in October "stating that '[i]nitial distributions [were] in progress,' but that 'further distributions' were only 'expected in the future.'""Orlando's email again alludes to 'attacks' on ARC and the need to 'defend itself,' without providing any explanation for how such 'attacks' affect ARC's ability to tender to subscribing investors their TMTG shares," the lawsuit continues.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sec-sues-ex-ceo-spac-helped-trump-media-for-fraud-2024-7">Securities and Exchange Commission sued Orlando</a> in July, alleging that he "falsely represented" that his blank check company, Digital World Acquisition Corp., did not intend to merge with any specific company."Orlando knew these statements were false because he had personally engaged in numerous lengthy discussions with representatives of Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp," the SEC said in the lawsuit.The group of investors who filed the latest lawsuit against Orlando are seeking to recover their "rightful portion" of the 8.1 million stock shares, "nullify improper transactions," and monetary damages.Trump Media's stock rose 5.9% Wednesday after <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-trump-harris-presidential-election-2024-11">Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris</a> in the presidential election but dropped 23% Thursday, closing at $27.70.

Investors accuse the ex-CEO of the company that helped take Trump Media public of stiffing them out of millions of shares

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The creator and marketing company Triller is finally trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker ILLR.</li><li>The company went public via a reverse merger with a Hong Kong-based company called AGBA.</li></ul>The creator services, entertainment, and marketing company Triller — which once positioned itself as a rival to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tiktok-is-changing-music-industry">TikTok</a> — made its stock market debut on the Nasdaq Wednesday.The company went public via a reverse merger with AGBA Group Holding Limited, a Hong Kong-based wealth management and healthcare firm. A reverse merger occurs when a private company goes public by acquiring a publicly listed company.Triller's stock was down about 20% in its first hour of trading.It's been a tough few years for other creator startups that have made public market debuts, as companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/faze-clan-decline-says-more-about-influencer-startups-than-esports-2023-10">FaZe Clan</a> and Clubhouse Media Group have struggled to show the type of growth that keeps investors happy. The creator economy has largely <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-creator-economy-is-having-an-identity-crisis-2024-1">failed to live up to lofty valuations set by VCs</a>, though <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/acquisition-spree-in-influencer-marketing-is-bolstering-the-creator-economy-2024-9">influencer marketing</a> remains a bright spot in the category.Triller's journey to a public listing has been a winding one. It explored going public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in late 2020, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-triller-m-a-exclusive-idUSKBN26W0V3/?">Reuters</a> reported. That didn't come to fruition, and in December 2021, the company announced plans to complete a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/triller-plans-public-reverse-merger-key-takeaways-revenue-losses-users-2022-3">reverse merger</a> with a company called Seachange International. It shut down that effort in June 2022 to instead do a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/triller-ends-reverse-merger-new-plan-to-go-public-2022-6">direct listing</a>. That also didn't last, as Triller switched again to a reverse merger with AGBA in April and withdrew its direct filing with the SEC in May.Now that investors can buy Triller stock, listed as ILLR, what is the company's pitch?Triller's business today includes a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/investor-deck-shows-triller-pitch-aims-to-go-public-2023-5">mix</a> of creator, marketing, and entertainment services. It owns its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/triller-gives-up-on-making-money-from-its-namesake-app-2023-8">namesake TikTok-style video app</a>, as well as a fan engagement tool called Fangage, an influencer-marketing platform called Julius, a combat-sports streamer called TrillerTV (formerly dubbed FITE), and a text-marketing tool Cliqz, among other products.AGBA's investor materials around Triller talk about how its different products interact to serve marketers and creators. Creators on Fangage can connect to services like Julius or the Triller app, for example.In filings, AGBA also highlights Triller's work in the buzzy area of AI. The company described Triller's business in an August filing as "a global, artificial intelligence powered technology platform that serves a broad constituency of creators and brands around the world."It's not the first time that Triller's tapped into a trendy topic in tech to connect with investors. In October 2022, as <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-new-name-meta-rebrand-metaverse-zuckerberg-apps-2021-10">Big Tech</a> and startups alike were captivated by the idea of digital worlds called "metaverses," Triller <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/triller-introduces-the-metaverz-your-all-access-pass-to-global-entertainment-301651110.html">announced</a> it was launching its own version called the Metaverz. AGBA said in its August filing that the Metaverz could offer augmented reality and virtual experiences, including virtual merchandise stores, for creators and brands.<h2 id="97d853f9-c0dc-41c2-a32b-f81609fd067b">Who are Triller's customers?</h2>Creators, brands, and consumers are the main cohorts that AGBA touts as central to Triller's business in its recent filings. In its description of those stakeholders, the company has discussed both customers that Triller worked with directly and others that it "tracked" but did not have direct relationships with.For example, in an August preliminary proxy statement, the company said Triller's creator accounts grew from somewhere around 2.37 million at the start of Q1 2021 to around 2.47 million in the first quarter of this year. But that tally includes creators the company doesn't directly work with but rather tracks to help "brands identify creators that may be appropriate for their marketing activities."The company had a similar approach for tallying brand partners, examining both brands that it worked with directly and brands that it tracked but were not actively using its products. The number of direct brands it worked with declined from around 250 in Q1 2021 to around 200 in Q1 2024, per a chart in AGBA's August filing.AGBA's tally of consumer accounts for Triller, which includes people who use its products like its Triller app and its combat streamer TrillerTV, also counted accounts that were not directly tied to its owned-and-operated products.AGBA said that as of March 2024, Triller had about 337 million consumer accounts, including inactive accounts, across platforms like the Triller app, TrillerTV, and its combat business BKFC. It separately counted an additional 109 million consumer accounts tied to properties it didn't own but established on behalf of brands and creator partners, including a "Triller brand customer's social media account on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or other platforms."Triller's approach to reporting on its user base has come under scrutiny in the past. In 2020 and 2021, former employees and other people with knowledge of Triller's reporting told media outlets like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/some-former-triller-employees-wary-of-monthly-active-user-count-2020-9">Business Insider</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.billboard.com/pro/triller-inflating-public-user-figures/">Billboard</a> that its public monthly active user numbers were inflated compared to internal data and what it shared with rights holders. Former Triller CEO Mike Lu told BI in October 2021 that the former employees were "disseminating inaccurate information." Lu told Billboard in February 2021 that Triller would no longer share monthly active users or daily active users as they didn't accurately represent its business and that it had "never inflated any user numbers."<h2 id="091877de-6fa2-45d6-8bd7-e25fc6976d54">What do Triller's financials look like?</h2>Here's a rundown of what Triller's financials were as of early 2024, per AGBA's filing.<ul><li>As of March 31, 2024, Triller had cash and cash equivalents of $800,000, a working capital deficit of $270.7 million, and an accumulated deficit of $1.6 billion, AGBA wrote in its filing.</li><li>In the first three months of 2024, the company earned about $9.9 million in revenue and saw a net loss of $43 million, compared to about $9.2 million in revenue and a roughly $29 million net loss over the same period in 2023.</li><li>The company earned $45.5 million in revenue in 2023, a 4.5% decline from 2022. Its comprehensive loss in 2023 was around $299 million, up from around <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/triller-heads-nyse-public-tightening-losses-tweaking-pitch-key-takeaways-2023-8">$196 million</a> in 2022. The company previously told BI that some earlier losses were tied to acquisition costs.AGBA wrote in its August filing that Triller has incurred losses each year since its inception and may not become profitable in the future. It said the company has financial obligations which have come due in the past six months and are coming due over the next twelve months and it may not be able to meet its cash obligations as those amounts come due.Triller has been embroiled in legal disputes with music platforms that it previously licensed songs from, contract claims from former employees and business partners, and a dispute over rent payments to the company it leased office space from. AGBA wrote that Triller "may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet its current and any future debt service and other obligations, including amounts owed pursuant to new and ongoing litigation matters."A spokesperson for AGBA did not provide comment by time of publication. Triller did not reply to Business Insider's request for comment.</li></ul>

Triller is finally a public company after years of false starts. Here's its pitch to investors.

The <keyword id="19949639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rupee" source="keywords">rupee</keyword> recovered from its all-time low level and witnessed a range-bound trade against the <keyword id="19949640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-dollar" source="keywords">US dollar</keyword> in early hours on Thursday, as investors remained cautious ahead of the US Fed meeting outcome later this week. Forex traders said RBI interventions will keep the <keyword id="23844589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="USD/INR-pair" source="keywords">USD/INR pair</keyword> between 83.80 and 84.35. Moreover, the US Federal Reserve monetary policy and officials' comments will be in focus to derive further momentum. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 84.26 against the greenback, registering a rise of 5 paise over its previous close. On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 22 paise to close at an all-time low of 84.31 against the US dollar. "The <keyword id="20045514" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-rupee" source="keywords">Indian rupee</keyword> fell to its lowest (level) on Wednesday and is expected to continue with its fall as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allows a weaker rupee with FPIs (<keyword id="20015748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-portfolio-investors" source="keywords">foreign portfolio investors</keyword>) continuing their selling mode in equities," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP. RBI protected the rupee for some time but left the protection as pressure on buying dollars was immense after a rise in the dollar index and an increase in US yields, Bhansali added. Forex traders said the rupee was trading in a narrow range as persistent foreign fund outflows, a muted trend in domestic equities and the strength of the American currency in the overseas market, dented investor sentiments. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.10 per cent lower at 104.98. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.79 per cent to USD 75.51 per barrel in futures trade. On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 429.83 points, or 0.53 per cent, to 79,948.30 points. The Nifty fell 143.25 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 24,340.80 points. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Wednesday, as they offloaded shares worth Rs 4,445.59 crore, according to exchange data. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/skoda-kylaq-suv-launched-in-india-starting-at-7-89-lakh/articleshow/115013668.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/skoda-kylaq-suv-launched-in-india-starting-at-7-89-lakh/articleshow/115013668.cms" target="_blank">Skoda Kylaq SUV launched in India starting at ₹7.89 lakh</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/swiggy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115004939.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/swiggy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115004939.cms" target="_blank">Swiggy IPO – GMP, risk factors and all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-gt-7-pro-with-snapdragon-8-elite-6500mah-battery-to-launch-in-india-on-november-26/articleshow/114945858.cms" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-indias-biggest-telco-to-go-public-in-2025-retail-ipo-further-away/articleshow/114944496.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-indias-biggest-telco-to-go-public-in-2025-retail-ipo-further-away/articleshow/114944496.cms" target="_blank">Reliance Jio IPO – India’s biggest telco to go public in 2025, retail IPO further away</a>

Rupee rises 5 paise to 84.26 against US dollar in early trade

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While many tech VCs are optimistic about Trump's second term, some healthcare investors feel stuck.</li><li>They're torn between the promise of long-awaited exits and potential threats to healthcare access.</li></ul>Some healthcare-focused VCs are torn about what Donald Trump's presidential win could mean for their portfolios.Six healthcare investors expressed mixed feelings about Trump's win — largely rooted in a tension they feel between the potential for big deals to come back and policies that fear could restrict healthcare access to many patients.Trump could make sweeping changes to healthcare policy in his return to the presidency. He's said he'll let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "go wild" on health initiatives in the new administration, which could see the former presidential candidate making good on his desires to <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923">ban fluoride from public water systems</a>, "<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852872924170010840">get toxins out of our food</a>," and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/11/06/heres-what-an-rfk-jr-health-role-in-a-trump-administration-could-look-like-vaccine-skepticism-fluoride-ban/">inject vaccine skepticism into federal decisionmaking</a>, among other initiatives.While Trump is unlikely to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/31/politics/aca-trump-repeal-affordable-care-act/index.html">try again</a> to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he may seek to boost Medicare Advantage plans, cut Medicaid spending, and <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/madison/news/2024/11/07/trump-rfk-fda-cdc-vaccines-fluoride">reorganize federal agencies,</a> from the Food and Drug Administration to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an interview Kennedy Jr. gave from Trump's Florida estate shortly after the election.After a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-healthcare-ipos-coming-what-startups-should-know-barclays-banker-2024-10">three-year IPO desert</a> for digital health startups, healthcare investors are desperate for the exit opportunities that a second Trump presidency could usher in. But some of Trump's proposed health policy moves are making investors nervous about their potential impacts on startups building in care areas like women's health and Medicaid, as well as on doctors and patients.Compared to Trump's first term, "I think you're going to see a more systemic overhaul of the infrastructure that administers our healthcare system, and that could happen relatively quickly," said Michael Greeley, cofounder and managing partner of Flare Capital Partners. "It's the unknown of those moves that makes it really hard to make a long-term investment decision."<div type="image" title="RFK Jr. speaks at a Trump rally as Trump watches." height="683" width="1024" msid="115114971" hostid="261" sizebytes="60192"></div><h2 id="cadda1d2-41e5-4dcc-8fbd-97541af9ac1a">Healthcare exits on the horizon</h2>In the three years since 2021's healthcare funding boom — during which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/2021-year-end-digital-health-funding-seismic-shifts-beneath-the-surface/#:~:text=And%20while%20some%20of%20the,peak%20of%20eight%20in%202020.">21</a> healthcare startups went public — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">only four</a> digital health startups have gone public in total, with mixed success.A number of healthtech startups have been waiting on the sidelines for their chance to IPO — and Trump's election should boost their odds, healthcare investors told BI.The lower corporate taxes and deregulation a second Trump term could promise are already amplifying public market optimism. A number of tech and finance giants, from Tesla to JP Morgan Chase, saw their stocks soar Wednesday morning. By midday Friday, the S&amp;P 500 index had risen 3.6% from Tuesday's close.Some startups, including physical therapy startup <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hinge-health-s-1-morgan-stanley-ipo-2024-9">Hinge Health </a>and diabetes startup <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-omada-health-confidentially-filed-s1-ipo-public-2024-10">Omada Health, have already signaled their intentions to IPO when the digital health markets reopen.</a>Several other late-stage startups are moving towards the exits, too. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mavens-cfo-out-as-womens-health-startup-gets-fresh-funding-2024-10">Maven replaced its chief financial officer</a> in October with an executive with public market experience, BI reported. Sword Health has said it's planning to IPO <a target="_blank" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/health-tech-deals/2024/06/04/sword-healths-road-to-ipo">as soon as the second half of 2025</a>.<div type="image" title="Sean Duffy Omada" height="1880" width="2507" msid="115114964" hostid="261" sizebytes="278880"></div>The healthcare M&amp;A market looks ripe for more activity. Big deals could be on the horizon, including the proposed mega-merger of health insurance rivals Cigna and Humana. Bloomberg reported in October that the insurers had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-18/cigna-resumes-merger-discussions-with-humana-after-talks-ended-last-year">resumed talks of combining</a> after previously shelving the deal last December.The Cigna-Humana merger was expected to face significant antitrust scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openness-in-ai-is-necessary-ftc-lina-khan-2024-7">led by Lina Khan</a> since 2021. She could be removed as the FTC's head early in Trump's second term — and with relaxed M&amp;A regulations, "anything is possible," said What If Ventures founder Stephen Hays.Investors said they also expect to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-deals-coming-healthcare-startups-take-privates-private-equity-2024">increased private equity involvement in healthcare</a> through more investments and acquisitions. Healthcare VC has been calling for consolidation in overcrowded areas of healthcare <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/13-mental-health-startups-ipo-acquisition-merge-buyout-2024-5">like behavioral health</a> for years. Additional interest rate cuts could help facilitate PE-backed mergers, or even rollups of multiple solutions, in the many fragmented areas of digital health and healthcare services, said a Boston-based healthcare investor.<div type="image" title="Cigna insurance" height="2672" width="3563" msid="115114973" hostid="261" sizebytes="1378900"></div><h2 id="8fd35f3b-b1b9-4ac8-ab08-0143afe9541f">Reverberations in women's health and Medicaid</h2>While healthcare investors remain optimistic about what a second Trump term could mean for late-stage startups, VCs said his win could have consequences for key areas of the industry.Reproductive rights remained a top concern throughout the election cycle. Founders of women's health companies and their investors previously expressed concerns to Business Insider about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/womens-health-startups-risk-trump-wins-election-2024-10">what a second Trump term could mean for their businesses</a>.While Trump has said he wouldn't sign off on a national abortion ban, experts have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/07/how-trumps-victory-could-change-abortion-rights-in-america.html">raised worries</a> that the president-elect could impose more restrictions on birth control access and abortion pills delivered by mail. Demand for abortion pills, emergency contraception, and related treatments <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/07/abortion-pills-hormones-trump">exploded on Wednesday</a> as patients rushed to stockpile the drugs in fear of potential restrictions.In the wake of the election, women's health investors are dismayed but hopeful that the sector will largely remain untouched by federal policy changes and that VCs will be able to use their capital to push care forward even in the face of policy threats."In our conversations with others, there is a shared resoluteness to continue to pledge investment and develop innovation in historically underfunded categories (e.g. contraception &amp; abortion access, menstruation &amp; hormonal health, maternal health &amp; fertility, menopause &amp; aging)," said Carli Sapir, the founding partner of Amboy Street Ventures, in an email to Business Insider. "Every dollar and ounce of effort toward these areas now speaks volumes for future impact."<div type="image" title="an abortion rights protest sign reading &quot;stars, stripes and reproductive rights&quot;" height="683" width="911" msid="115114963" hostid="261" sizebytes="45906"></div>Medicaid could also be targeted in Trump's second term. Experts think Trump could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/millions-risk-losing-health-insurance-trumps-victory-rcna179146">cut Medicaid funding</a> and enable states to refuse to expand their Medicaid coverage. Those changes could impact dozens of <a target="_blank" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/unwinding-the-opportunity-medicaids-digital-health-moment/">startups innovating in Medicaid</a>, as well as the millions of patients covered under Medicaid plans, said Jordan Nof, a cofounder and managing partner at Tusk Venture Partners.And if the House of Representatives goes red along with the Senate, experts expect the subsidies that help people pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/millions-risk-losing-health-insurance-trumps-victory-rcna179146">to disappear after they expire at the end of 2025</a>. Without those subsidies, tens of millions of people will see their premiums significantly increase, potentially making coverage prohibitively expensive for many.If fewer patients can afford to be insured, the healthcare system is certain to see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/uninsured/issue-brief/key-facts-about-the-uninsured-population/#:~:text=Because%20people%20without%20health%20coverage,declines%20in%20their%20overall%20health.">rising spend</a> associated with increased hospitalizations from otherwise avoidable health problems — a consequence with far-reaching implications across healthcare and the companies building in the sector.<h2 id="f1af4c00-342b-4f1b-b392-ccfc3d9c72fa">A boon for healthcare AI and Medicare Advantage</h2>Trump's victory could have a positive impact on several big areas of healthcare investment.For one, Trump is expected to restrict the government's involvement in AI regulation. That means AI companies, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/22-most-promising-healthcare-ai-startups-2024-8">including healthcare AI companies, will keep soaring</a> with fewer guardrails.Without federal AI safety efforts, the healthcare industry will likely move to self-regulate new technologies, especially in more contentious areas like clinical decision support, Flare Capital Partners' Greeley said. Some of those efforts are already underway, including by groups like the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/future-pulse/2024/10/18/ai-self-regulation-comes-into-view-00184268">Coalition for Health AI</a>, which includes top academic medical centers like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Speaker alongside tech companies like Microsoft.Still, "there'll be temptations around the margins to more rapidly deploy technologies that aren't yet determined to be safe," Greeley said.<div type="image" title="Dr. Shiv Rao, CEO of Abridge" height="2268" width="3024" msid="115114962" hostid="261" sizebytes="233874"></div>Medicare Advantage plans are also expected to be boosted by a returning Trump administration that's likely to move to further incentivize commercial health insurance. That could be good for the few <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alignment-healthcare-devoted-health-startups-medicare-advantage-membership-market-2024-2">young insurers clamoring for market share in Medicare Advantage</a>, like Devoted Health and Alignment Healthcare, and the many startups working to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-ai-cohere-health-raises-50-million-series-b-extension-2024-1">improve payment processes</a> between insurers and providers. (An increased share of Medicare Advantage plans in the Medicare market might not be good for patients, however, since Medicare Advantage plans <a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2815743">deny claims more frequently</a> than traditional Medicare.)And while Robert F. Kennedy Jr's potential appointment to a key health role in the Trump administration <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/health-officials-concerned-about-rfk-jr-s-influence-in-trump-administration">worries some healthcare experts</a>, his focus on "food as medicine" could yield some interesting federal projects and perhaps add momentum to the <a target="_blank" href="https://rockhealth.com/insights/an-apple-a-day-but-keep-the-doctor-in-play-a-primer-on-food-as-medicine-trends-solutions-and-business-models/">nutrition startups gaining traction</a>, said Chrissy Farr, a managing director at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, and a general partner at Scrub Capital."He's been given carte blanche, apparently, to take this on. Coupled with GLP-1s, I could see America really doing something interesting around food in the next couple of years," Farr said.

Healthcare investors are torn on Trump's second term

Enviro Infra Engineers, which is involved in the development of turnkey projects of <keyword id="19979438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sewage-treatment-plants" source="keywords">sewage treatment plants</keyword> and sewerage systems, on Monday fixed a price band of ₹140-148 per share for its ₹650 crore <keyword id="19913114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Initial-Public-Offering" source="keywords">Initial Public Offering</keyword> (IPO). The initial share sale will open for public subscription on November 22 and conclude on November 26. The bidding for anchor investors will open for a day on November 21, the company announced. The city-based company's proposed IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of 3.87 crore equity shares and an Offer For Sale (OFS) component of 52.68 lakh shares by promoters. Currently, promoters hold over 93 per cent stake in Enviro Infra Engineers. At the higher end of the price band, the IPO is valued at ₹650 crore, placing the company's market capitalization at approximately ₹2,600 crore. Proceeds from the fresh issue to the tune of ₹181 crore will be used to meet the working capital requirements, ₹100 crore will be used for payment of debt, ₹30 crore will be infused into the company's subsidiary, EIEL Mathura Infra Engineers, to build 60 million litres per day Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, a portion will be used for general corporate purposes. Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional buyers, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 15 per cent for non-institutional investors. Enviro Infra Engineers is engaged in designing, construction, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants and water supply scheme projects for government authorities/bodies. The treatment process installed by the company at most of the STPs is zero liquid discharge-compliant and the treated water can be used for horticulture, washing, refrigeration, and other process industries. Hem Securities is the sole book-running lead manager of the public issue. The equity shares of the company are expected to be listed on the BSE and NSE on November 29. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ntpc-green-energy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115403791.cms">NTPC Green Energy IPO – GMP, risk factors and all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-launched-in-india-priced-at-9-42-lakh/slidelist/115332842.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-launched-in-india-priced-at-9-42-lakh/slidelist/115332842.cms" target="_blank">Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR launched in India priced at ₹9.42 lakh</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-grow-5-6-in-q3-2024-vivo-leads-the-market/articleshow/115329847.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-grow-5-6-in-q3-2024-vivo-leads-the-market/articleshow/115329847.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartphone shipments grow 5.6% in Q3 2024, Vivo leads the market</a>

Enviro Infra Engineers IPO to open on Nov 22; eyes ₹650 crore

<keyword id="19900795" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-investors" source="keywords">Foreign investors</keyword> are currently making a beeline for <keyword id="19894886" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="China" source="keywords">China</keyword>, enthused by the gush of <keyword id="23496485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-stimulus" source="keywords">financial stimulus</keyword> injected by the government into the Chinese economy. While this may have temporarily sent their stock markets soaring, a recent report by the <keyword id="19899824" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Bank">World Bank</keyword> notes that this might not be enough to push back the <keyword id="19904090" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-slowdown" source="keywords">economic slowdown</keyword> that has already set in. China's growth rate is projected to slack further to 4.3% in 2025, down from its present rate of 4.8%. The <keyword id="19916574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OECD" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="OECD" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="OECD">OECD</keyword> also expects the country's growth to slow down to 4.5% in 2025 Experts believe that the recent economic push by the government, which includes lowering reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 0.5% to 6.6%, lowering mortgage rates, injecting $142 billion into banks, among others, are too little to sustain long-term recovery. Notably, lowering RRR frees up $140 billion for banks to lend, while reducing mortgages and minimum down payments for housing purchases are directed to spur up the Chinese real estate segment. Per <keyword id="19906485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goldman-Sachs" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Goldman Sachs" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Goldman Sachs">Goldman Sachs</keyword>, weak domestic demand, dwindling consumer confidence and spending and an endless real-estate crisis are some of the main reasons for the slowdown.The average Chinese citizen still grapples with job insecurity, stagnant salaries, and depreciating real estate and equity values. For instance, China's last public holiday of the year, the Golden Week, which ended on October 7 and commemorates the nation's founding, saw 2% less spending per domestic trip, as compared to pre-pandemic levels. "Low tourism spending per head and subdued services prices highlight the still weak domestic demand and continued consumption downgrading in the country,” the analysts at GS noted. <h2>Its all temporary</h2>The <keyword id="21360606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hang-Seng-index" source="keywords">Hang Seng index</keyword>, which is up by 4.22% today, has been seeing a meteoric rise over the past few weeks. Inching up by a little over 24% over the last month, the Chinese markets have been seeing an significant influx of foreign investment, largely at the expense of other emerging markets like India. Foreign investors had offloaded shares worth Rs 27,142 crore between the first and third of this month, after foreign investments reached a staggering record-high of Rs 93,538 crore in September, as per NSDL data. Over the last 10 days, FIIs have constantly been net sellers, while DIIs have been net buyers. As of October 10th, DII (Domestic Institutional Investors) have put in Rs 50,183 crores in Indian markets, almost balancing out Rs 49,305.29 crore withdrawn by foreign investors. But whether this trend of FII inflow in China continues will largely depend on the fundamentals their economy, an area where India has an edge, thanks to strong confidence of domestic investors. Viram Shah, CEO of Vested Finance highlights that while the Hang Seng index's recent 26% surge over the last month has caught investors' attention, and while this bullish trend is expected to continue, driven by low Chinese stock valuations and hopes for economic improvement from government stimulus, there lies a long road ahead. "Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) pulled out $5.4 billion from Indian equities over five consecutive sessions, ending Monday, October 7. While this suggests a possible rotation of funds from India to China, how long this shift will last will depend on the Chinese government’s ability to resolve the structural economic issues. While the market rally is encouraging, more policy steps are needed to boost economic activity and confidence in China", he added.

All eyes on China: Rush of foreign investors can do little to stave off a slowdown, says World Bank

New Delhi: The upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO) of <keyword id="20214518" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motors-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motors India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motors India">Hyundai Motors India</keyword> has sparked significant interest in the Indian markets, but a recent report by <keyword id="20303939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aequitas-Investments" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aequitas Investments" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aequitas Investments">Aequitas Investments</keyword> suggests it may not be as promising for <keyword id="19953411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-investors" source="keywords">Indian investors</keyword> as anticipated. The report highlighted several concerns, pointing to broader industry challenges and the valuation mismatch as reasons for caution. It said "Given the headwinds that the Global <keyword id="20081560" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="automobile-industry" source="keywords">Automobile Industry</keyword> is facing coupled with signs of a slowdown in India, the upcoming IPO might not be a great deal for Indian Investors" Hyundai Motor Company, the parent firm based in South Korea, is set to offload shares worth Rs 25,000 crore through an Offer for Sale (OFS) in the Indian market. However, the report suggested that the current global headwinds facing the automobile industry, combined with signs of a slowdown in India, may make this IPO less attractive for Indian investors. One of the key issues flagged in the report is the valuation of Hyundai Motors India. The report noted that despite contributing only 6.5 per cent of Hyundai's global revenue and 8 per cent of its overall profitability, the Indian unit is expected to be valued at approximately 42 per cent of the parent company's market capitalization upon listing. This valuation discrepancy raises concerns about whether the IPO price is justified given the Indian unit's relatively modest contribution to Hyundai's global business. "Despite contributing only 6.5 per cent of the global revenues and 8 per cent of the profitability, Hyundai's India unit will be valued at approx. 42 per cent of the Parent Co.'s MCap on listing" the report added. From Hyundai's perspective, the move makes sense. In South Korea, Hyundai's stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 5x, making the sale in India potentially more lucrative. The report argues that Hyundai is looking to take advantage of the relatively higher valuations in India. It said "From Hyundai's perspective it's a no-brainer as their stock in S.Korea trades at a measly 5x P/E" Hyundai Motor Group, which includes both Hyundai and Kia, is the third-largest automaker globally, having sold 7.3 million vehicles in 2023. While Hyundai Motors India does not have a stake in Kia Motors India, the parent company owns a controlling 34 per cent stake in Kia Motors globally and fully owns Genesis Motors, a luxury brand in South Korea.

Hyundai IPO might not be a great deal for Indian investors: Report

Just ahead of its mega <keyword id="20008249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FPO" source="keywords">FPO</keyword> opening to <keyword id="21332860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-investors" source="keywords">public investors</keyword>, <keyword id="19899016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Idea" source="keywords">Vodafone Idea</keyword> (<keyword id="20062540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vil" source="keywords">VIL</keyword>) has announced closure of its anchor book allocation, raising about Rs 5,400 crore from marquee global as well as domestic investors, according to a statutory filing by the <keyword id="20132985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telco" source="keywords">telco</keyword>. This could be the third-largest anchor book after One 97 Communications and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). One 97 Communications and LIC had raised Rs 8,235 crore and Rs 5,627 crore in the anchor round, respectively. In a notification to the exchanges on Wednesday, VIL said it has allotted 490.9 crore shares to 74 funds at Rs 11 apiece, which is also the upper end of the price band. This translated into a transaction size to Rs 5,400 crore. Of the total allocation to <keyword id="21330641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anchor-investors" source="keywords">anchor investors</keyword>, 79.52 crore stocks, or 16.2 per cent of the total, were allocated to five domestic mutual fund through a total of 11 schemes. Those who were allotted shares include GQG Partners Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Fidelity, UBS Fund Management, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Australian Super, Troo Capital, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Global Markets Mauritius, and Jupiter Fund Management. Additionally, domestic investors, including Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, SBI General Insurance and Quant Mutual Fund, were allocated shares in the anchor round. The Rs 18,000-crore FPO of Vodafone Idea will open for public subscription on April 18 and conclude on April 22, marking the biggest FPO in the country. The price band has been set at Rs 10-11 per share. Prior to this, the largest FPO in the Indian market was a Rs 15,000 crore share-sale by YES Bank in 2020. The fundraise would give the ailing telco the firepower to improve its positioning in the Indian telecom market, where it currently trails larger rivals such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, by a wide margin. The funds will also help VIL shore up finances for the much-delayed <keyword id="20366727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G-rollout" source="keywords">5G rollout</keyword> and strengthening 4G services, and payment of vendor dues. On April 6, the VIL Board approved raising Rs 2,075 crore from promoter Aditya Birla Group and increasing its authorised share capital to Rs 1 lakh crore. Earlier this year, Vodafone Idea had outlined plans to raise Rs 45,000 crore through a mix of equity and debt as it looked to match services offered by rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel and arrest an alarming and prolonged subscriber churn. VIL has also been fighting a desperate battle for survival, saddled with debt of Rs 2.1 lakh crore and quarterly losses. According to Trai data, Vodafone Idea continued to bleed on the subscriber front. VIL lost 15.2 lakh wireless subscribers, plunging its mobile subscriber base to 22.15 crore in January, in sharp contrast to subscriber gains by Jio and Airtel.

Ahead of FPO, Vodafone Idea garners Rs 5,400 cr from anchor investors

George Wilson learned the hard way that there's no such thing as a free lunch — or, in his case, a free dinner that cost him a chunk of his retirement savings.As a retiree, he regularly received postcards in the mail, offering to teach him about finance and how to make money in retirement. They usually involved a presentation at a nice restaurant, and he would go without acting on any of the investment advice.But on one occasion, Wilson did take the bait after a brochure he received in 2010 inviting him to an evening at Ruth's Chris Steak House ended up costing him $158,000."It was a very good restaurant. And so, of course, it caught my attention," Wilson said in an interview.At that fateful dinner, he enjoyed his favorite top sirloin steak, asparagus tips, and a "fabulous" chocolate cake. He also met David Escarcega, one of the hosts and a broker who would eventually advise him to invest in so-called non-correlated, fixed-income alternative products from the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.investmentnews.com/alternatives/gwg-holdings-files-for-bankruptcy/220355">now-bankrupt firm GWG</a>.Years later, Wilson is still fighting to regain what he lost from that investment. An arbitration decision recently awarded him $267,252 in compensation, including emotional distress damages from the last broker who facilitated the transaction. But the respondent only paid approximately $103,363.40 toward sanctions and the award. After costs, Mr. Wilson will end up with almost no payout, according to his attorney.Fancy restaurants with presentations are a common practice in the industry, says financial planner Michael Murray, adding that there are services that provide mailing lists of people with a certain net worth, and retirees are often on them because it's where wealth tends to be concentrated.But those meals aren't really free, Murray said. They're predominantly set up to sell high-commission products. In GWG's case, brokers earned up to 8% in commissions. What advisors can earn from one of these events pays for the meals and more. Picture a scenario where an advisor signs up $500,000 worth of investments with an 8% commission rate; that's a $40,000 payout. The math is very favorable for those who do this regularly, he added.Meanwhile, invitees feel like the hosts have done something nice for them and there's an implication that they should do something back, Murray noted. "So I think certain people will go to these dinner seminars and almost feel an obligation to work with someone."They're referred to as "free lunch seminars," said Adam Gana, a securities attorney who worked on Wilson's case. They're common in the industry. But Gana says that when brokerage firms offer them, he tells clients to run the other way."We see them all the time," Gana said. "I've represented 3,000 investors over the last 15 years, and in so many of those instances when we're dealing with a horrific product, a non-traded product, a product that's just terrible for investors, it usually starts with a free lunch."<h2 id="74285f86-a363-43ff-b132-9ec411f82f14">Risky business</h2>After the dinner, Wilson and his ex-wife Jean followed up with Escarcega at his office to discuss alternative investment options."We sat down with him, and he went through various opportunities that he could present to us, and we asked for several," Wilson said. "And the one that seemed the most attractive and that he extolled the virtues of the most was GWG. And so we thought about it for several weeks and went back and forth and then ultimately decided to do it."The products were non-publicly traded so-called LifeNotes, high-yield debt securities that paid a 9% monthly interest rate by GWG Holdings, according to documents viewed by Insider. They were based on life insurance policies purchased on the secondary market, with the expectation that death benefits would be paid to GWG's bondholders when the insured died. One brochure, viewed by Insider, advertised them as a "secured investment backed by a large portfolio of high-quality life insurance policies""Escarcega had pitched them as a safer alternative to the volatile stock market that could provide steady dividend payouts while preserving the principal investments, Wilson said."Of course, we want to leave our equity to our children but have some kind of income coming from it while we're still here," Wilson said. "And so that was very attractive to us, that we preserve our equity."Wilson initially purchased $180,000 worth of the notes using funds from his IRA, according to documents viewed by Insider. He later reduced his investment to $158,000 and flipped it to GWG preferred stock. For the next few years, things were looking good. Wilson received payouts monthly. In 2017, he decided to renew his investment, according to documents viewed by Insider.What he didn't know was that by then, Escarcega had been barred from selling securities after misrepresenting investment risks, according to FINRA. So Escarcega used his brother Adrian's license to submit the transactions through AGES Financial Services, according to arbitration documents from Wilson's attorneys. The Escarcegas could not be reached for comment.It was one of many details Wilson wasn't aware of. Thus far, the payouts had always been timely, he said. So, there was no reason to suspect there were problems. But there were. GWG's balance sheet wasn't adding up. FINRA had determined that it hadn't been profitable in over a decade. The firm had been selling new bonds to pay dividends to existing bondholders. The underlying collateral wasn't generating an income and multiple accounting firms refused to audit it, according to the amended statement of claim.The doom loop would eventually come to a screeching halt due to GWG's accounting issues, an SEC investigation, and failure to file its annual SEC report. By 2021, it could no longer sell bonds which led to its bankruptcy by 2022 and the halting of dividend payments, according to the amended statement of claim.Craig McCann, a consultant providing expert testimony in investment cases, including this one, said that GWG's insurance contracts were being overvalued on its balance sheet and the firm was assuming that people would die earlier. As a result, they estimated receiving the death benefits sooner. Simply put, there were not enough benefits being paid on the insurance contracts to cover the interest and principal due."There were lots of signals," McCann said. "There were lots of problems with their SEC filings and lots of reasons to believe that it was imminently going to happen, but most investors were very unsophisticated investors."In 2019, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.investmentnews.com/alternatives/clients-win-another-gwg-bond-claim-this-time-against-b-d/245442">AGES had ended its relationship with GWG</a> due to a change in the company's business model, according to the firm. But Wilson says he was not informed by the firm, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.investmentnews.com/fixed-income/investors-claiming-emotional-distress-damages-win-lawsuit-involving-gwg-bonds/257068">preventing him from selling his shares in time</a> (AGES disputes this). An arbitration panel found that the investment scheme was so egregious that they awarded him $267,252.00 in compensation that included emotional distress damages, according to the order. AGES paid $103,000 for all claimants.<h2 id="9e594bc3-8860-404f-8b63-aeb5d0906705">Risk reward</h2>Wilson's situation is a cautionary tale. He used his IRA to make the investment, so he's also faced with a required minimum distribution, which includes the amount invested in GWG even though it's nominal. He told Insider he must withdraw from other investments to meet the minimum.His case isn't an isolated one. There may have been thousands of brokers selling GWG bonds, based on data pulled from ADV filings as reported by McCann. Wilson says he lives with the guilt of advising his ex-wife and a friend who also invested in the bonds and lost their principal.Truth be told, it's difficult for the average retiree who is not financially savvy to understand the mechanics of many of these alternative investments, even when there are red flags, Murray said. Non-publicly traded investments take time to build capital before generating free cash flow. For those with lower cash reserves, they don't make much sense because they lack liquidity, he added.But Murray also emphasized that not all alternative investments are bad. He just thinks that if you're considering them, you must be financially savvy and have the ability to dig into offering statements, look at fee structures, and related party transactions. Even then, investors should resort to a second opinion from a fiduciary advisor, a CPA, or an attorney.Finally, understand that risk and reward are always tied together. Outsized promises of yields that are much higher than, say, the 10-Year Treasury is a red flag and means there's elevated risk, Murray said.

How a free meal cost an investor his retirement savings

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Business titans like Jamie Dimon and Bill Gates reportedly back Kamala Harris — but not publicly.</li><li>It may be driven by fears of retribution from Trump and what a second term would bring.</li></ul>Both <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-billionaires-investors-kamala-harris-mark-cuban-reid-hoffman-2024-8">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-billionaires-support-donald-trump-campaign">former President Donald Trump</a> have won support from America's business titans and CEOs. But not all of that support is being declared in public.On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that both <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-political-ambitions-retirement-plans-jpmorgan-3q-earnings-2024-10">JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-bill-gates-spends-fortune">Microsoft founder Bill Gates</a> support Harris, but won't say so publicly.Gates <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/us/elections/bill-gates-future-forward-kamala-harris.html">reportedly donated</a> $50 million to a pro-Harris "dark money" nonprofit group that, unlike political action committees, is not required to disclose its donors. A spokesperson for Gates did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, but in a statement to The Times that didn't acknowledge the donation, he said that "this election is different" for him.Dimon has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/business/jamie-dimon-jpmorgan-harris-trump.html">reportedly told associates</a> that he supports Harris, but won't go public out of fear of retaliation.All of which raises the question: What's there to be afraid of?There's certainly reason to believe that Trump, if elected, would pursue some degree of retribution against those who he believes have wronged him. As he's mounted his third campaign for the presidency, he has at times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-dictatorship-revenge-second-term-truth-social-2023-12">emphasized "revenge"</a> as a campaign theme, and he hasn't shied away from targeting individual companies. In one recent instance, he threatened to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-threat-john-deere-economists-baffled-2024-9">impose a 200% tariff</a> on John Deere if they go forward with moving some of their manufacturing facilities to Mexico.As president, he frequently criticized — often via tweet — individual companies who he disagreed with, which occasionally affected stock prices.But Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at the Yale School of Management and the founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, says that the idea of retribution is "overstated" — and that avoiding wading into politics has long been the norm for chief executives, most of whom have traditionally been Republican."They're more concerned about alienating customers and employees needlessly," Sonnenfeld, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-sonnenfeld-the-ceo-whisperer-2021-11">dubbed the "CEO whisperer"</a> for his relationships with America's CEOs, told Business Insider. "Everybody's afraid of alienating large blocs of their own constituency. That's what they're afraid of. They're not afraid of… Trump."Politics, as it turns out, may just be bad for business these days."They don't see themselves as public officials. They don't think that that's their calling, that that's their strength," Sonnenfeld said. "So they don't want to get involved publicly in social issues, if they don't have to."Joe Evangelisti, a spokesman for JPMorgan, told Business Insider that Dimon and his company are not fearful of retribution from either Harris or Trump, but that Dimon wants to avoid having his comments "weaponized by the left or the right." He added that Dimon is happy to work with either candidate if elected and prefers to talk about policies rather than partisan politics.It's not hard to see why Dimon would feel this way, given recent events. After <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-trump-nato-immigration-maga-biden-presidential-election-2024-1">he said in January</a> that Trump was "kind of right" about NATO and immigration, he faced a firestorm of controversy. Dimon was later the subject of speculation over whether he would serve in Trump's administration, and earlier this month, he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jamie-dimon-denies-donald-trump-claim-endorse-2024-10">denied Trump's claim</a> that he had endorsed him.But Dimon also has to ensure he has a good-enough relationship with Trump."I would never say that," Dimon <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nUs_ppctB4">said</a> when asked if his position was "anything but Trump" last year. "You know, because he might be the president. I have to deal with that too."On the flipside, it's also possible that there are pro-Trump CEOs who don't want to alienate liberal customers and employees. In an appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman suggested that there's a well of silent Trump support among CEOs."One of the few benefits of supporting Trump publicly is many, many people come up to me, CEOs, and say, 'Bill, thank you for saying what you're saying, I wish I were similarly situated where I could, but I have — you know, all my employees would quit,'" Ackman said.Still, Harris has received a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-business-leaders-for-kamala-harris-2024-10">notable degree of support</a> from the business community, the most vocal example being investor Mark Cuban.According to Sonnenfeld, the Trump-related corporate activism of recent years — including around the January 6 insurrection — has been a historical anomaly driven by a sense that the country is in a moment of crisis."If there's something catastrophic, they will engage," Sonnenfeld said of CEOs, adding that we could see executives become more vocal if Trump were to lose the election and refuse to concede."There's a pretty high probability that if Trump isn't a clear winner, there's going to be a lot of confusion, if not a constitutional crisis," Sonnenfeld said. "And then they will get involved."

Why some CEOs are afraid of publicly criticizing Trump

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The University of California, Berkeley, is the top producer of alumni starting tech companies.</li><li>Founded by Jeremy Fiance, The House Fund targets Berkeley-affiliated startups like Databricks.</li></ul>In the last year, tech investors have plowed tens of millions of dollars into Perplexity, the developer of a search engine built from scratch with artificial intelligence. The two-year-old startup <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/perplexity-raising-new-funding-generative-ai-2024">takes in cash like oxygen,</a> having raised <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-startups-rapid-funding-rounds-2024-9">back-to-back funding rounds</a> just months apart, and is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-startup-perplexity-in-funding-talks-to-more-than-double-valuation-to-8-billion-54d36787">said to be in talks</a> to raise a fourth round that would value the startup at $8 billion.Landing a spot on Perplexity's cap table is fiercely competitive, making it all the more noteworthy that The House Fund, a bespoke venture capital firm born from the University of California, Berkeley's ecosystem, secured a place.In 2016, tech investor Jeremy Fiance set up a venture capital firm at his alma mater to invest in startups with ties to top-tier public schools. From an office across from the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society, investors at The House Fund scour their networks for students, faculty, and alumni working to build the next Perplexity, whose CEO Aravind Srinivas is a Berkeley alum, or Databricks, one of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/databricks-acquires-startup-lilac-ai-to-beef-up-its-llm-offerings-2024-3">world's most important data science firms</a> with a private valuation of $43 billion, started by a group of seven Berkeley researchers. The House Fund has backed both."There are only so many companies that matter every year, full stop, in venture," said Zachary Hargreaves, a managing partner at The House Fund. Each year, more firms are "birthed out of Berkeley."<div type="image" title="Two men looking relaxed smile for a photo against a black backdrop." height="2250" width="3000" msid="114433088" hostid="261" sizebytes="116306"></div>In early 2020, Hargreaves <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/30-rising-venture-capitalist-investors-silicon-valley-tech-2018-4">left Founders Fund</a>, where he worked closely with startups like SpaceX and Stemcentrx, to run his own playbook as an advisor and angel investor. During this period, an old classmate from Berkeley, Fiance, started asking his advice about which companies in the portfolio he should reinvest in."I was learning more and more about what The House Fund is from the outside in," Hargreaves said. "It feels very small but then from the inside out, it's actually very big in terms of the opportunity set."In the two years since Hargreaves went full-time, The House Fund has deployed over $125 million into companies. His move from Founders Fund to The House Fund hasn't been previously reported.Investors pay much attention to Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for their conveyor belts of entrepreneurial talent. Neither have spawned quite as many startup founders in the last decade at Berkeley. According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/pitchbook-university-rankings">PitchBook data</a>, Berkeley has the highest tally of alumni entrepreneurs who have raised venture capital of any public or private school worldwide.Hargreaves predicts that the group will grow as the use of artificial intelligence makes it cheaper and faster for students and alumni to spin up new businesses. "You can actually be three kids in a garage and launch pretty fierce products," he said.With Hargreaves on board, Fiance hopes to invest later in companies it previously backed. His hiring gives the firm the resources and knowledge to help founders shape their businesses into the next generation of Berkeley-born unicorns, as well as diligence them for potential follow-on financing. The House Fund said it can write checks up to $10 million.The House Fund has raised over $330 million from backers, including the Berkeley Endowment Management Company, UC Investments (the office that manages the working capital, retirement savings, and endowment funds for the University of California system), and Ahoy Capital, a boutique fund manager.Hargreaves put the firm's value add this way: "If we are on your cap table, we are a shortcut to anything Berkeley."

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