The Big View

Reuters Breakingviews columnists tap their best contacts to explore the biggest issues driving business and markets today. Every Tuesday, Global Editor Peter Thal Larsen and his team tackle a pressing question with a senior executive, financier, policymaker, or other expert. The Big View helps you understand what is going on, explore all sides of the argument, and think about what happens next.

[For previous The Exchange podcast users, we didn't want to leave you hanging so we've decided to repurpose this feed for the launch of The Big View podcast. You can still find the legacy episodes below marked under the old title]

News
1
Private equity’s not-quite return to normality
Buyout barons suffered the whiplash of a post-pandemic boom and subsequent liquidity crunch. In this episode of The Big View, Jonathan Guilford talks to Thoma Bravo Managing Partner Seth Boro about how the firm is dealing with the fallout, even as AI once again upends the market.
37 min
2
Judges under siege administer poetic justice
39 min
3
The past and future fight about who owns the land
35 min
4
Pluses and minuses of the weight-loss drug bonanza
33 min
5
How globalisation set the stage for new strongmen
34 min
6
The manifold benefits of giving away your riches
37 min
7
Peering behind the dark clouds over climate change
45 min
8
What financial history tells us about the AI boom
The investment pouring into artificial intelligence evokes comparisons with previous speculative bubbles. In this episode of The Big View, Peter Thal Larsen talks to Edward Chancellor, the author and financial historian, about which warning signs investors should look out for.
35 min
9
The coming battle over the future of money
42 min
10
How climate and innovation are changing insurance
Costly natural disasters are more prevalent, while technology allows insurers to pinpoint risks more precisely. In this episode of The Big View podcast Peter Thal Larsen talks to Mario Greco, CEO of Zurich Insurance, about how the $100 bln Swiss group is navigating the landscape.
46 min
11
How to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
36 min
12
Lessons from Nissan on surviving carmageddon
Donald Trump’s tariffs dent the Japanese carmaker’s largest market and Chinese rivals are expanding as it attempts a turnaround. On this episode of The Big View podcast, CFO Jérémie Papin explains what he’s learned about running a global company while facing multiple challenges.
32 min
13
Why technological progress is so hard to predict
41 min
14
Private equity sets its sights on the little guy
Apollo, Blackstone and KKR raised billions from deep-pocketed institutions for buyouts and private credit. Now they’re targeting the $145 trln held by individuals. In this episode of The Big View podcast, iCapital CEO Lawrence Calcano explains the opportunities – and the risks.
41 min
15
What China has to teach the US about technology
38 min
16
The lost lessons from history’s economic mistakes
Donald Trump’s tariff policy threatens to make Americans poorer while failing to bring back lost manufacturing jobs. In this episode of The Big View podcast, author Philip Coggan explores the parallels with Britain’s foolish return to the gold standard a century ago.
34 min
17
The perks and penalties of waging economic war
40 min
18
How global tensions are unsettling markets
Investors face a daily barrage of tariffs, sanctions and conflict. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Anna Rosenberg of Amundi explains how money managers deal with this uncertainty, and how the power rivalry between the US and China is upending economic trade-offs.
36 min
19
What really has gone wrong with global capitalism
39 min
20
Why Trump’s trade assault will fail and keep going
41 min
21
Why robotaxis are picking up speed and credibility
Enthusiasts have long claimed driverless cars are around the corner. As they hit the streets from the West Coast to Wuhan, the business model is taking shape too. In this episode of The Big View podcast, James Peng, CEO of $6 bln industry pioneer Pony AI, explains what’s changed.
31 min
22
The wobbly foundations of the stablecoin boom
37 min
23
Private equity’s nightmare on Main Street
A spate of books chronicling the industry’s harmful economic effects are exacerbating its financial quandaries. In this episode of The Big View podcast, ‘Bad Company’ author Megan Greenwell discusses how buyout shops dash the American dream, and ways to thwart them from doing so.
35 min
24
How the EU can respond to US economic warfare
As President Donald ⁠Trump ⁠threatens tariffs, Brussels is also ⁠worrying ⁠about Washington using ⁠sanctions ⁠against it. In this episode of The Big View podcast, Agathe Demarais of the European Council on Foreign Relations talks about how the ⁠bloc ⁠should deploy its own ⁠weapons⁠.
37 min
25
How Apple’s China celebration became a conundrum
40 min