The Business

This episode of The Business is sponsored by PwC. It was recorded before the recent attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.

At Davos this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke of “a rupture in the world order”. And ahead of the Munich Security Conference, Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State described “a new era of geopolitics”.   

What does that new era look like for business? What are th...

Quantum computing has been described as “the next big thing “ - a tech revolution to rival AI that could have implications across sectors as diverse as finance, chemicals, life sciences and manufacturing. This cutting-edge tech - which uses quantum physics to solve problems much faster than today’s regular computers - is already being used by HSBC. The bank has trialled IBM’s quantum technology in trading. Over the past few decades...

Making money out of airlines is tough. Warren Buffett once said if he had a time machine he would go back and shoot the Wright Brothers. Luis Gallego made his mark turning around the Spanish airline Iberia and in 2020 he got the top job at International Airlines Group, parent company of Aer Lingus, Iberia, Vueling and British Airways.  

So how do you run an airline, how did covid supercharge our love of travel and how ...

The numbers behind YouTube juggernaut The Sidemen - the seven-strong collective often referred to as the UK’s answer to MrBeast - are nothing short of staggering. What began as a group of friends playing Grand Theft Auto as a hobby and uploading it online is now a nine-figure empire spanning multiple channels, merchandise, a fried chicken chain, a vodka brand and a netflix reality show. The official YouTube channel has more than 22...

Octopus Energy has gone from market entrant to market leader in just 10 years. Greg Jackson, chief executive and co-founder is at the forefront of this business success story. The secret sauce? It’s nothing to do with energy - it’s the Kraken software that links the company to its customers and suppliers. So how did he do it? Why does he think 'spaghetti stacks' of ancient software are what’s holding so many businesses back? A...

By 2030, there will be five generations in the workplace and the majority will be Gen Z. The first post-internet generation, some characterise them as entitled, anxious and difficult to manage. But they’ve also contended with a pandemic during their school and early career years, major financial insecurity and intense geopolitical concerns. 

So what makes them tick as workers? How can managers best motivate - and retain - t...

US President Donald Trump’s much-anticipated appearance at the World Economic Forum at Davos certainly did not disappoint. After threatening to take Greenland into US control - and slap punitive tariffs on NATO allies that stood in his way - he promptly backed down late Wednesday. While the immediate reaction at the Swiss resort was one of relief, it has left world leaders and the global business community with a serious case of wh...

“I blame it on my kids” - that’s how Louise Hill, founder of multi-million pound business GoHenry - a financial app for kids - describes what motivated her to start her business. And Olivia Jenkins, founder of jewellery company D. Louise, put down the ‘giant backpack’ of grief weighing her down to set up on her own. 

If you’ve ever thought of starting your own business, maybe January - and the beginning of a new year - is t...

The economy is sluggish, growth elusive, and unemployment is heading for 5% - 2026 looks tough for business. But, the FTSE 100 has broken 10,000 points for the first time, gold keeps on going up, and up in value - and still the AI bubble hasn’t burst. From Davos parties, to driverless cars, what's up, what’s down? And how do you prepare yourself for 2026?

Presenters:

• Hannah Prevett, Associate Business Editor, The Sunday ...

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch died in August 2024, on board The Bayesian, his luxury superyacht, sunk by a freak storm as it was moored off Sicily. He’d been there with his family and closest associates to celebrate his acquittal of criminal fraud charges in the US. It was a tragic end to the story of a self-made business man - a man who was one of Britain’s biggest titans of tech. So, who exactly was Mike Lynch? How did he m...

In space, a battle between big business is taking place as two of the world’s wealthiest men vie for dominance. Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin have taken the space industry in the US out of the hands of government and into the hands of the private sector. But what are the consequences? Who will win the commercial race to extract crucial minerals from outer space? And who will police space if the rivalry between Ch...

2025 has been a wild ride of big pharma - driven by explosive use of revolutionary weight-loss medication - pushing one of the biggest manufacturers, Eli Lilly, to a trillion-dollar valuation. A dramatic takeover war also saw Denmark’s pharma darling Novo Nordisk trumped by US giant Pfizer. Now, while Novo’s share price is down 50% over the course of the year, Lilly is in the stratosphere normally reserved for the likes o...

Gold, the world's oldest asset, is experiencing a remarkable boom. Its value has surged from just over £2000 per ounce a year ago to well over £3000 today, reaching highs not seen since the 1970s. This rapid rise is unusual because gold typically peaks when stock markets decline, yet this rally has coincided with booming equity markets. So, what is driving the value up? Have we reached the peak, or is there more growth to come?

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This episode of The Business is sponsored by PwC.

As AI rapidly reshapes the world of work, businesses face the biggest transformation since the industrial revolution. While 90% of CEOs surveyed are investing in AI, only 15% are currently getting the value. So, what are the tools driving productivity gains? How can companies move AI from an IT project to one that’s truly integrated across the business? And how exactly are the UK...

Fried chicken is booming in Britain - the market is now worth over £3bn a year. Up and down high streets, a whole new generation of fast food chicken restaurants have sprung up, buzzy US imports like Wingstop and Dave’s Hot Chicken, putting pressure on the established brands.

In part, it’s down to Gen Z enthusiasm, driven by pop culture hits like Chicken Shop Date as well as viral ASMR videos of crunching, chewing and sizzling.&...

It’s being described as a "smorgasbord" of a budget - an offer from Rachel Reeves made up not of big, bold moves but of small, bite-sized titbits. But tax is up, spending is up and debt is still high - so do the measures add up to anything appetising for business at all? We pick over the details, from the big picture to the small tweaks in this budget special.

Guests: 

• Helen Miller, Institute for Fiscal Studies
• Steve Rigb...

More than $1 trillion has been wiped from the Crypto market in just six short weeks, but on The Business we hear from a man who still trusts Bitcoin more than any other currency. 

While many around the world fret about crypto crooks and markets that can be spooked by vibes alone, what’s it like to be ‘all in’ on Bitcoin? Andrew Webley, the founder and chief executive of the The Smarter Web Company, knows very well. He pivot...

There are few things that are as fascinating, thrilling - and sometimes as completely confounding - as the stock market. Right now, that's as true as ever. Consider Nvidia, which became the world's first $5 trillion company last month - putting its value higher than the GDP of every country except the US and China. 

Is there a logic to it, or is this plain madness? To get a grip on the forces at play, Dom and Hannah explore...

This episode of The Business is sponsored by PwC.

All eyes are on Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she prepares her autumn Budget. There have been hints at manifesto-breaking tax increases as she warns that everyone will have to do their “bit for the security of our country and the brightness of its future.” But what could all that mean in practice for business? 

Barret Kupelian, UK Chief Economist at PwC and Claire Blackburn...