Posts by Mark Darwin
A family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Nearly half of Japan’s listed companies are tied to a founding family, many of which no longer have enough equity to guarantee control [TOKYO] Ishikawa is a remote, mountainous prefecture bordering the Sea of Japan, but the fate of a drug store chain whose local roots go back to 1869 has implications for Tokyo’s financial…
Read MoreRampant AI demand for memory is fuelling a growing chip crisis
The fundamental reason for the squeeze is the buildout of artificial intelligence data centres [TAIPEI] A growing procession of tech industry leaders, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, are warning about a global crisis in the making: A shortage of memory chips is beginning to hammer profits, derail corporate plans and inflate price tags on…
Read MoreUS forces board second sanctioned oil tanker in Indian Ocean
Published Mon, Feb 16, 2026 · 08:09 AM THE US military boarded an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel for thousands of miles, saying it tried to circumvent President Donald Trump’s energy blockade in the Caribbean against sanctioned ships. The Pentagon, in a post on X Sunday, said US forces conducted…
Read MoreIndia central bank allows lenders to fund up to 75% in M&A deals
Financing can only take place when a firm ‘already holds control’ over the target company, says RBA Published Sun, Feb 15, 2026 · 05:33 PM INDIA’s central bank will allow lenders to finance up to 75 per cent of the acquisition value in corporate takeovers, in a move that is expected to boost the country’s…
Read MoreChina’s stock bull run falters with earnings set to underwhelm
Corporate profit pre-announcements have shown a ‘major deterioration’ for the last quarter of 2025: Morgan Stanley Published Sun, Feb 15, 2026 · 10:20 AM [BEIJING] A worsening earnings picture is darkening the outlook for Chinese equities, leaving investors wary that Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday spending may not be enough to reignite a rally. Corporate…
Read MoreThe 7 biggest lies young entrepreneurs still tell themselves about success
If you have ever stared at someone else’s funding announcement on LinkedIn and felt that quiet panic in your chest, you are not alone. Most young founders I meet are ambitious, capable, and quietly exhausted from chasing a version of success they are not even sure they believe in. We consume startup Twitter threads, Y…
Read MoreWhat’s the Best Way to Invest $500,000 for Growth?
Earning money is often the easiest aspect of personal finance. The real challenge comes with figuring out how to compound growth and turn it into something that lasts for a lifetime. Whether you have $100,000, $500,000, or several million dollars, there are always going to be questions about how to optimize for ROI. And while…
Read MoreThe complete guide to startup accounting for non-financial founders
You didn’t start a company because you love spreadsheets. Yet somehow you’re now staring at a bank balance, a Stripe dashboard, a pile of receipts, and an investor asking about “runway” and “burn,” wondering how all of this fits together. Most first-time founders learn accounting reactively, usually after something goes wrong. This guide is meant…
Read MoreFostering a Dog Creates Lasting Change for the Dog and the Shelter
A six-year-old Labrador mix named Luna spent months in a packed shelter. She lived in terror of the other dogs and couldn’t make eye contact with anyone. Savanna Tolley, a dog trainer and owner of The Dog Wizard, says Luna had “completely shut down.” Luna’s life changed when a foster caregiver took her in. Gentle…
Read MoreWhat is customer discovery (and how to run your first 10 interviews)
You’ve probably felt it already. You have an idea that feels right, a few friends say it sounds interesting, and you keep tweaking a product in your head late at night. But when you try to explain it to someone outside your bubble, the conversation goes fuzzy. They nod, ask polite questions, and nothing concrete…
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