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Transparency and Ponzi
This is an example of why transparency is so important in the financial world. Real estate company misappropriated 1,000’s of investors money. https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2020-35 Copyright © 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part may be reproduced, altered, or copied in any form without written consent. Information contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not […]
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A Tale of Three Crypto Coins
The initial coin offering (ICO) train is moving full steam ahead. This train has been building steam for awhile starting with Bitcoin. Bitcoin tested out the use of cryptographically distributed ledgers at a global level. From the bitcoin test, we are now seeing all kinds of different tokens being issued out on crypto ledgers. Along […]
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The Irrational Exuberance of ICO’s
Investors be on the alert. Blue skies is really blue skies. The term blue skies came from commissioner Dolley in 1911 of Kansas stating “speculative schemes which have no more basis than so many feet of ‘blue sky‘ ” referencing the amount of company stock issued to the amount of blue sky above you. We are […]
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How to ATM a Unicorn
This is no Aprils Fools… This is another case of unicorn slaying. Lets see how this slay unfolds. Recently Spotify issued a $1B convertible debt from TPG, Dragoneer, and Goldman Sachs clients. We will call them the VC mob (VCM). Terms: VCM can convert the debt to equity at a 20% discount of the IPO […]
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The Unicorn Disappearing Act
If the public markets are any sign of the future, unicorn valuations will be difficult to understand. Public companies are an indicator of comparable private companies. Public companies are also the most comparable to any private business when seeking valuations because they are constantly being priced during the day with various buyers and sellers. Although […]
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Innovator David Bowie Passes Away
David Bowie, known for his eccentric style of music, fashion, and theatrical performances has passed away January 10, 2016. He was very influential to several generations from the 70’s to the 80’s and more. What most people forget is his contribution to the financial industry. He was a financial innovator with his famous “Bowie Bonds”. […]
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The New New Startups of Silicon Valley
Most people have heard of the term called “Pegasus” or “Unicorn” in the startup world to describe a mythical startup valuation of $10B+ or $1B+. There is another mythical creature called the “Centaur” with valuations of $100M+ and the “Pony” with valuations of $10M+. Although the Pegasus and Unicorn are getting all the recognition, Centaur’s […]
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Pharmaceutical Hedge Fund Manager Gets SEC Security Violations & Fraud
Wannabe pharmaceutical hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli gets charged with several violations from the SEC. Martin gets charged with violations of the 1933, 1934, 1940, and Exchange Act. Hedge fund manager made several mistakes and tried to hide them. Some of the violations include: Misappropriation of moneys for food, clothing, medical, office rent, and cash […]
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Financial Cyber Security for 2016
With cyber security breaches occurring daily, financial firms need to be prepared. The SEC has already had several cyber security initiatives for broker dealers and registered investment advisors (RIA’s) for future examinations. Although cyber security breaches are unpredictable, there are some simple measures to follow. The easiest to prepare for but most vulnerable risk are […]
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SEC Pops Greedy EB-5 Lawyers
EB-5 is quite popular here in the Los Angeles area. Most of the construction downtown Los Angeles is from Chinese EB-5 money. It definitely attracts multiple participants because of the money involved. Although there is big money to be made in EB-5, it is highly regulated and difficult to successfully do. EB-5 is a way […]
Guided Financial Empowerment