In 2020, we saw the quickest and deepest bear market decline in history, trillions of dollars of global stimulus, the highest volatility (VIX) on record, negative oil prices, and the fastest recovery from a bear market ever—just to name a few of the abnormalities. And while the broader economy is still in a state of repair, investors finished the year in the black. The S&P 500, for example, ended with 16....
Today’s visualization comes from HowMuch.net, and it uses Forbes data to show how the list of the top 10 companies in the U.S. has evolved over the last 100 years. 1917: The Industrialist Era In 1911, both John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil and J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Steel (which was formed from Andrew Carnegie’s steel company and others) were facing antitrust action. Standard Oil, which controlled over 90% of all oil in the United States by 1900, got split up into 34 independent companies after a ruling by the Supreme Court....
The World’s Most Famous Diamonds The stories and histories of the most famous diamonds You may have heard of the Cullinan Diamond or the Hope Diamond before, but do you know the stories behind these legendary finds? Today’s infographic looks at the history and characteristics of six of the most famous diamonds. A Diamond Primer Every diamond is unique, and as a result the value of a particular diamond is partially determined by the eye of the beholder....
The next time you hit your local pub, the odds are that the pint of beer you order will come from one of five global beer conglomerates. Together, they own hundreds of the best-known domestic, import, and craft beer brands all over the world, in pretty much any country you can name. Whether you are seeking a smooth pilsner, a creamy stout, or an old-fashioned ale to whet your whistle, this multi-national beer oligopoly has got you covered....
These 8 Pivots by Startups Changed the World How do successful companies get built? Is there a predetermined formula or ideal circumstances to get off on the right foot as an entrepreneur? When it comes to the technology world, the truth is that the most successful companies come in all shapes and sizes. Once in a while, strategy and its execution go as planned – but more often than not, a company must change its entire basis to get its best shot at winning....
It’s the epicenter of the tech boom, and a magnet that attracts talent, ideas, and capital to come together to create new things. Software mania has shifted the most important corporate addresses in the country from the streets of Manhattan to obscure towns like Mountain View, Cupertino, or Menlo Park. While a booming ecosystem has lured many to the Valley, it’s simultaneously unlocked new technologies that have made it possible to work, collaborate, and build new startups from anywhere....
We’ve believed, even before the correction that has recently hit U.S. markets, that the bear market for gold was long in the tooth. With asset bubbles all over the place, it has seemed for awhile that gold and silver were the only assets that were reasonably priced. Then yesterday, our friends at Palisade Capital sent us over five charts on why they believe that gold stocks are the most undervalued that they have been in decades....
One method, for example, would be to color regions based on people per unit of land. This could be done at the county, state, or national levels with varying results. Alternatively, you could show density more abstractly, such as in this compelling map of the Pearl River Delta in China. But one surprisingly insightful method for looking at population density is deceivingly simple: just put a dot on the map for every town with 1,000 people or more, and the results will give you a sense of where people live on a macro scale....
Millennial Entrepreneurs: America’s Best or Worst Entrepreneurial Generation? Deciding to put it all on the line as an entrepreneur is a complex decision that depends on many variables. It’s a psychological decision. It’s a financial decision. It’s a decision based on the perception of risks and the potential payoff. It’s a family and societal decision: is it better to just toe the line to ensure a steady family income, or will there be no support in the event of failure?...
The reality is that most businesses end as failures, and early decisions are extremely critical. While it’s tempting to downplay the importance of coming up with a business name, the fact is that the first impression made on customers and suppliers has a massive bearing on the success of your enterprise. Ideally, a business name needs to be short and memorable – but it also needs to stand the test of time, while not limiting future expansion opportunities....
However, at the end of the day, contrarians will concede that it is nice to know how the investing masses are doing. That’s why the data provided by Openfolio is so beautiful – it combines investing with the openness and connecting nature of social networks. Through this process, the collective portfolios of 50,000 investors can be analyzed and broken down by specific variables to bring out unique insight. Here’s a few insights from 2015 that come from their data:...
You may be familiar with the achievements of prominent societies like the Romans, Mongols, or Babylonians, but how do all of their stories intertwine over time and geography? Visualizing the History of the World Today’s video comes to us from Ollie Bye, and it attempts to integrate the histories of all major civilizations known by historians into a single, epic video. Similar to the Histomap, it’s pretty much impossible for a video like this to be perfect due to biases and a general lack of data....
Social media platforms are now some of the most heavily trafficked places on the internet, and sharing hubs such as Instagram are increasingly becoming a cultural touchpoint for millions of people around the world. Tapping into Instagram Influence Instagram is closing in on a billion monthly active users, and with such a massive audience, social influencers (i.e. people with large, engaged audiences) are raking in the dough from paid brand endorsements....
China’s increasing demand for steel is driving iron prices upwards and causing a new wave of exploration worldwide. Canada’s Labrador Trough has been identified as a very promising region, and currently more than 15 billion tonnes of iron ore are being explored in the Trough. In 2011 alone, $15 billion was invested in the Canadian iron ore sector, and Provincial and Federal governments are also taking steps to support development....
One of these, Signature Bank, is the third-largest bank casualty in U.S. history. The other is Silvergate Capital, a bank that announced it would close operations and return assets to depositors. This bank was highly exposed to the crypto sector. While emergency measures were taken by U.S. banking regulators to stem contagion risk, many are left wondering what could happen next. With data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the above graphic charts over 500 bank failures since 2001....
While online dating was once considered taboo, the number of couples meeting online has more than doubled in the last decade to about 1-in-5. Nowadays, you’re much more likely to meet your next partner online rather than through your family or co-workers. But don’t worry, your friends are still a good help too. The data used in today’s chart is from the “How Couples Meet and Stay Together” survey by Stanford University....
Taking place roughly every four years, the “halving event” officially occurred on July 9, cutting the reward for mining a block in half. In this case, the reward went from 25 BTC to 12.5 BTC. Why is this such a cause for celebration? It’s because halving is a planned part of the Bitcoin ecosystem to curtail new supply of the popular cryptocurrency. Eventually inflation is supposed to mimic the limited increase of new gold mined each year, rising just under 2% annually....
Using insights from our Generational Power Index 2021 report, along with survey data from Pew Research in 2016, we identified some key milestones for each cohort, to understand how these events helped shape each generation’s unique perspectives. Quick Context on Generational Definitions Before diving in, it’s important to clarify which generations we’ve included in our research, along with their age and birth year ranges. These generational categories aren’t universal, but we went with the most widely cited definitions from reputable U....
Dalio founded Bridgewater Associates out of his apartment in 1975, and now the long-running hedge fund is recognized as the world’s largest by assets under management (AUM) with $122.2 billion, and as the fifth most important private company in the United States by Fortune magazine. However, since 2011, the billionaire has passed the baton for the role of CEO at Bridgewater – and he’s also been focused on passing on his knowledge as well....
In this map, we used data from the Atlantic Council’s Currency Tracker to visualize the state of each central banks’ digital currency effort. Digital Currency – The Basics Digital currencies have been around since the 1980s, but didn’t become widely popular until the launch of Bitcoin in 2009. Today, there are thousands of digital currencies in existence, also referred to as “cryptocurrencies”. A defining feature of cryptocurrencies is that they are based on a blockchain ledger....
