Nicolas Firzli

Global pensions assets rose to $ 58.5 tn as of Dec. 31 2024 according to the 2025 edition of the Towers Watson TAI asset study report published Feb. 10 2025. The global ranking is seemingly unchanged with the US, Japan and Canada remaining in 1st, 2nd and 3rd position respectively Beyond the surface, as it…

The Trump White House has decided to exit the “neoliberal” free trade framework of the past 40+ years in favor a resolutely developmentalist approach rooted in Colbertisme and the “Bull Moose” brand of economic nationalism championed originally by Theodore Roosevelt: from now on, trade deficit or, rather, lack thereof (“the commerce of the world”), reindustrialization…

The second presidency of Donald J. Trump (“Trump.2”) is witnessing the unprecedented acceleration of new geoeconomic dynamics (Cold War 2) both “domestically” inside the United States (preeminence of Silicon Valley tech, Wall Street investment banks and Rust Belt reindustrialization) and on the global stage — increasingly intertwined economic, trade and national security policies The White…

As forecast first by Washington Forum and World Pensions® experts, the second presidency of Donald J. Trump (“Trump.2”) is witnessing an unprecedented acceleration of the US China race across commercial and industrial sectors and geographies/markets (“the world as a playground”), with Europe, MENA and Latin America increasingly caught in the crossfire. Tellingly, the management of…

As forecast first by World Pensions® experts, 2024 saw a substantial increase in pension and SWF investment in AI infrastructure assets including giant data centers and advanced microchip foundries: “the bedrock of the fifth industrial revolution” and the “main playground for the Sino-American great game” (Cold War 2). As we write these lines, Microsoft announced…

In the upcoming VdA roundtable held at the French Senate Friday 14th February 2025, we’ll be sharing the early results from our ‘Future of Retirement and Investing’ research primer co-authored with Lionel Tourtier, advisory convention member, Fondation Charles-de-Gaulle, executive director, LT Savings Retirement & Growth Assn. (Génération ERIC), and the Hon. Nick Sherry, former pensions minister…

Despite the lingering Gaza war and downgrade of Israel’s credit rating – now at “Baa1”, close to “junk bond” status, 2024 was a very good year for Israel’s tech sector: “the past year has seen a 78% surge in the value of exits by Israeli companies. The total amount reached $13.4 billion, compared to $7.5…

Christmas came early for BNP Paribas with the completion of the acquisition of AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) announced in Paris earlier today. At $ 5.1 bn. (agreed upon valuation when the sale process started five months ago) for approx. $ 850 bn. in assets under management, it looks like a bargain by any measure…

Leading pension CEOs, CIOs, and retirement experts met at the JW Marriott in Copacabana on the sidelines of the G20 for the 8th annual G20 Pensions Dialogue (18 November 2024) That high-level closed-doors conference (hybrid format) brought together many of Brazil’s senior pension fund executives who discussed “the future of finance, social protection and asset…

Trump’s Victory in Context: New Cultural Currents from Middle America to Michigan’s ‘Mysterious’ Middle Eastern Hearts and Minds . . . https://videovoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Understanding-Trumps-Victory_AL-DOSTOR__6-NOV-2024.pdf