Hong Kong has done very well for itself as a global middleman. And the meteoric rise of its neighboring economy, China, has only strengthened the city’s already-prosperous position.  But, of course, if you follow the news, you probably already know that Hong Kong has seen better days. Global trade tensions, prolonged protests, and good old-fashioned competition have dramatically impacted its economy in recent years.

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France is a global trendsetter for other economies. This goes from the rollout of the metric system to more tangible short term indicators. If you want to predict the future, look to France. This is not to say that the country is any further ahead than any other developed nation. In fact, in many ways, it is quite the opposite, but the industries they choose to engage in making them a great indicator for global economic performance.

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Taxes are an unfortunate reality for most people living and working in the modern world, we pay them every year, we complain about them, and then we forget them until next year.  Taxes are one of the most important elements of any economy around the world. Entire societies can grow from effective taxation and crumble without it.

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In 2017, at Christie’s Auction House in New York, a mysterious #Art buyer bid a record-breaking $450 million dollars for the #SalvatorMundi; a painting by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci. News of the staggering purchase price sent shockwaves throughout the entire art market (which, interestingly, has been a reliable indicator of impending market bubbles for decades).  What drives the high-end #ArtMarket? How can art be used to move money in creative ways and get around taxes? And perhaps above all, why would anyone park so much money in a picture when there are other asset classes that actually generate cash, like real estate rentals or dividend-paying stocks? … all this and more in today’s episode!

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Brazil is currently the 9th largest economy in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. This means that if the nation does make the jump from developing to developed, it could rival economic superpowers like Germany, Japan, or the United Kingdom.  And as crazy as it may sound, it may become an economy that rivals the USA or China.

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China's Belt and Road initiative is set to be the most influential economic development project in recent history. It’ll be an investment measured in trillions, connecting dozens of nations with roads, rail lines, shipping routes, and most important of all: trade deals.  But for all of the impressive figures, there’s an equally concerning list of problems centered around the nation that looks to be the ringmaster of this whole project.

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This is Liechtenstein just the cutest little European nation, the nation is tiny but weirdly enough it is actually only the fourth smallest country in Europe, behind Vatican City, Monaco, and San Marino. What it lacks in square footage though it more than makes up for in economic might. You see this country is home to the second richest people in the world with a GDP per capita of $165,000 which is second only to Monaco, and the country is, at least officially home to some truly wealthy old moneyed elite.

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So hedge fund is a term that has really lost a lot of meaning in recent years. These days it basically just means a managed financial institution that facilitates complex investment strategies that cater exclusively to high net worth individuals. But that wasn’t always the case. You see hedge funds actually have a really specific role in the world of high finance and in this video we are going to find out what makes them work.

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Most people would agree that recessions are terrible things, they cause widespread fear among people that will be anxious about their savings, their livelihood, or even their next meal. On a nationwide level, economic downturns are events akin to natural disasters, they do massive damage and for the most part are widely accepted by society as an “inevitability”, rather than a “rarity” … But do we really need recessions?

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Game Theory is supposed to show how businesses (and prisoners) can outdo each other to win out over their competition. While this is great in theory Game Theory actually shows us much more about how to get along with our partners, friends, and allies.

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