Condé Nast Portfolio, November 2007
Wall Street Requiem
The Bear Stearns slump has some investment banks fretting over their survival. Read more
FEATURES
Rich Man, Poor Country
For this Indian tycoon, building the world's biggest oil-refining complex and a billion-dollar palace isn't enough. Read more
Private Equity Nation
Buyout shops have snapped up everything from Whoppers to Chrysler. Here's how the firms control your life. View Interactive Feature
Obscene Losses
The pornography business seemed immune to weak sales, until a secretive website began offering user-generated video for free. Read more
Endless Chatter
The YouTube-CNN debates earned dismal ratings: a far cry from the Kennedy-Nixon showdown that transfixed TV viewers. Read more
Welcome to the Future
Imagine decoding your DNA on the internet and learning your cancer risk. 23andMe, a stealth startup, promises to let you do just that. Read more
Masters of Invention
Condé Nast Portfolio has identified the most prolific inventors alive. Three of them have more patents than Thomas Edison. Read more
Fashion's Next Big Bang
Can the mastermind of A Bathing Ape, a sought-after fashion label that makes some items in editions of only a few dozen, go global without selling out? Read more
CULTURE INC.
Abstract Confusionism
On the eve of the fall auctions, uncertainty reigns in the art market. And the appraisers are at the core of the chaos. Read more
Rock-and-Roll Fantasy?
Music publishing has always been the record industry's dowdy sister. But today's players are hoping to find gold in the songbooks. Read more
User-Generated Soccer
A fan with a plan persuades 53,000 zealots to buy, and manage, a British team. Read more
Symphony in Blue
The business leaders on the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's board know how to fire up ticket sales. Read more
Culture Clash
When New York's New Museum hired a branding firm, it found that advertising and art don't always get along. Read more
Presidential Moxie
Thomas J. Whalen explores courage among presidents. Read more
Also Worth a Read ...
Oil on the lunatic frontier, a thoughtful exposé of American medicine, and does globalization actually lead to the enslavement of workers? Read more
From Our Staff
We review the fourth novel by Ken Wells, a Condé Nast Portfolio senior editor and Louisiana native. Read more
In Play
The Best Kind of Sticker Shock
The poor man's Maserati—a steal at $115,000—and other budget luxury cars. Read more
Downhill Faster
Four innovative snowboards, hitting half-pipes this winter. Read more
COLUMNS
Why He Caved
When he slashed interest rates, Ben Bernanke proved academic expertise couldn't overcome a real lending crisis. Read more
Fred Thompson's Big Flop
A look at some long-forgotten Senate hearings reveals a candidate who's unprepared to lead. Read more
Giving Makes You Rich
Paradoxical but true: The more money you donate, the more money you'll make. Read more
The $3 Flight
Selling cheap airfare to novice customers, AirAsia is claiming the skies of the Far East. Read more
The Convict and the Congressman
How a triangle of corruption tripped up a Nigerian vice president, a U.S. congressman, and a tech visionary. Read more
Chocolate Wars
What is chocolate, anyway? Mars, Hershey, premium chocolatiers, and even Warren Buffett are battling over the industry's standards. Read more
Seeds of Our Future
What's stored in an Arctic vault may relieve the next catastrophic crop failure Read more
BRIEF
Let's Make a Halal Deal
To do business in the Middle East, hire a cleric. Read more
The Ethanol-Industrial Complex
Will anyone profit from the record corn harvest? View Interactive Feature
Show Me the Money
Mr. Cruise goes to Wall Street. Read more
Attention Span
The price of Minnesota's bridge collapse. Read more
Cracking the Nut
Researchers try to breed a hypoallergenic peanut. Read more
Up in Smoke
The Big Tobacco payout today. Read more
Running Up a Bill
How a hedge fund analyst prepares for the New York City Marathon. Read more
Inside Men
TXU trading on trial. Read more
A Slice of Thanksgiving
A look at the costs of growing a poult into a bird. View Graphic
Mind the Gap
Deciphering the foreign-trade deficit. Read more
Connect With Portfolio.com
Come on, like us—you know you want to.
Follow us and if you're an innovative entrepreneur, we'll return the favor.
Today's top stories, conversation starters, and the back nine business bites.
spotlight on
Slideshows
500 Startups Hits New York
Dave McClure's brainchild makes its way to New York and introduces East Coast money folks to some intriguing new companies. View Slideshow
