Business as unusual: Trump, treaties, tiffs and technology
IT WAS A YEAR WHEN POLITICS AND TECHNOLOGY MADE THE HEADLINES FOR THE RIGHT AND WRONG REASONS. JANET YELLEN HIKED US INTEREST RATES FOR THE SECOND TIME IN EIGHT YEARS. DONALD TRUMP FOXED THE WORLD BY WINNING THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND HIS ASSAULT ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE TREATIES. NIGEL FARAGE FORGED BREXIT BY CREATING FEARS ABOUT THE BRITISH ECONOMY. CHRISTINE LAGARDE WAS FOUND GUILTY OF NEGLIGENCE OVER A MASSIVE PAYOUT, BUT WILL STAY ON AS IMF CHIEF. TIM COOK TOOK ON THE FBI AND PREVAILED IN AN IPHONE HACKING CASE. BILL GATES COMMITTED TO A $1 BILLION CLEANTECH FUND AND CHARITIES. MARK ZUCKERBERG FACED CRITICISM OVER THE ROLE FACEBOOK PLAYED IN ‘FAKE NEWS’ DURING THE US ELECTION. MARISSA MAYER TOLD US THAT YAHOO WAS GOING STRONG EVEN AFTER A BILLION ACCOUNTS WERE HACKED. RICHARD BRANSON SAW VIRGIN GALACTIC’S SPACESHIPTWO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A TEST FLIGHT. ELON MUSK RACED AHEAD OF HIS RIVALS WITH AUTONOMOUS CARS AND ULTRA-FAST CHARGERS.
US growth is a touch stronger, unemployment is a shade lower. We expect that the economy will continue to perform well, with the job market strengthening further, and inflation rising to two per cent.
Janet Yellen, US Federal Reserve chairwoman
Isn’t it funny? When I came here 17 years ago and said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get britain to leave the european Union, you all laughed at me — well, I have to say, you’re not laughing now, are you? I’ll make one prediction this morning: the United kingdom will not be the last member state to leave the european Union.
Nigel Farage, the man behind Brexit
Was I negligent? no, and allegation by allegation, I will attempt to convince you of this. negligence is a nonintentional offence. We are all a bit negligent sometimes in our life. I have done my job as well as I could, within the limits of what I knew.
Christine Lagarde, head of International Monetary Fund
I’ve built a simple AI that I can talk to on my phone and computer, that can control my home, including lights, temperature, appliances, music and security, that learns my tastes, that can learn new words and concepts, and that can even entertain Max.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO
When Henry Ford made cheap, reliable cars, people said, ‘Nah, what’s wrong with a horse?’ That was a huge bet he made, and it worked. I’ve actually made a prediction that within 30 years, a majority of new cars made in the United States will be electric.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla
Our goal is to build companies that will help deliver the next generation of reliable, affordable and emissions-free energy to the world. We have mapped out a landscape of innovation that we believe will help humanity meet those challenges.
Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and chairman of Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Yahoo is a company that changed the world. Before Yahoo, the Internet was a government research project. Yahoo humanised the web, email, search, real-time media and more. Now, we will continue to in combination with Verizon and AOL.
Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand. The implications are chilling.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO
Globalisation has made the financial elite who donate to politicians very wealthy. But it has left millions of our workers with nothing but poverty and heartache. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can turn it all around — and we can turn it around fast.
Donald Trump, US president-elect
Any time a new vehicle is tested in the air is a big deal. The significance of Virgin Galactic’s second SpaceShipTwo spacecraft flight is that it is the first flight of a spaceship built entirely by The Spaceship Company and operated by Virgin Galactic.
Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic