Money talks

“Did I use that leverage to my advantage? Yes… in the 11th hour [I said]: ‘You know, that’s a lovely offer of $9m. But I need one more to make it ten…’ To receive an eightfigure offer, for a woman, is huge. Sometimes women don’t like to talk about that. Whereas I don’t think the guys have any issues saying they get $20m a movie.” Actress Rebel Wilson (pictured) on how she negotiated $10m for Pitch Perfect 3 after she learned about market research revealing how popular her character was, quoted in The New York Times

“I understand that corporate bullying to some extent is part of the game with the press, even though it’s a little childish to keep hammering the missing vowels in our name. Would you do that with an individual? How would you look at a person who makes fun of your name day in day out? It’s probably not ethical to do it. But apparently with companies it is different.” Peter Branner, chief investment officer of Abrdn, quoted in Financial News

“Abrdn: an aplgy. Sry we kp tkng th pss ot of yr mssng vwls.” The front page of City AM in response to the above

“A bubble is just a bull market in which you don’t have a position.” MoneyWeek columnist Dominic Frisby, quoted on Bloomberg

“The idea that governments might find a lot more cash from tax rates higher than Sweden’s is delusional. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s finance minister, said that ‘the art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to procure the largest quantity of feathers with the least possible amount of hissing’. He did not add: ‘Unless it’s a big goose, in which case strangle it.’” The Economist reviews two books calling for higher taxes on the rich