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Business Daily: The World's Most Profitable Business?

22/04/2013

The World's Most Profitable Business?

BBC World Service - Business Daily, The World's Most Profitable Business?

The top commodity trading companies made $250bn in the last decade - how did they do it?

The top commodity trading companies made profits of $250bn in the last decade - how did they do it, what does that tell us about the world economy and will the profits last?

According to an investigation by the Financial Times the top commodity trading companies made profits of $250 billion in the last decade. So how did these, generally private, companies make so much money?

We speak to the FT reporter who's been sifting through records from exotic tax havens and secret bankers memos to calculate these companies earnings.  

We visit one of the world's biggest commodities markets, the New York Mercantile Exchange and Justin Rowlatt speaks to Michael Tamvakis, Professor of Commodities and Finance at the Cass Business School about what the profitability of these businesses tells us about the world economy.

Plus: Lucy Kellaway on why all the planning in the world won't secure your child the dream job they yearn for.  Lucy should know, she failed to achieve her childhood ambitions.

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