Robert Smith

Robert Smith, Financial Times corporate finance editor who reports on banks and governance, recounts how Deutsche Bank actively courted Jeffrey Epstein. He discusses the bank hiring Epstein’s banker, overlooked compliance warnings, and the eventual fallout. Short, sharp scenes of internal incentives clashing with controls and the moment public scrutiny forced account closures.

In this insightful discussion, Robert Smith and Ortenca Aliaj, both Financial Times editors, unravel the shocking collapse of First Brands Group, a small auto parts supplier with a staggering $12 billion in hidden debt. They explore the opaque financing tactics that obscured financial risks and discuss the lack of due diligence by lenders. From Patrick James's mysterious background to the broader implications for private credit, they raise critical concerns about the future of funding practices in a post-2008 financial landscape.

Robert Smith, Corporate Finance Editor at the Financial Times, sheds light on the shocking $12 billion bankruptcy of First Brands Group. With deep expertise in bankruptcies and private credit, he unpacks the company’s complex capital structure and the hidden liabilities revealed during the proceedings. Smith warns of the potential for broader instability in the private credit market, comparing First Brands to other recent failures. He also critiques the transparency of financial institutions involved and discusses the implications for investors and managers.