The good news: When environmental rules pressure one company, the effect can spread through shared boardroom ties, leading connected firms to reduce emissions, too.

The good news: When environmental rules pressure one company, the effect can spread through shared boardroom ties, leading connected firms to reduce emissions, too.

Zak Brown spent a decade racing before joining the business side of Formula One. He talks to WIRED about rebuilding a legendary brand, obsessive fans, and the pull of the driver’s seat.

The AI giant behind Claude submitted paperwork on Monday that would take it public, just a couple of weeks after SpaceX’s splashy IPO announcement.

Balancing economic growth and environmental protection is not easy. Consider wetlands, which provide flood protection, aid water quality, and are linchpins of larger ecosystems. How can we best preserve wetlands while enhancing economic activity?

Balancing economic growth and environmental protection is not easy. Consider wetlands, which provide flood protection, aid water quality, and are linchpins of larger ecosystems. How can we best preserve wetlands while enhancing economic activity?

Investigation reveals regulator let firms off the hook on cleanup bonds despite backlog that will take decades to clear

When Christiaan van Woudenberg moved to Erie, Colorado, in 2007, he never imagined he would become an anti-fracking activist. He simply thought he was buying his dream home – a four-bedroom with a panoramic mountain view, 30 minutes north of downtown Denver.

Then, in 2014, the drilling started. Oil and gas rigs sprang up, some just 800ft (240m) from his bedroom window. The dream turned to nightmare: loud noises rumbled all night long, and the air stank like exhaust. Neighbors started getting headaches and nosebleeds, and Van Woudenberg developed new respiratory issues. He kept his windows shut and worried about his daughters going outside.

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© Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images/Civitas/Chevron/OXY

© Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images/Civitas/Chevron/OXY

© Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images/Civitas/Chevron/OXY

Zak Brown spent a decade racing before joining the business side of Formula One. He talks to WIRED about rebuilding a legendary brand, obsessive fans, and the pull of the driver’s seat.

Google parent Alphabet announced Monday it plans to raise up to $80 billion in stock to fund a major expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway committing $10 billion as part of the deal.

Markets take note as world’s biggest equity fundraiser bids to garner more money than three biggest-ever IPOs combined

• Kenneth Rogoff: will AI create a permanent underclass?

Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has said it plans to raise up to $80bn (£59bn) in equity to fund its vast artificial intelligence infrastructure investments, raising further questions over the economics of the AI boom.

The move, the largest equity fundraising ever according to analysts, includes a $10bn share sale to the US investment group Berkshire Hathaway, which was led until last year by Warren Buffett.

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© Photograph: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Algi Febri Sugita/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

• Anthropic confidentially files for initial public offering on US stock market

In a landmark moment, gold has overtaken US government bonds as the world’s top reserve asset, according to calculations from the European Central Bank.

The ECB says that gold made up 27% of total official foreign reserves at the end of 2025, ahead of US Treasuries (22% of reserves) and the euro (15%).

Forces of fragmentation are becoming more pronounced. Geopolitical tensions continue to drive strong central bank demand for gold.

In nominal terms, the gold price surged by around 60% and 30% in 2025 and 2024 respectively, which mechanically increases the share of gold in total official foreign reserves.

Correcting for such valuation effects by using the gold price at the end of 2023, the share of the euro (16%) remains at par with the share of gold (16%), while the share of US Treasuries continues to be markedly higher (26%).

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images