Growing up, my mom was strict. We had no junk food or soft drinks at home, weren’t allowed to play video games on weekdays, and our TV time was rationed. When I wanted weekday fun, I’d have to sneak out, take the elevator down from our condo unit, and play games with a classmate in another unit...
In Casino Royale (2006), one of the film's most gripping scenes unfolds as James Bond faces off against the antagonist Le Chiffre at a poker table, with tens of millions of dollars at stake. Bond finds himself at the final table in a high-stakes game where more than just chips are on the...
Lately, my friends have been buzzing about algorithmic and AI trading, how it's now within reach for pretty much anyone. They're convinced these mathematical models guarantee killer returns, all thanks to their precision and, you know, sheer complexity. Now, that sounds good on paper, but I'm...
I often find myself chatting with friends who are totally puzzled by how I spend my money. I'm rocking ₱60 gym shirts, the ones I snagged off Lazada five years ago. I only buy shoes when my current pairs bite the dust, and I upgrade my phone like, once every seven years. My friends just don't...
In 2014, my aunt got what seemed like a golden stock tip from a friend in finance: a rumor that a small Philippine Stock Exchange company would be bought out by a bigger firm, for way more than its current market price.The urgency? Real."This thing's gonna skyrocket, for sure! Look at that chart!...
In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, forever altering the technological landscape. Within two months, it garnered 100 million monthly active users, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history at that point. This cemented OpenAI's position as a leading force in artificial...
I once heard this fascinating fictional tale about the power of compounding. A long time ago in India, a wise man presented a new game to a king. The game was played by taking turns moving various pieces on an eight-by-eight board. It was a masterpiece of strategy and mathematics, and the king...
During the Covid-19 lockdowns in the latter half of 2020, thousands of Filipinos found themselves making more money than their day jobs by playing a video game. The game was Axie Infinity (Axie), an online play-to-earn game that offered a glimmer of hope during tough economic times. In Axie,...
In 2008, Warren Buffett bet $1 million that a hedge fund would be unable to beat a basic investment over a decade. Fund manager Ted Seides accepted his challenge and built a portfolio of five hedge funds.The bet initially favored Ted. When the market crashed in 2008, Warren Buffett's portfolio lost...
Every once in a while, a friend asks me about investing in foreign stocks. Which stockbroker do you use? How do you send money? Is it hard to open a dollar account?A couple of weeks ago, my friend Gilbert (not his real name) asked me these very questions.“Recommended stockbroker?” Many people...