Opening Bell: 6.16.15
Tsipras Brands IMF Criminal as Merkel Focuses on Greek Solution (Bloomberg)
Addressing lawmakers in Athens on Tuesday, Tsipras gave no sign of backing down in the standoff over Greece’s bailout. Instead, he blasted the IMF’s adherence to austerity and accused the European Central Bank of using tactics that were akin to “financial asphyxiation.”
Buy ‘WALL ST’ Vanity License Plates for $12,000 (Bloomberg)
The only “WALL ST” license plate issued in the state of New York is for sale right now on EBay. (It’s attached to a 2002 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan.) The seller originally bought the plates when they first became available in New York, in 1976; he was working at the brokerage firm E.F. Hutton at the time and put them on his ’76 Chrysler Cordoba. And you’re in luck: So far, there have been zero bids.
FitBit Boosts IPO Size Up to $656 Million in Sign of Demand (Bloomberg)
FitBit Inc., the maker of wearable devices that collect data on exercise and sleep patterns, boosted the size of its initial public offering to as high as $656 million amid strong demand for the shares. FitBit and its stockholders plan to offer 34.5 million Class A shares for $17 to $19 apiece, according to a prospectus filed Tuesday. Earlier this month, the San Francisco-based company said 29.85 million shares would be offered at $14 to $16 apiece.
Financier in harassment suit ‘lasted 2 minutes’ in bed (NYP)
Benjamin Wey, 43, left 25-year-old Hanna Bouveng feeling “debased” after the encounter, which she claims she agreed to only after his “relentless” pressure. “He has sex with her and it’s over in two minutes,” her attorney, David Ratner, said in Manhattan federal court. “She was horrified and debased.” Bouveng is suing Wey for $850 million, claiming he forced her to dress provocatively and pressured her into sleeping with him in December 2013 at the Tribeca apartment he rented for her. He then allegedly fired her when she complained.
Dealbreaker Dramatic Reading Night Returns June 24th (DB)
Buy your ticket to the greatest night of all our lives now.
Kleiner Perkins to Write Smaller Checks With $4 Million Fund (Dealbook)
Most of the action in venture capital now is in so-called growth rounds, with billions of dollars flowing into established technology superstars like Uber and Pinterest. But Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s best-known investment firms, is trying a different approach: focusing on early-stage seed rounds — and offering founders unusual terms. The firm announced on Tuesday a new $4 million fund, called the Edge Fund, that will essentially lend entrepreneurs up to $250,000. The Edge Fund will also supply founders with an array of services, including technical programming help, recruiting and operational expertise.
Derek Jeter’s ‘Players’ Tribune’ gets $9.5M in financing (NYP)
Derek Jeter’s digital-media company received a $9.5 million second round of financing Monday from the world’s largest venture-capital firm. In leading the so-called Series B financing, New Enterprise Associates became the first VC backer of The Players’ Tribune, which Jeter launched last October with backing from movie-making sports enthusiast Thomas Tull. The Players’ Tribune presents content generated by the athletes themselves — or, as Jeter has put it, “their stories, their way.”
Kirk Kerkorian Dies at 98 (WSJ)
Billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian, who built Las Vegas hotels and bought and sold MGM three times, has died. He was 98. Mr. Kerkorian died Monday night, said his investment company Tracinda Corp. Though he shunned executive titles and avoided public appearances throughout his career, Mr. Kerkorian remained an active investor into his 90s. But he never managed his enterprises, preferring to leave operational details up to a cadre of loyal lieutenants.
Banks eye tax haven in exodus from City (The Times)
Luxembourg could become home to two of the City’s largest banks in what would amount to a huge coup for the tiny tax haven, which is becoming an increasingly serious rival to London for investment banking. HSBC and JP Morgan are in discussions to relocate parts of their business to the Grand Duchy as banks weigh up the tougher rules for conducting business outside of the eurozone and the possibility of a British exit from the European Union.
Seven Rare Pythons Stolen From Ohio Pet Rescue (AP)
Akron Rattery and Reptile Rescue CEO Robin Everley says the snakes were taken Saturday when thieves cut a hole in a wall in an adjacent building and broke in. She says the burglars set off the store's alarm, snatched the snakes and dashed away in seconds. The snakes are all about six months old or younger and can grow up to 30 feet long. She says the snakes are worth $6,000.