2026-07-17
By Jean-Philippe Legault, Guest Contributor
Over the past several years, private equity funds, also known as “Private Equity” funds, have experienced growing popularity. Managers of these funds must first raise capital from investors. With these amounts, they set out to acquire private companies. The objective is to improve their performance and ultimately sell them at a profit. Typically, these funds have a lifespan of about ten years.
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2026-07-10
The Importance of Incentives
BY JEAN-PHILIPPE LEGAULT, GUEST CONTRIBUTOR. Last May, GameStop (GME) proposed acquiring eBay...
2026-07-03
Seven Books I Loved
This blog post is my last before the summer break. My colleagues, Jean-Philippe Legault and...
2026-06-26
The First Trillionaire
In February 2024, I wrote a blog post titled “Breaking Down the Numbers” about large numbers.
2026-06-19
The Fear of Missing Out
A few days ago, I was reading an article by Francis Vailles of La Presse about the Quebec...
My current recommendation
By Zachary D. Carter, 656 pages, 2021, Random House Trade Paperbacks
This biography, written by a prominent journalist, paints a portrait of John Maynard Keynes — an economist and, above all, an anti-authoritarian thinker of the 20th century. This fascinating intellectual was one of the great influencers of his time, and his ideas still resonate in today’s economic world. This epic journey is recounted, analyzed, and explained in accessible prose, despite the occasional complexity of the subject. An essential reading for anyone wishing to better understand the interplay between markets, money, and economic policy — or simply to discover a figure who left his mark on financial history.
Publisher’s website
Recommended by Phillipe
By Zachary D. Carter, 656 pages, 2021, Random House Trade Paperbacks
This biography, written by a prominent journalist, paints a portrait of John Maynard Keynes — an economist and, above all, an anti-authoritarian thinker of the 20th century. This fascinating intellectual was one of the great influencers of his time, and his ideas still resonate in today’s economic world. This epic journey is recounted, analyzed, and explained in accessible prose, despite the occasional complexity of the subject. An essential reading for anyone wishing to better understand the interplay between markets, money, and economic policy — or simply to discover a figure who left his mark on financial history.
Publisher’s website
Recommended by Phillipe
By Michael Connelly, 400 pages, 2025, Little, Brown and Company
This author, whose books I devour, tackles a more than timely subject in this novel: artificial intelligence. This undisputed thriller master brings us into the world of AI and its potential excesses. As AI becomes entangled in the murder of a young woman and a lawsuit is filed against the AI company involved, an investigation full of twists and turns unfolds. A very tightly crafted story that, while written to entertain, nonetheless provokes reflection on issues that are becoming less and less hypothetical.
Publisher’s website
Recommended by Phillipe
By Robert B. Cialdini, 592 pages, 2021, Harper Business
This book, recommended by Charlie Munger several years ago, is a classic in the art of persuasion. The author, a respected scientist, lays out the principles of convincing others — but also of resisting attempts at influence. I even drew from it a blog series focused on the principles of this information-rich book. What one learns from it can be applied in both professional and personal spheres, which makes it doubly interesting.
Publisher’s website
Recommended by Phillipe
By Stefan Zweig, 258 pages, 2024, Plon
IN FRENCH ONLY
This book brings together texts written between 1909 and 1941. In today’s time, it feels especially important to revisit what unfolded in Europe during the 20th century—from the lead-up to the First World War to the events preceding the second. In these essays, Zweig passionately advocates for peace and a return to humanist values. A book our leaders should read.
Recommended by Phillipe
By Doris Kearns Goodwin, 944 pages, 2004, Simon & Schuster
Written by a renowned historian, this biography explores the life of Abraham Lincoln—president during the U.S. Civil War and the one who abolished slavery in the country. It captures the unfolding of his political genius and the impact of a presidency that undeniably shaped American and human history. One can’t help but wonder: is he the very opposite of a certain contemporary president?
Publisher’s website
