What's The Big Deal?

Wall Street Prep
  • 4.3 (7)
  • INVESTING

Get the view from the inside. Every week, Graham Smith (ex-Ares) and Deborah Taylor (ex-Barclays) take a look at Wall Street’s headline-grabbing deals.  From mega-mergers and hostile takeovers to complex private credit transactions, they break down the why, the how, and the who behind the numbers.

Episodes

  1. MAR 26

    SpaceX to File for Biggest IPO of All-Time ($1.75 Trillion Valuation)

    Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly preparing to file its U.S. IPO prospectus as early as this week, targeting a public listing this June. According to new reports from the Information, advisors now predict the company could try to raise a record-breaking $75 billion, far above the $50 billion previously touted. This would more than double the previous $29 billion record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019. To put this figure into perspective, this single listing would surpass the total proceeds raised by every other U.S. IPO this year combined At a projected valuation of $1.75 trillion, SpaceX would instantly become the 7th largest public company in the world. While the final valuation and offering size won't be locked in until weeks before the June debut, the structure of the deal is already raising eyebrows. In a significant departure from Wall Street norms, SpaceX is expected to bypass the standard six-month lockup period. Additionally, while banks typically limit individual investors to 10% of an IPO, the retail and ultra-high-net-worth investor portion for SpaceX could remarkably exceed 20%.   In this episode of the ‘What’s The Big Deal?’ podcast, Deborah Taylor and Graham Smith discuss the unprecedented valuation, why the usual rules don't apply for Elon, and what this means for investors and capital markets. Why Wall Street Prep? Wall Street Prep is the trusted training provider for the world’s top investment banks, private equity firms, Fortune 1000 companies and business schools.  Our online training and instructor-led boot camps are direct adaptations of our corporate training, making Wall Street Prep the ideal choice for those looking to break into finance. DISCLAIMER:  The information provided in this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Investing involves risk, and you may lose some or all of your capital.  Past performance is not indicative of future results.  Please conduct your own due diligence or consult with a certified professional before making any financial decisions. WTBD Newsletter: https://webmail.wallstreetprep.com/whats-the-big-deal Follow Us On Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wall-street-prep/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallstreetprep/ Resources: https://linktr.ee/wallstreetprep

    38 min
  2. Will AI Replace Wall Street Investment Banking Jobs?

    MAR 19

    Will AI Replace Wall Street Investment Banking Jobs?

    Welcome to the fourth episode of the 'What's the Big Deal?' (WTBD) podcast powered by Wall Street Prep. AI is advancing at an exponential pace. Tools like Claude, ChatGPT, CoPilot and Shortcut are fundamentally reshaping workflows and what it means to be an investment banking analyst. But where are we right now? And where are we heading? In this special episode of the podcast Wall Street Prep Founder & CEO Matan Feldman and Graham Smith discuss the current state of play and if analyst jobs are really under threat. SPOILER ALERT: The overwhelming takeaway is completely counterintuitive to the current prevailing narrative and that is potentially very exciting. Why Wall Street Prep? Wall Street Prep is the trusted training provider for the world’s top investment banks, private equity firms, Fortune 1000 companies and business schools.  Our online training and instructor-led boot camps are direct adaptations of our corporate training, making Wall Street Prep the ideal choice for those looking to break into finance. Time Stamps:  Introduction: 00:00 The Current State of Play for AI Tools in Investment Banking 02:18 How Good Are These Tools Right Now 04:39 What Do These Tools Do Well 5:52 The Dangerous Errors These Tools Make 7:39 Are These Tools Good At Tricky or Advanced Analyst Work 11:42 The Impact Will These Tools Have on IB Recruiting Pathways And What You Need To Be Successful 14:47 The Potential Increased Demand for Investment Bankers 20:52 Are Investment Banks Replacing Analysts With Technology 23:38 What AI Tools Are Investment Banks Using (Claude, CoPilot, GPT) 26:35 What You Need To Do As A Future Investment Banker 27:21 Why You Still Need Fundamental Financial Knowledge As Well As AI Tools 30:03 The Dangerous Temptation Of AI Tools & The Wrong Way To Break Into The Industry 34:29 Which Divisions Are Adopting AI 36:26 What AI Doesn’t Do: 39:23 Are Roles Under Threat & How Do You Future Proof Yourself 42:42 Will Be An Investment Banker In The Future Become More Interesting 45:50 Advice for Analysts & Future Investment Bankers 47:33 DISCLAIMER:  The information provided in this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Investing involves risk, and you may lose some or all of your capital.  Past performance is not indicative of future results.  Please conduct your own due diligence or consult with a certified professional before making any financial decisions. WTBD Newsletter: https://webmail.wallstreetprep.com/whats-the-big-deal Follow Us On Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wall-street-prep/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallstreetprep/ Resources: https://linktr.ee/wallstreetprep

    48 min

  3. MAR 5

    The Truth Behind Paramount's $110 Billion Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery (Winners & Losers)

    Welcome to the second episode of the 'What's the Big Deal?' (WTBD) podcast powered by Wall Street Prep. In this episode, Wall-Street Experts Deborah Taylor, (former Director at Barclays) and Graham Smith (former Director at Ares) dive deep into Paramount's $110B acquisition of WBD. They discuss why Netflix's $27.75 bid wasn't actually "cheaper" than the Skydance $31 offer once you account for the complex spin-off mechanics of the linear TV business.  They explore the "circular" valuation methods where investment banks used Larry Ellison’s previous deal to justify the price of this one, alongside the eye-watering $2.8B breakup fee paid to Netflix and the "ticking fee" that makes every delay incredibly expensive.  Finally, they look at the real human cost, from the CEO's $700M payout to the creative teams facing $6B in "synergies" and budget cuts. The financial health of this acquisition is a major talking point, with the combined entity looking at a staggering $85B in debt, placing it firmly in LBO territory at roughly 6x EBITDA.  Debs breaks down her exclusive analysis showing a measly 5-6% EPS accretion, raising the question of whether this deal actually creates value for anyone other than the Ellison family.  With S&P already placing the company on credit watch, the pressure is on to see if those massive promised synergies ever actually materialize. Why Wall Street Prep? Wall Street Prep is the trusted training provider for the world’s top investment banks, private equity firms, Fortune 1000 companies and business schools.  Our online training and instructor-led boot camps are direct adaptations of our corporate training, making Wall Street Prep the ideal choice for those looking to break into finance. Wall Street Prep: https://www.wallstreetprep.com/ Download Free Financial Models: https://www.wallstreetprep.com/free-resources/ Virtual Finance Boot Camps: https://www.wallstreetprep.com/public-courses/ Financial & Valuation Modeling Certification Program (Premium Package): https://www.wallstreetprep.com/self-study-programs/premium-package/ Private Equity Certificate Program with Wharton Business School: https://wallstreetprep.wharton.upenn.edu/pe-certificate/?utm_source=wsp&utm_campaign=wspSiteRefer&utm_content=siteNav AI for Business & Finance Certificate Program: https://wallstreetprep.business.columbia.edu/ai-certification/?utm_source=wsp&utm_campaign=wspSiteRefer&utm_content=siteNav Follow Us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wall-street-prep/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallstreetp... Podcast Resources: J.P. Morgan & Allen & Co’s Fairness Opinion: https://felix.fe.training/filing/document.php/?hid=69a18f03a63c5 Time Stamps:  Overview: 0:37 - 5:41 Which Bid is Better for WBD Shareholders? (Valuation): 05:43 - 13:18 What Would Have Made Netflix Preferable?: 13:19 - 16:10 The Mechanics of the Deal: 16:52 - 21:00 Political Lobbying, Financing, Creative Industry Support: 21:01 - 23:20 J.P. Morgan's & Allen & Co's Valuation (Fairness Opinion): 23:21 - 26:16 Is This a Good Deal or is Paramount Overpaying? 26:17 - 36:25 DISCLAIMER:  The information provided in this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Investing involves risk, and you may lose some or all of your capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please conduct your own due di WTBD Newsletter: https://webmail.wallstreetprep.com/whats-the-big-deal Follow Us On Socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wall-street-prep/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallstreetprep/ Resources: https://linktr.ee/wallstreetprep

    36 min
  • 3 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Get the view from the inside. Every week, Graham Smith (ex-Ares) and Deborah Taylor (ex-Barclays) take a look at Wall Street’s headline-grabbing deals.  From mega-mergers and hostile takeovers to complex private credit transactions, they break down the why, the how, and the who behind the numbers.

Information

  • Creator
    Wall Street Prep
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 What's The Big Deal?
  • Show Website
    What's The Big Deal?

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