In The NEWS

The Watergate scandal, explained
The Watergate scandal was a major US political event in the early 1970s, triggered by a break‑in at Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex by operatives associated with President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign.

The subsequent investigation uncovered serious campaign finance violations and a cover-up by the Nixon administration, resulting in nearly 50 criminal convictions and Nixon’s resignation—the only time a US president has resigned. Federal prosecutors adopted the name "The Big Cheese" to refer to the president.

The scandal spurred significant reforms: new campaign‑finance laws, stronger ethics oversight, and tighter limits on presidential authority.

... Read our full deep dive on the scandal here.

Also, check out ...
> Gerald Ford is the only president not elected to the office. (More)
> Scandals that got the "-gate" treatment. (More)
> The wife of Nixon's attorney general was kidnapped. (More)


Going Public

A 101 on IPOs
An initial public offering, or IPO, is the process of a private company becoming public. In an IPO, a company puts up shares of the company on the stock market for the public to purchase.

IPOs often have all the pomp and circumstance of a graduation ceremony, as they are one of the biggest milestones a company can achieve. From Apple in 1980 to Reddit in 2024, every public company has gone through an IPO at some point.

To begin the process, a company hires investment bankers (who earn roughly 7% of the IPO’s gross proceeds) to help set the organization’s target valuation range—an estimate of how much the company is worth—and schedule an IPO date. From there, the bankers market the IPO to hedge funds and other large potential investors.

Transitioning from a private to a public company allows an organization to more easily raise a significant amount of capital. This helps the company expand.

... Read our full take on IPOs here.

Also, check out...
> The 25 biggest IPOs of all time. (More)
> Inside the circus that is the opening day of an IPO. (More)
> How private companies can bypass the IPO process. (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS