Dr Patrice Motsepe.
Image: Karen Sandison / Independent Newspapers
Wake up to the shifts shaping the future.
From boardroom shakeups and billion-dollar bets to the latest tech breakthroughs rewriting the rules, The Company Brief is your front-row seat to the stories moving markets and mindsets.
We cut through the noise so you can stay ahead of the curve, one bold business move at a time.
Pula Group questions Motsepe companies' move to SA courts in R3.2bn mining dispute
US-based Pula Group has questioned the real motivation for companies linked to South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe seeking a late, ex-parte judgement from the South African High Court, to hear a R3.2 billion legal dispute between them that has been on the go in Tanzania for two years. A statement from Pula Group said the $195 million dispute had escalated into a test of judicial independence, after the ex-parte move raised questions about "forum shopping", disclosure, and whether the safeguards of a fair hearing were being fully observed. The dispute remains active in Tanzania. Pula is suing Motsepe-owned companies, including ARC (African Rainbow Capital), Motsepe, and ARCH Emerging Partners (ARCH), a UK-based investment fund, in November 2023, for violating a non-compete agreement signed by the companies.
Alphabet hits $4 trillion valuation as AI refocus lifts sentiment
Alphabet briefly hit $4 trillion in market valuation on Monday, as the Google parent's sharpened artificial intelligence focus allayed doubts about its strategy and thrust it back to the forefront of the high-stakes race. In the latest sign that its efforts were paying off, Alphabet said the next generation of Apple's AI models will be based on Google's Gemini under a multi-year deal. The company's class-A shares rose as much as 1.7% to $334.04 to hit a record high before giving up those gains. Alphabet last week surpassed Apple in market capitalisation for the first time since 2019, becoming the second most valuable company in the world. The milestones mark a remarkable change in investor sentiment for Alphabet, with its stock surging about 65% in 2025, outperforming its peers on Wall Street's elite group of stocks, the so-called Magnificent Seven.
Paramount sues Warner Bros for Netflix deal details
Paramount Skydance on Monday sued Warner Bros Discovery for more information on a rival $82.7 billion deal with Netflix, escalating a battle to take control of one of the most storied Hollywood studios. The David Ellison-led company also said it planned to nominate directors to Warner Bros' board, in one of its most aggressive steps to convince investors that its $108.7 billion all-cash bid is superior to Netflix's cash-and-stock deal. Warner Bros last week rejected Paramount's latest offer, advising shareholders to vote in favour of the Netflix deal. In a letter to shareholders, Paramount also said it would propose an amendment to Warner Bros' bylaws that would require shareholder approval for any separation of the media giant's cable TV business, which is key to the Netflix deal. Paramount's argument is that its all-cash bid of $30 per share for the whole of Warner Bros is superior to Netflix's cash-and-stock offer of $27.75 per share for the studios and streaming assets and will more easily clear regulatory hurdles.
Trump says nations doing business with Iran face 25% tariff on US trade
President Donald Trump said on Monday that any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on any trade with the U.S., as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran, which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years. "Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Tariffs are paid by U.S. importers of goods from those countries. Iran, a member of the OPEC oil-producing group, has been heavily sanctioned by Washington for years. It exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other top trading partners. "This Order is final and conclusive," Trump said without providing any further detail.