NY's grip as finance capital imperiled by high taxes, poor business climate: report

Published

11 months ago

October 31, 2023

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The Empire State is losing its grip as the nation’s financial services capital.

New York’s financial services industry – a great contributor to the state’s gross domestic product – has been imperiled by the plummeting population of high-income residents, who are fleeing amid towering taxes and rising housing costs, according to a sobering new study.

“As other states attract talent and investment in the sector, there is no guarantee of future success,” said the report from the Business Council of New York State.

“Addressing the states tax burden, business climate, and cost of living can help to ensure New Yorks position as a national and global leader for finance.”

Over the last three years, the top four states landing new high-paid financial services and insurance jobs over the last three years were Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia, the analysis conducted by the Business Council found.

New York ranked 36th in terms of percentage growth — at a rate of a puny two-tenths of 1%.

“North Carolina and Florida have rapidly added jobs in the finance and insurance sector while New Yorks employment has remained below national growth trends,” the report said.

Each finance sector employee generates nearly an additional three jobs in other sectors — so any loss of employment ripples through the entire economy, the study noted.

“This report should serve as a call to action for leaders across New York to forcefully address the competitiveness issues that threaten one of its most valuable and critical economic forces, the finance industry,” the study said.

The average compensation package in New York’s financial services industry is a nation-high $309,000 per year — $275,800 in salary plus $34,000 in other benefits.

The figures showed continuing trends of population decline in New York – with a 2.7% decrease from 2019 to 2022 — marking the worst loss among the 50 states during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the population loss was in New York City and its suburbs, home of most of the state’s wealthiest residents.

A review of net migration of residents showed that the largest flight of gross income was from Manhattan at nearly $11 billion.

“The data confirms the flight of the wealthiest from the New York City area,” the business group’s review found.

In 2021 alone, the Empire State saw a net decline of $9.8 billion in income that migrated to Florida, according to the report.

It’s not a coincidence, the study said, noting that the Tax Foundation think tank rates New York as having the highest combined state and local tax rate on residents, and the Sunshine State the lowest.

“This single competitive factor [taxes] is likely playing an influential role in the migration of high-net-worth individuals as they have the most to gain by leaving a high-income tax state for a low, or zero, income tax state,” the study said.

It also pointed out that New York is also one of a small collection of states that levies a tax on estates, derisively referred to as the “death tax.”

“High-wealth individuals are likely factoring this tax into their location decisions,” the report said.

“Forceful action is necessary,” the analysis concludes. “The state will need to address the tax burden, business climate, and cost of living issues that hurt the states competitiveness.

“If the state does not address these issues, it risks losing its dominance in the finance and insurance industry, and ultimately, jeopardizes the health and prosperity of New Yorks economy.”

Entertainment

Thunderbirds and Peppa Pig actor David Graham dies aged 99

Published

48 mins ago

September 21, 2024

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Thunderbirds and Peppa Pig actor David Graham dies aged 99

David Graham, whose voice featured in some of the UK’s favourite TV shows, including Thunderbirds and Peppa Pig, has died.

The London-born star was 99.

Jamie Anderson, the son of Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson, led the tributes on X as he called Graham a “legendary” actor.

Graham brought to life the Thunderbirds puppet characters Gordon Tracy, scientist Brains, and Lady Penelope’s driver, Aloysius “Nosey” Parker, in the series about the secret International Rescue organisation.

“We will miss you dearly, David. Our thoughts are with David’s friends and family,” Anderson’s post on X confirming the death on Friday said.

Anderson went on to pay tribute to Graham, who also voiced the evil Daleks in Doctor Who, saying: “David was always a wonderful friend to us here at Anderson Entertainment.”

‘What a talent’

Anderson also told the PA news agency: “Just a few weeks ago, I was with 2,000 Anderson fans at a Gerry Anderson concert in Birmingham where we sang him happy birthday – such a joyous occasion.

“And now, just a few weeks later, he’s left us. David was always kind and generous with his time and his talent. And what a talent.”

Highlighting all the characters played by Graham, Anderson added: “He will be sorely missed.”

Graham returned as Parker for ITV’s remake Thunderbirds Are Go, which ran between 2015 and 2020, but not for the live-action 2004 film which saw Ron Cook take on the role.

The original 1965 Thunderbirds was created by Gerry Anderson, who died in 2012, and his second wife, Sylvia, the voice of Lady Penelope, who died in 2016.

Graham also played Grandpa Pig in children’s show Peppa Pig, and provided the voice for characters in Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.

His in-person acting roles included Doctor Who, Coronation Street and Casualty.

Technology

SEC says Elon Musk should be sanctioned if he keeps dodging Twitter depositions

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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SEC says Elon Musk should be sanctioned if he keeps dodging Twitter depositions

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X looks on during the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 6, 2024.

David Swanson | Reuters

The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a federal judge to sanction Elon Musk if he continues to violate the court’s order to appear for a deposition in a probe of his 2022 Twitter acquisition.

The SEC has been investigating whether Musk or anyone else working with him committed securities fraud in 2022 as the Tesla CEO sold shares in his automaker and shored up a stake in Twitter, ahead of his leveraged buyout of the company now known as X.

In May, the court ordered Musk to appear for a deposition by the financial regulators regarding the Twitter deal.

“Musk has now failed to appear before the SEC twice: first in September 2023, in defiance of a lawful administrative subpoena, and last week, in defiance of a clear court order,” SEC attorney Robin Andrews said in the Friday filing.

Andrews asked the judge to consider sanctions should Musk delay further, according to the filing.

“The Court must make clear that Musk’s gamesmanship and delay tactics must cease,” Andrews wrote.

The filing also revealed, in a footnote, that the SEC intends to ask the court to hold Musk in “civil contempt” for canceling a deposition on Sept. 10, giving the agency only a few hours notice that he would not appear. Musk’s cancellation cost the SEC time and money after it sent personnel to Los Angeles to depose him and he didn’t appear for the investigative interview, the agency said.

Musk’s deposition in the probe has been rescheduled for a date in early October at an SEC office, the filing said.

“Without further action by the Court, nothing deters Musk” from “simply failing to show up for that date,” Andrews wrote.

Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, a partner at Quinn Emanuel in New York, wrote in a response that “such drastic action would be inappropriate,” adding that the SEC and Musk had agreed rescheduling would be permissible in light of an emergency.

Additionally, Musk and his companies have “cooperated and are cooperating with the SEC in multiple other ongoing investigations,” Spiro wrote.

In a separate, civil lawsuit concerning the same Twitter deal, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System has sued Musk in a federal court in New York accusing him of deliberately concealing his progressive investments in Twitter and intent to buy out the company.

The pension fund’s attorneys argue that Musk, by failing to clearly disclose his investments in and intentions to buy Twitter, had influenced other shareholders’ decisions and put them at a disadvantage.

Discovery from that case in New York yielded correspondence between an unnamed person at Morgan Stanley, and the executive who manages Musk’s money, Jared Birchall. In the messages, the Morgan Stanley contact wrote in February 2022 that Musk’s Twitter stock-buying strategy was closely held.

“No one knows what is going on and why but you and me,” the person at Morgan Stanley wrote. “Not compliance, not anyone.”

Read the court filing below:

Elon Musk's X is a financial 'disaster,' co-authors of new book 'Character Limit' say

Environment

Italian DC fast charger maker Alpitronic enters the US market [video]

Published

3 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Italian DC fast charger maker Alpitronic enters the US market [video]

Electrek‘s Seth Weintraub went to Alpitronic America’s new HQ to speak with CEO Mike Doucleff about its plans to roll out its ultra-fast chargers across the US.

Bolzano, Italy-based Alpitronic was founded in 2009, and it specializes in the development and production of DC fast chargers. The global company’s best-known product line is the Hypercharger, an ultra-fast EV charging station that can deliver charging power from 50 kW to 400 kW, depending on the model.

Alpitronic Americas recently announced an agreement with Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging to become the first DC fast-charging network to deploy Hypercharger 400 units at scale in the US.

Alpitronics Americas’ new headquarters’ 68,000-square-foot office and industrial space in Charlotte, North Carolina, includes a diagnostics laboratory and repair center, a spare parts warehouse, a training center, and space for as many as 300 employees.

The Bolzano, Italy-based company’s Hyperchargers achieve, on average, an efficiency rate greater than 97.5%, and that its repair and service network can service chargers anywhere in the US.

Alpitronic cofounder and CEO Philipp Senoner said, “As a natural part of Alpitronic’s growth, we are anxious to expand our industry-leading Hypercharger network from Europe, where we are market-share leader, to North America. We are pleased with the talent we are finding in North Carolina and look forward to setting a new standard for the EV charging network in the US.”

Alpitronic chargers support all EV brands. Pre-production units have been tested publicly in Rock Hill, SC, and Portland, OR. The first US-built, public chargers are expected to be installed and available in October.

Seth and Mike Doucleff discuss what Aliptronic’s main driver was to come to the US, what attracted them to Charlotte, and what the company thinks the future of DC fast chargers is in the US, among other things. Their conversation begins at 00:41 on the Electrek podcast below:

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