The UK government has sold its final shares in NatWest, marking the end of a 17-year period since its bailout during the 2008 financial crisis, which was aimed at saving the economy from the collapse of major banks like RBS. Despite the bank's troubled history and the long duration of government ownership, experts believe that banking regulations and resilience have improved, reducing the likelihood of future taxpayer-funded bailouts, although new risks like cyberattacks remain significant.
The overfinancialization of the tech industry has led to a shift in perception, with many people outside of tech viewing funded early stage founders as bourgeois rather than scrappy underdogs. This shift in perception almost stopped the Biden administration from stepping in to save Silicon Valley Bank depositors. While financial rigor and planning were necessary for the tech industry's growth, some companies became extractive and focused solely on growth and margins. This overfinancialization had a cost, making it difficult to find political consensus when it came time to save tech companies.
