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  • A Wave of Acquisitions May Have Shielded Big Tech from Competition

    According to a new study co-authored by Florian Ederer, the fraction of startups that are acquired has skyrocketed, eliminating many potential competitors of big tech firms.

    An illustration of fish/lightbulbs being attracted to a glowing dollar sign suspended by an anglerfish.
  • Did Ticketmaster’s Market Dominance Fuel the Chaos for Swifties?

    Taylor Swift fans scrambling for concert tickets faced endless queues and crashes on the Ticketmaster website. Yale SOM economist Florian Ederer explains the antitrust issues at play and the tradeoffs inherent in satisfying overwhelming demand.

    Taylor Swift performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2019.
  • The Rise of the Mutual Fund Is Reducing Corporate Competition and Hurting Consumers

    Mutual funds have become large shareholders in most public U.S. firms. The resulting overlaps in ownership are boosting corporate profits but harming consumers, according to a new study co-authored by Florian Ederer of Yale SOM.

    A balloon tethered to the ground with sandbags labeled with the names of mutual fund companies
  • Does Big Tech Gobble Up Competitors?

    An executive order from President Joe Biden last month and a congressional report in October accused large technology firms of engaging in “killer acquisitions,” citing research by Yale SOM’s Florian Ederer.

    A crocodile with two fish in its mouth
  • When Corporate Acquisitions Affect Healthcare

    Companies often purchase competitors, not to acquire their ideas and products, but to shut them down. A recent report raised questions about whether such an acquisition may be partially responsible for a shortage of ventilators in the United States.

    A nurse standing next to a hospital bed and ventilator
  • New Study Shows that Trust Can Last

    A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Florian Ederer explores how the trust we place in one another is affected by our ability to communicate and by the passage of time.

    Illustration of two people with pockets full of money shaking hands in front of clock
  • Three Questions: Prof. Florian Ederer on ‘Killer Acquisitions’

    A recent lawsuit alleged that a billionaire investor bought the rights to a new drug just to eliminate a potential competitor. We asked Yale SOM's Florian Ederer to explain why a "catch-and-kill" merger can be damaging and what to do about the phenomenon.

    A bear trap with a pill bottle on the trigger
  • How Can You Make Incentives More Effective? Make Them Opaque. 

    A study from Yale SOM’s Florian Ederer suggests that when individuals or organizations don’t fully understand how they’re being ranked, they’re likely to work harder for higher ratings.

    An illustration of a "black box" incentive system
  • Do Companies Buy Competitors in Order to Shut Them Down?

    A study co-authored by Yale SOM researchers Florian Ederer and Song Ma suggests that “killer acquisitions” by pharmaceutical companies are potentially limiting the number of new treatments available.

    Sky of pills being sucked into an overfilling Rx bottle
  • What Happens When the Same Investors Own Everything?

    Diversification means that in many industries, companies are owned by an overlapping set of investors, reducing their incentive to compete.

    Illustration of cow carved up for butchering but with Investment Bank names describing pieces