10 long reads for the weekend

Nov 4, 2023 – 7.00am

Welcome to the weekend. To start off your day, we’ve curated 10 great reads to enjoy.

Treasury’s Tim Ford strikes the $1.6b deal of his life

It took six months to buy Daou Vineyards. Shareholders will judge the wine CEO’s tenure by how well he can turn the business into a brand like Penfolds.

Treasury Wine chief executive Tim Ford was “understatedly impressive” in his sporting days. Elke Meitzel

When David Paradice paid Solomon Lew $100,000 (to cross the road)

The billionaire and fund manager have common interests in business and philanthropy. In the Financial Review’s new column, they talk about their friendship.

Albanese finds his ‘way through’ with China

Anthony Albanese flies to Asia this weekend, but he will be careful not to signal any return to the sunlit uplands of engagement with Beijing.

Sam Bankman-Fried: the villain in a cinema near you

His defence lawyer said the government tried to show the jury “the movie of Sam the villain.” He might have been ahead of his time.

Israel is winning the battle against Hamas but losing the PR war

Public opinion has turned against Israel as the number of civilian Palestinian casualties mount from retaliatory airstrikes.

Why suing Qantas is just the start for ACCC’s Cass-Gottlieb

The corporate world thought the head of the competition regulator would be on its side but that’s not how it’s turning out.

The five property fights ripping families apart

Verbal agreements around the kitchen table – such as those cited in the case of pop star Vanessa Amorosi – are just some of the triggers. This is how to avoid them.

How a lonely cattle ranch became a contender for World Heritage status

To the unenlightened, the site outside the Canadian city of Saskatoon may not look like much. But buried below the surface is bountiful proof it’s been an important gathering place for 6400 years.