
Musk's X to offer investment, trading in 'super app' push: Report
X CEO Linda Yaccarino has said users will soon be able to make investments or trades on the social media platform, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, a move to support billionaire owner
Elon Musk
's vision to create an "everything app."
In an interview with the publisher, Yaccarino said the company was exploring the introduction of an X credit or debit card, which could come as soon as this year.
Musk, who in April 2022 clinched a $44 billion deal to buy Twitter and later rebranded it as X, has signaled plans to model it as a "super app," similar to China's WeChat.
The social media platform did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
"2025 X will connect you in ways never thought possible. X TV, X Money, Grok and more," Yaccarino wrote in a post in December last year.
Payment
s giant Visa and X partnered to offer direct payment solutions to customers of the social media app, a person familiar with the matter said earlier this year.
A super app, or what Musk refers to as an "everything app," has been described as the Swiss army knife of mobile apps, offering a suite of services for users such as messaging, social networking, payments and e-commerce shopping.
X hired NBCUniversal advertising chief Yaccarino as CEO in 2023 amid advertiser exodus from the platform as they worried that their ads could appear next to inappropriate content.
Yaccarino said that 96% of X's ad clients prior to acquisition had now come back to the platform, the Financial Times report said.
The company is poised for its first year of ad revenue growth this year since its acquisition by Musk, according to data from research firm Emarketer in March.
X had filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas against the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site and causing it to lose revenue.

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Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Swiss Seek European Arms Procurement Ties to Bolster Defense
(Bloomberg) -- The Swiss government is seeking closer collaboration with other European nations in defense procurement, following warnings by senior officials over the country's struggling arms industry. As part of a new defense strategy announced on Friday, Switzerland aims to buy at least 30% of its arms from Europe. Swiss forces should also use the same weapon systems as their neighbors, or at least compatible ones, the government said in a statement. 'It's a give and take,' the government said. 'Swiss companies need to gain access to international cooperation and the supply chains of foreign system suppliers.' Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and concern over US President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO's mutual defense clause is forcing Europe to rearm, making it more challenging for small countries like Switzerland to place orders. At the same time, the Swiss defense industry has been frozen out of procurement efforts as the country's rules — rooted in its neutrality stance — mean it has blocked requests to send arms and ammunition to Ukraine. As neither a member of NATO nor the European Union, the Federal Council reiterated that neutral Switzerland is finding it difficult to order arms, as suppliers ship to bigger countries first. The strategy update will likely put further pressure on parliament to ease stringent rules, which forbid the re-export of war material with more than 50% of domestically produced components. Swiss defense exports have slumped by 30% from a record in 2022, as arms producers have started to shift production abroad to circumvent the restrictions. 'Because it refuses to re-export Swiss war material to Ukraine, it is no longer regarded as a reliable partner by European countries,' the government said. 'An increasing number of countries are therefore excluding Switzerland from procurement projects and supply chains.' Earlier this month, NATO member states adopted the alliance's most ambitious military ramp-up since the Cold War. Last week, the Swiss Upper House approved proposals that would reinstate the government's power to permit passing on such arms to conflict zones. The bill still needs approval in parliament's Lower House. Though small in its contribution to economic output, the Swiss policy of ''armed neutrality' has magnified importance of the country's defense sector: Swiss law enshrines the need to maintain an industrial capacity 'adapted to the requirements of its national defense.' Senior officials have expressed fears that a dwindling domestic defense industry lowers Switzerland's negotiating heft with foreign suppliers. More stories like this are available on
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Why Indians continue to park their money in Swiss banks
Decades ago, Bollywood movies familiarised many in India with scenic Switzerland and secretive Swiss bank accounts. But, decades later, Indians still continue to park their money in Swiss financial institutions. What's the big draw? read more Swiss authorities say they actively support India in the fight against tax fraud and evasion. AFP The years may go on but some things never change. It was Bollywood movies that familiarised many in India with scenic Switzerland and secretive Swiss bank accounts decades ago. But Indians still continue to park their money in Swiss banks. But what happened? What do we know? Why is this? Let's take a closer look: What happened? According to the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Indians deposited 3.5 billion Swiss francs (CHF), around 37,600 crore, in 2024 alone. This is the highest level since 2021, when the amount of funds deposited by Indians hit a 14-year high of 3.83 billion Swiss francs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Of this, 3.02 billion (CHF) came from other banks, and 135 million (CHF) from bonds and securities. The money deposited directly cut by individual customers rose 11 per cent to 346 million CHF. This comprises around 10 per cent of the total money deposited. This comes after the deposits in 2023 by Indians plunged to 1.04 billion Swiss francs – the lowest level since 2020. However, this still remains short of the all-time high of 6.5 billion CHF way back in 2006. It was Bollywood movies that first familiarised many in India with scenic Switzerland and Swiss bank accounts. Reuters It is important to note that this data comes from the official reports. It does not include the black money which is deposited in Swiss bank accounts. India has long witnessed controversy surrounding black money parked in Switzerland. Political parties have for years vowed to bring this money back to India. Why is this? Experts say there are many reasons for this. First, Switzerland has positioned itself, and is widely seen, as a neutral country. Thus in times of war unrest it is seen as a safe bet to park your money in Switzerland. The country also has excellent laws when it comes to offshore trusts – thus allowing the super-wealthy to save millions on their taxes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Swiss francs as a currency is also generally considered a stable and reliable. Swiss authorities have insisted that assets held by Indian residents in Switzerland cannot be considered 'black money.' They say they actively support India in its fight against tax fraud and evasion. Authorities in India and Switzerland have been exchanging information about taxation since 2019. This came after the two countries signed the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) agreement in 2018. Swiss authorities have provided detailed financial information on all Indian residents having accounts with Swiss financial institutions since 2018. Switzerland has also been actively sharing details about accounts of Indians suspected to have indulged in financial wrongdoings after the submission of prima facie evidence. Such exchange of information has taken place in hundreds of cases thus far. The UK saw the most money in Swiss banks at CHF 222 billion. Then came the US US with CHF 89 billion and West Indies (CHF 68 billion). Germany, France, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Singapore, Guernsey and the UAE were all next. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India, meanwhile, was way down at 48th place. India was 67th at the end of 2023 and 46th place at the end of 2022. Pakistan also saw a dip to CHF 272 million (from CHF 286 million), while Bangladesh witnessed a sharp increase from CHF 18 million to CHF 589 million. With inputs from agencies

Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Indian deposits in Swiss banks down nearly 18% over last 10 years: Here's why
Deposits of Indian customers in Swiss banks fell by around 18 per cent over the past decade, according to the latest figures released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The data shows a drop from approximately 425 million Swiss francs in 2015 to 346 million Swiss francs in 2024. The SNB data also showed that Indian deposits witnessed a sharp rise during the COVID-19 period, touching a 10-year high of around 602 million Swiss francs. However, the deposits started declining after the pandemic peak, ANI reported. In 2023, deposits stood at 309 million Swiss francs, whereas in 2024, they only grew by 37 million Swiss francs. Despite this annual rise, the overall trend over the last decade remains downward. The downward trend of deposits in Swiss banks can be due to various reasons like tightening regulations, increased scrutiny, and changes in international financial transparency norms, said ANI. The most significant drop was seen in deposits by American nationals. Their deposits in Swiss banks plunged from 64.2 billion Swiss francs in 2015 to 24.4 billion Swiss francs in 2024, a decline of about 62 per cent. For India, the trend clearly shows that over the last decade, deposits by Indian nationals in Swiss banks have declined, although a temporary hike in deposits was seen during the pandemic in 2021, the news agency reported. This declining trend in deposits is not unique to India. Several other countries also witnessed a reduction in funds deposited in Swiss banks by their nationals, the news agency reported. Among major economies, deposits by UK nationals fell from 44 billion Swiss francs in 2015 to 31 billion Swiss francs in 2024. Chinese deposits also saw a decline, reducing from 5.01 billion Swiss francs to 4.3 billion Swiss francs over the same period. The neighbouring countries of India — Pakistan and Bangladesh—also saw a decline. Deposits held by Pakistani nationals in Swiss banks have witnessed a steep decline over the last ten years. According to the data, deposits by Pakistanis stood at 947 million Swiss francs in 2015 but have dropped significantly to 241 million Swiss francs by 2024, a fall of nearly 75 per cent. A similar trend was observed in the case of Bangladeshi nationals. Their deposits in Swiss banks declined from 48 million Swiss francs in 2015 to just 12.6 million Swiss francs in 2024, marking a drop of over 73 per cent, as per data cited by ANI.