How the numbers add up
300 special people, not enough nurses and stats that DO lie
Dear Insider,
As fetishes go - this one may be particularly Swiss.
It’s profitable anyway…
The annual tradition of “millionaire (and billionaire) gawking” is back thanks to BILANZ’s annual ranking of the richest people in Switzerland.
That is nothing new…
What IS worth noting is how much money it brings in for the people writing the list.
A lot.
In other words - “it pays to be rich.” For someone, at least…
Enjoy,
Ian
💡PS: Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and on X. Or simply reply to this email and share your feedback. Thank you!
💸 Getting rich on “the rich”
It’s here…again.
And as usual - it sells like crazy…
The annual “thick” edition of BILANZ magazine featuring the 300 richest people in Switzerland is now in newstands around the country.
It is - by far -the best-selling edition of BILANZ every year.
And this year brings a new record: the top 1% have a combined wealth of 833.5 billion CHF.
Speaking to SRF, sociologist Katja Rost from the University of Zurich attributes this interest to a form of voyeurism.
Others have the feeling that the list of the “wildly wealthy” presents a false picture.
Many of those profiles in BILANZ’s popular edition did little to nothing to earn what they have. They either inherited it or they simply got lucky with favorable market conditions.
And yet…everyone wants to read about them.
The Inside Look:
💡 BILANZ publisher Ringier knows a good thing when it sees one. With the “300 Reichsten” edition, the magazine plays very well into the public’s aspirational curiosity.
💰 Five rich people coming soon
The Swiss Insider is also not immune to the desire to understand Switzerland’s richest people.
Stay tuned for a special edition covering 5 names from BILANZ’s 300 Reichsten edition…
☝🏻Join us - or else…
The high costs of care (and insurance) aren’t the only problem with the Swiss health system.
A “drought” of another kind is also causing headaches - a lack of personnel.
With this in mind, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) has launched an online campaign to attract young people to its Bachelor of Nursing program.
But it’s slightly unique…
The campaign features short videos that mimic the style of so-called “crypto gurus” and “dating coaches”.
The young man in the ad comes across as an "alpha bro."
Then comes the twist.
The video wraps up with the slogan "Experience success that truly fulfills."
The Inside Look:
💡 Recruitment - and especially in the health sector - presents a unique challenge for the Swiss economy.
Education is required - but so are long, hard hours. To fill these jobs, the country needs educated immigrants. But that causes headaches on the political level - and also on the educational level.
💡 If jobs are not filled - wages will need to rise and that means a continued spiral of health care costs.
In the end, young people may just prefer to invest in crypto anyway - without the sweat of a day job…
📢 How Swiss (big) Swiss companies communicate
When there is a crisis - or even if there isn’t - big companies need a helping hand.
In Switzerland, there is a good chance they call one of the “blue-blood” agencies to deal with the situation.
Here are 5 top PR and communications agencies that Swiss corporations use.
🤔 Who cooked the numbers?
Lies, damned lies - and statistics.
Everyone knows the saying…
Except it isn’t supposed to apply in Switzerland - a country that prides itself on precision and data-driven rationale.
So it was startling to hear the Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) admit to significant miscalculations in the financial forecasts for the old-age and survivors' insurance (AHV/AVS).
Projections for 2033 have been adjusted downward by approximately CHF2.5 billion, or 3.6%, indicating a more favorable financial position than previously anticipated.
This error has ignited a political firestorm.
Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider launched an administrative inquiry to uncover the origins of the miscalculation.
Now according to new reports, it has been confirmed: the error came from faulty models, not poor accounting.
The Inside Look:
💡 Besides the political fury over bad numbers, the miscalculation highlights another problem: governments fall behind. While scientific methods and models advance and complexity continues to grow - the public sector is often the last to adapt.
💡 The scandal has already caused one “head to roll” - Stéphane Rossini, head of the Swiss social insurance office, announced his resignation at the end of June 2025.
📢 Stay tuned…
As you requested - an upcoming edition of The Swiss Insider will feature a closer look at two hot Swiss startups in the cleantech and cybersecurity sector.
Don’t miss out!
A chart is worth…
There are winners - and losers. Over the first half of 2024, high-tech, engineering and marketing were the hottest sectors of Swiss business.
🔁 Make sure to share this post with a friend or colleague - they will thank you!
The Bonus
🤩 More worthy - A rare 5 franc coin minted in 1928 has been sold for a handsome price of 50’000 CHF at a recent auction. The top condition and high silver content of the coin contributed to the elevated final bid. (Link)
🐺 Dances about wolves - The Council of Europe (now led by former Swiss Federal Councillor Alain Berset) has initiated an investigation of Switzerland’s policy of wolf hunting. (Link)
💰The bridge is here - Troubled solar panel producer Myer Burger has secured 40 million CHF in bridge financing. (Link)