The Curve

Soph and Emma pay tribute to Dolly Parton's legacy and the financial genius behind her career, from refusing to give Elvis half her songwriting credit to owning her entire catalog decades before artists like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa followed suit. They also break down Meta's $18 billion legal settlement, why prosecutors have finally found a way to hold the platform accountable, and what it signals for big tech going forward. Plus, they get into the rise of men paying matchmakers tens of thousands of dollars to find themselves a traditional wife.

Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve

Credits:

Hosts: Sophie Hallwright

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)

⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)

Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode…
00:01:10 Generate x The Curve
00:01:27 Weekly catchup
00:04:16 Dolly Parton’s legacy
00:22:59 Generate x The Curve
00:23:37 The $18BN lawsuit
00:46:45 Why men are paying to find tradwives
01:03:52 Thank you for listening!
01:04:31 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.

*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.

This week we're asking an uncomfortable question: can money literally buy you a longer life? We dig into the eyebrow-raising world of biohacking billionaires spending millions to reverse their biological age, the stark wealth gap in life expectancy (up to 15 years in some countries), and the rise of $50,000 genetic screening packages that let the ultra-wealthy select for IQ, height and health in their future children. Then we shift gears to sport as an investment - unpacking the $12.5B LA Lakers sale, why scarcity drives sports team valuations, and how to get exposure to the female sport boom without buying a whole team. Plus, two community questions: investing in The Curve Investments via direct debit vs. Sharesies, and how to negotiate a pay rise while on maternity leave.

Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM and if you want to check out any of the questions we've already answered you can find them here! (https://pathfinder.kiwi/pathfinder-x-the-curve/)

WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:

Asset class — a category of thing you can invest in (property, stocks, sports teams...)

Capital gains — profit from an asset going up in value

Dividends — regular payouts just for holding an asset

Margins — profit left after costs; high margins attract competitors

ETF — a ready-made basket of investments you buy in one go

Credits:

Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)

⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)

Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode…
00:00:55 The Curve x Pathfinder
00:01:25 Catching up: our Lorde concert debrief
00:03:56 Can money buy you a longer life?
00:22:33 The Curve x Pathfinder
00:23:13 Sport, money & the $12.5B Lakers deal
00:36:53 Your questions, answered
00:47:52 That's a wrap!
00:48:30 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Before Pete West buys a single investment property, he runs through 7 questions - skip one, and it could cost you thousands.

Soph sits down with Pete (the property investor she's worked with on two of her own investments) to break down exactly what he looks for before he buys anything. This isn't about finding your dream home, it's a practical framework for assessing an investment property before you buy.

Pete shares the Google Maps trick he uses before even visiting a property, why "the best suburb you can afford" beats a bigger house in a worse one, and the expensive fixes that add zero value versus the ones that do. He also covers how to spot asbestos, dodgy foundations, and unconsented work before they become your problem, plus a real case study: $525k purchase, $70k renovation, $715k revaluation. If you're buying your first investment property, or just want to understand how the pros do it, this one gives you a checklist to take straight to your next viewing.

Pete’s Links

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/peterwestproperty)

Website (https://www.westpropertycoaching.co.nz/)

We're proud to be partnering with BNZ, because no two journeys to home ownership are the same. BNZ's home loan experts are there to help you navigate the process with confidence – from search to signing

👉 To learn more, head here.

Credits:

Host: Sophie Hallwright

Guest: Peter West

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website

⁠⁠Instagram

⁠YouTube⁠⁠

⁠TikTok

⁠Newsletter

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

"Emma Grede disease" is TikTok's new shorthand for our collective obsession with founder culture - the private jets, the polished business profile, the highlight reel version of building something from nothing. This week, Soph and Emma unpack where the term came from and whether it holds up, using Grede's Start With Yourself as the springboard for a wider conversation about what success in business actually requires: the trade-offs, the years of unseen graft, and why the aesthetic of success is so often mistaken for the substance of it. They cover the rise of the creator economy and Time's 100 Creators list, why personal brand has become a career asset in itself, the case for staying employed longer in your 20s to build skills before going out alone, and why women get punished for failing publicly in a way men rarely are.

What do you think of these episodes? Take our survey here to tell us what you think: https://form.typeform.com/to/nAMRC7oj

Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve

Credits:

Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris

Guest: Emma-Louise Boynton

Producer: Emily Rigby

Editor: Kate Callaghan

Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro

⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)

For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠

⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)

⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠

⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)

Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)

Chapters

00:00:00 Coming Up In This Episode…
00:00:39 The Curve x Generate
00:00:57 Birthdays, Watches & Being In the Green (Quick Catch Up)
00:03:34 What We're Unpacking Today
00:05:33 What Is "Emma Grede Disease"? (The TikTok Term Explained)
00:16:51 Inside Time's 100 Creators List: Who's Actually Making Money
00:29:22 Take Our Listener Survey!
00:30:18 Do You Need a Personal Brand to Build a Successful Business?
00:38:23 The Curve x Generate
00:39:00 Your 20s vs 30s: Employed, Freelance or Founder?
00:47:00 The Last Taboo: Why We Can't Talk About Failure
00:56:44 Thank You For Listening
00:57:22 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.

*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.

Samsonite just bought a chunk of Shay Mitchell's luggage brand Beis; a 116-year-old company getting cool by buying it rather than building it. We unpack why this "buy vs. build" move makes sense (and what it means for celebrity-backed brands generally). Then: Selena Gomez is being sued for fraud by Wondermind investors after 3 years of alleged radio silence, is this a case of where there's smoke, there's fire? And finally, Anthropic's revenue has gone from $9bn to $65bn in six months, putting it on track to be the largest tech IPO in history. We break down what that growth actually means, why valuing it is nearly impossible, and whether founders keeping outsized control post-IPO should worry everyday investors. Plus: our ethical hotline tackles whether it's ethical to invest in space, with Lily from Pathfinder.
Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM and if you want to check out any of the questions we've already answered you can find them here! (https://pathfinder.kiwi/pathfinder-x-the-curve/)
WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:
Revenue Multiple — What a company sells for, priced as a multiple of its yearly sales.
Annual Run Rate — One good month, times 12, dressed up as a yearly forecast.
IPO — Going public: selling chunks of your company to literally anyone with a brokerage app.
Public Benefit Corporation — A B Corp, but with a lawyer standing behind it.
Short Report — A hedge fund trash-talking a stock it's secretly betting against.
Cap Table — The receipt for who owns how much of the company.
Outsized Voting Rights — Own 5%, control 100% - founder magic.
Shareholders' Agreement — The paperwork that saves you from finding out the hard way.
Angel Investor — One rich person, one big check, one leap of faith.
Credits:
Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris
Producer: Emily Rigby
Editor: Kate Callaghan
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/)
⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠
⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3)
⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠
⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly)
Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming Up
00:00:55 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:01:21 Sophie's Birthday & Catch-Up
00:03:10 Samsonite Buys Shay Mitchell's Beis
00:18:49 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:19:38 Selena Gomez's Wondermind Lawsuit
00:27:54 Anthropic's Trillion-Dollar IPO
00:41:32 Ethical Hotline: Investing in Space
00:48:27 Thanks for Listening!
00:49:02 Financial Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.