On the Money: Luxon v the sharks, Nick Lissette, Amazon, IKEA, Ben Rose, and more

Christopher Luxon pulls off a famous Fonzie moment and the other things that happened this week. (Image: Supplied/NZME/Jacques Steenkamp)

Dileepa Fonseka

Sat, 06 Sep 2025

On The Money (OTM) is our column of general frippery we observed within the worlds of business and government this week.Did anyone have a more unintentionally awkward week than Prime Minister Christopher Luxon? Yes: Blackpearl Group chief executive Nick Lissette did.In what must now feel like a regrettable decision, the NZX-listed firm’s CEO was given two minutes of stage time at the Robert Walters NZ leadership awards in Auckland on Thursday night as his firm had sponsored an award.Unfortunately, two minutes of intended inspiration...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Already a Subscriber ? Sign in here.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}

Retail

Finaccess bids to bucket KFC-owner Restaurant Brands

Finaccess Restauración wants the rest of the shares at $5.05 apiece.

Gregor Thompson 10:00am

Markets

ComCom gives provisional nod to Huntly deal

It comes on the eve of Govt decisions on the electricity market.

Ian Llewellyn 10:00am

ComCom gives provisional nod to Huntly deal

The Quiz Free

QuiznessDesk, Tuesday, Sept 30

Take a break and try our quiz.

The Quizmaster 9:15am

Sponsored

The double edge of AI in cyber security

Artificial intelligence has the potential to become both a lifeline and a liability for modern organisations, as a revolutionary tool capable of spotting threats at lightning speed, but also the ultimate weapon in the hands of cybercriminals.

Spark

Sponsored

AI agents: opportunity or graveyard? Spark’s five-point playbook for success

Artificial intelligence agents – autonomous digital entities that analyse data, automate decisions, and act independently – are set to drive a new wave of business transformation.

Spark Enterprise