Crimson’s valuation draws scepticism; is ACC's record too good to be true? and replacing Tim Bennett

In NBR Print today: At just 21, Jamie Beaton has been hailed as New Zealand’s business boy wonder and millennial millionaire. But questions are being raised about the market value of his education firm, Crimson Consulting, and some of the businesses it has acquired in the past couple of years are surprisingly tight-lipped on the outcome. Campbell Gibson investigates.

The presumptive leader of New Zealand’s “super city” insists he will forge a “constructive” and “professional” working relationship with central government. But as Nick Grant discovers, that’s at odds with Finance Minister Bill English’s view that Auckland’s likely new mayor, Phil Goff, “has signalled his answer to most problems is that he is going to be the Leader of the Opposition.”

Meanwhile, Mr Goff will need new taxes after opening the books, says Matthew Hooton.

ACC’s investment team has beaten its benchmarks for 21 consecutive years and for 23 of the past 24 years. Jenny Ruth looks at how the numbers stack up, including the fact that the average annual return over the past 24 years has been more than 10%.

As malls fall out of fashion globally and particularly in the US, New Zealand is continuing its love affair with them. Sally Lindsay reports.

New Zealand’s economic growth is the “the envy of the advanced world” according to one Australia-based economist.  But despite this impressive feat, Paul Dales from Capital Economics is picking GDP growth to fall below 3% next year.  Jason Walls gets an Aussie view of our economy.

Profit and shares in NZX have dropped during chief executive Tim Bennett’s reign but he is praised for building a steadier platform for the stock exchange operator to grow in future. Some say Mr Bennett was handed a lemon to begin with – the recent Ralec court case made that clear – but the question is who will step into his shoes when he leaves in December. Calida Smylie reports.

Meanwhile, why did NZX feel the need to lower a key hurdle to Mr Bennett’s long-term incentive scheme? Duncan Bridgeman goes searching for the answers.

All this and more in today’s NBR print edition. Out now.