An appeal could see convicted insider trader, Oliver Curtis, freed on Friday, but family ties ensure he – like his partner in crime John Hartman – don't pay too harshly for their crimes.

• COMMENT

James Packer's annus horribilis is now complete with his casino operation, Crown Resorts, announcing a comprehensive retreat from its global ambitions.

Some of the most rapacious names in investment banking and private equity are lining up to buy a multi-billion-dollar lotto ticket.

Not all of the surprises were nasty this year, not if you were one of Australia's lucky iron ore billionaires.

He's one canny operator is our Communications Minister, Mitch Fifield, whose patch includes our tin pot NBN Network.

One of the most crucial jobs in Donald Trump's administration has been given to a Darwin-born Aussie who is no stranger to the US political scene.

Despite the provocations of the Brexit vote, the downfall of Roger Ailes at Fox, and Trump's triumph, Rupert Murdoch's Twitter account has been dormant since his famous sign off tweet in March. But that should not be mistaken for inactivity.

It is the property price metric in which Melbourne appears to be leaving Sydney for dead – chief executives who have to sell company stock to buy a home.

The Beston Global Food Company has not exactly set the world alight with its plans to cash onin on China's dining boom with a loose bag of assets that included "export grade lobster" interests, organic milk and a fine cheese maker.

Surfstitch investors were calling for accountability at its recent AGM after suffering one of the worst IPO wipe outs of the decade - and boy have they got it.

As our befuddling year comes to a close, it pays to remember which companies can rely on the magic pudding formula.

More than two decades have passed since Len Ainsworth retired from Aristocrat Leisure, but he is still receiving the sort of retirement perks that current CEO Jamie Odell could only dream about. Like a Porsche Cayenne.

Aussie tech guru Alex Hartman has quickly found his feet after walking away from the digital media company he founded, NewZulu. He is now working for the private office of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher.

ANZ's chief executive Shayne Elliott is ending his first year in the top job as the Grinch who stole Christmas.

Poker industry legend, Len Ainsworth, might not rate Aristocrat Leisure's chief, Jamie Odell, but Len's family have a billion reasons to thank the departing CEO for an incredible run at the poker machine maker.

Media billionaire Rupert Murdoch is expected to lose the $US100 million he invested in scandal-ridden blood testing group, Theranos - thanks to some great investigative journalism by one of his own newspapers, The Wall Street Journal.

With Malcolm Turnbull's political stock at an all time low, CBD wonders if he will be tuning in to Alexander Downer's turn on the telly this Sunday as the guest of Nine's morning filler, In Conversation with Alex Malley.

It was the one little line in a corporate presentation from asbestos exile James Hardie that revealed a lot.

It's the $US10 billion hole that punches through all of the tax talk.

It probably wasn't the send off that Cabcharge's now retired chairman, Russell Balding, was hoping for.

You've seen the hair raising videos, now you can buy the shares. Cycliq - think GoPro for your avid cyclists.

McGrath Ltd's chairman Cass O'Connor made some interesting connections to explain how things had gone so horribly wrong since it went public in December last year.

It has been a very good day for one of Australia's wealthiest fund managers, Hamish Douglass, who lifted his net worth by more than $227 million as the sun rose on Tuesday.

Utah's Mormon community will lose one of its few corporate titans when Mike Kane's Boral takes over Headwaters Inc next year.

It isn't a big step from litigation funding to baby food - not if you're a struggling ASX-listed litigator.

• COMMENT

"Do we look like boring people? I think we do," said Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques in reply to an analyst who pointed out that his predecessor, Sam Walsh, took great pride in making Rio Tinto boring.

Ardent Leisure is not the only company being affected by the tragic deaths at its Dreamworld theme park last month, with neighbouring Movie World and Sea World seeing visitor numbers falling.

There may finally be a glimmer of light for our battling billionaire James Packer.

• CBD

"We are now in our ninth year in a row of budget deficit," Peter Costello grumbled to the ABC just a few weeks ago. But he is happy to add to the deficit if it benefits the Nine Network.