The Britsh Airways vs Virgin Atlantic showdown in the 90s wasn’t just business, it was pure soap opera in the skies. Forget friendly competition, British Airways went full villain mode with a plot straight out of a corporate spy thriller.

We’re talking BA staff pretending to be Virgin employees, digging through Virgin’s systems, planting fake news stories, and handing out cheeky upgrades. It was all part of a full-on campaign to crush Virgin Atlantic before it really took off. But Richard Branson wasn’t about to sit quietly in economy... he sued for libel, and BA hit back with a counter-suit. The drama finally landed in 1993 with a $945,000 payout and a public apology from Lord King that probably tasted like lemon in a paper cut.

Thing is, the whole plan backfired. Virgin Atlantic kept climbing, and while BA still brings in more money overall, VA’s $3.1 billion turnover shows they’ve held their own with a little flair and a lot of grit.

It’s got it all, petty moves, sky-high egos, and corporate chaos at cruising altitude. Tray tables up, brews in hand, we’re cleared for takeoff.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder used to be a household staple, white, fluffy, and trusted since 1894. But behind the sweet-smelling clouds was a problem that definitely didn’t belong near babies (or anyone, really): asbestos.

Despite evidence dating back to the 1950s showing traces of asbestos in their talc products, the brand kept things squeaky clean on the outside and carried on marketing it as totally safe. Fast forward to thousands of lawsuits, billions in payouts, and a full-blown PR disaster.

The big moment came in 2018, when Reuters dropped the bombshell... internal documents proving they knew. Cue a $4.7 billion payout, another $100 million in 2020, and a 2024 plan to settle nearly all ovarian cancer-related claims. Oh, and in 2023, they finally pulled talc-based baby powder from shelves worldwide.

It’s a story of trust lost, dusty secrets, and one of the biggest corporate controversies in recent memory.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.

The Ford Pinto was meant to be the Beetle’s cooler, cheaper cousin, quick to market, easy on the wallet, and built in just two years. What could possibly go wrong? Well… quite a bit, actually.

This little car had one big problem. If you got rear-ended, the fuel tank could turn your commute into a bonfire. Between 1970 and 1976, it was linked to dozens of deaths and injuries, with some estimates suggesting up to 900 fatalities. And Ford? They did the maths and figured paying off lawsuits was cheaper than fixing the design. Nice.

It caused a massive stir, helped change safety laws forever, and became a case study in how not to handle a crisis. Ford’s brought back plenty of retro models over the years, but the Pinto? Yeah, that one’s been left in the history books with a quiet “let’s never talk about this again.”

Buckle up for a ride through dodgy decisions, fiery crashes, and the car that gave the phrase “explosive performance” a whole new meaning.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.