This study examines a novel form of debt financing – sustainability linked loans (SLL). SLLs are obtained by companies committed to sustainable growth in line with climate change goals. Compared to funding from most traditional green instruments, which is restricted to specific projects, SLL...

Using experimental data from a sample of 1,800 participants, we show that the Big Five personality traits have significant explanatory power to predict participants’ willingness to default on a mortgage. We identify a cluster of personality traits that matches the Self-Centered type in...

This study explores the strategic interaction between large institutional investors and firms that issue put options written on their own stock. The firms experience large positive abnormal annual returns after they sell put options. The vast majority of issued put options expire without being...

This paper develops a model that combines features of portfolio theory and corporate governance research. The model analyzes the problem of how large investors form optimal equity portfolios when the return on each investment depends on the size the investment. The optimal solution counterweighs...

Using data from the Bulgarian mass privatization auctions, we analyze the bids submitted by institutional investors for shares in newly privatized firms. The results support the hypothesisthat there are private benefits of control that accrue to large blockholders. Institutions with ex ante...

We model and test the mechanisms through which securities law affects tunneling and tunneling affects firm valuation. In 2002, Bulgaria adopted securities law changes which limit two forms of equity tunneling - dilutive equity offerings and freezeouts. We document that following the change,...

Venture capital contracts give VCs enormous power over entrepreneurs and early equity investors of portfolio companies. A large literature examines how these contractual terms protect VCs against misbehavior by entrepreneurs. But what constrains misbehavior by VCs? We provide the first...

Managers and controlling shareholders can extract wealth from firms in many different ways. We develop here a framework for analyzing different types of quot;tunnelingquot; transactions. We divide tunneling into three broad groups: cash flow, asset, and equity tunneling. We model each type of...

We provide the first systematic analysis of the role of reputation in limiting opportunistic behavior by venture capitalists towards four types of counterparties: entrepreneurs, investors, other VCs, and buyers of VC-backed startups. Using a hand-collected database of lawsuits, we document that...

We explore the potential for abuse of startup founders and other common stock shareholders by venture capitalists. We first analyze a set of 26 lawsuits involving venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Our analysis of lawsuits reveals that VC-related litigation is almost always initiated by...