Inside the Biggest M&A Deals You Need to Know (Goldman Sachs, AkzoNobel, Papa John, WPP)

This week on the Market Maker podcast, Anthony and Piers spotlight Goldman Sachs' standout year in M&A, exploring how the bank has pulled ahead of rivals with a $1.3 trillion deal volume and a 34% market share. They break down the strategy behind Goldman's dominance, from boardroom relationships to sector expertise. The episode also dives into the $25 billion all-stock "merger of equals" between AkzoNobel and Axalta, examining the rationale, synergies, and why the same deal failed back in 2017. Other stories include Apollo's failed Papa John's bid, Adobe’s acquisition of Semrush, Total Energies’ $6 billion European power play, and WPP's fall from grace amid takeover chatter and consolidation in the media space. (00:00) Weekly Deal Roundup (05:18) Papa John's & Apollo Collapse (07:13) WPP’s Steep Decline (09:43) Goldman’s Record M&A Year (14:59) Why Goldman Leads M&A fees (21:00) Strategic Takeaways Recap (22:18) AkzoNobel-Axalta Merger Deep Dive Social Media handles: ► LinkedIn: @amplifyme ► Instagram: @amplifyme #finance #investmentbanking #podcast