2023 was a year of twists, turns, and jaw-dropping moments. From AI advancements to economic roller coasters, these are the top five global business stories that captured our attention and sparked endless conversations.

1. AI takes over (but not literally...yet!): 

We scratched the surface of AI in late 2022 when ChatGPT was first released publicly, but 2023 saw AI became the cool kid in tech-town. Nvidia, the AI chipmakerr hit the trillion-dollar mark and Google releasing Bard, X releasing Grok and many more big tech companies releasing their own AI tools! 

But with innovation also comes new regulation. Countries scrambled to set some ground rules, with the U.S, China, and EU making moves. It's like the Wild West, but with robots and algorithms!

2. Golf's unexpected hook-up:

PGA and LIV Golf, once rivals, decided to swipe right on each other and make love, not war. This merger raised many eyebrows from fans as well as players who had rejected big sums of money from LIV Gold. But this big deal will mean more money in the game, largely funded by Saudi Arabia. So we guess golf is all about driving towards the green, in every sense!

3. Banking bust-up: 

Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of many of the world’s biggest startups went belly-up. And ths surprise default sparked a banking crisis that spread faster than you can say "withdrawal". Credit Suisse began to falter and was quickly snapped up by UBS. This led to a financial version of musical chairs with banks scrambling for a safe seat.

Thankfully, after some government intervention, things calmed down. And even better, no Australian banks were materially affected.

4. Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto crash landing: 

From crypto king to court jester, Sam Bankman-Fried's conviction for fraud was a plot twist in the crypto saga. It's proving that in the crypto world, what goes up (really, really fast) can come down (even faster).

While Sam Bankman-Fried went down, the price of bitcoin went up rapidly. It became the comeback kid of crypto, shooting up to $44,00 USD by the end of 2023, achieving a 144% increase. That’s a better return than the share market and gold!

5. Who runs the world? Beyonce and Taylor Swift

2023 was the year of female superstars owning the tour scene! Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" wasn't just a concert series, it was a cultural phenomenon, raking in ~$14 million per night. 

If that wasn’t god enough, she released her concert on film and generated $95 million USD in sales on the opening weekend. 

Then there's Beyoncé, whose Renaissance tour became an economic force of its own. Her Stockholm show boosted Sweden's inflation by 0.2%! If that’s not star power, what is?!

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And that's a wrap on 2023's most intriguing business sagas! Here's to another year of the weird, the wonderful and even the wicked.