Michael Taffe — Data Journalist

About

I’m a New York–based senior data reporter for the Financial Times' specialist publications covering the asset and wealth management industry — the money, the people who move it, and the influence it carries. Most days I’m parsing filings, public records and messy datasets, then pressure-testing those findings with on-the-record reporting.

Before FT, I covered higher education and campaign finance in North Carolina. I studied statistics at UNC–Chapel Hill and once wrangled spreadsheets for my college paper, The Daily Tar Heel, as data editor.

Topics I’ve reported on include the rise of investment firms’ influence over infrastructure, the political blowback to ESG investing, trends in disciplinary actions against financial advisors, the risks and opportunities associated with emerging investment products, spending on private jets and personal security for CEOs, the flow of lobbying and political campaign spending, and the personal investments of the five SEC commissioners.

More broadly, I care about how businesses, governments and everyday people collide. I aim to close the gap between decision‑makers and the people their decisions affect through reporting that informs and promotes accountability.

How I Work

What does on the record/on background/off the record mean?

On the record: Anything you say can be quoted and attributed to you by name.
On background: Chatham House Rule. This is used sparingly. I may use the information you provide, but I won’t name you directly. I may describe you as “a person familiar with…” or a similar attribution. How you’re described is something I’d consult you about before publication.
Off the record: Once we agree to something being “off the record” before you share it, I commit not to publish or directly use what you tell me.

Can I review the article before it’s published?

In general, no. I don’t share drafts of stories before publication. That said, I’m always happy to read back quotes to confirm I’ve captured the wording correctly or fact‑check key details if something is especially technical.

How do I know you don’t have a hidden agenda?

My job is to report accurately and fairly — not to move markets or push anyone’s talking points. To that end:

I follow the Financial Times’ editorial code of conduct, which sets clear rules on independence, conflicts of interest, and transparency.
I don’t invest in individual stocks or funds that I cover, so my reporting isn’t shaped by personal financial gain.
I don’t accept gifts, paid travel, or perks from sources. If we meet for coffee, I’ll usually insist on picking up the tab.
If I ever write about a topic where a potential conflict exists, I’ll disclose it.

How can I contact you discreetly?

I take source protection seriously. If you’re considering sharing sensitive information, I can be reached via Signal or ProtonMail for more secure conversation.

Something you reported is wrong.

If you think I got something wrong, please email me directly. I’ll review it promptly and, if necessary, correct the record. Corrections and clarifications are published transparently. If you have additional context that didn’t make it into a story, I welcome it — reporting is an ongoing conversation.

What is a data reporter, anyway?

It means I use data and documents — from corporate disclosures to government datasets to public records — alongside interviews to tell stories. Sometimes that means analyzing thousands of datapoints in Excel or R; other times it’s as simple as turning a PDF into something searchable. My job is to find the signal in the noise and explain it clearly to inform and promote accountability, and help folks do their jobs better.

I have a comment or feedback on something you wrote and want to talk to you about it.

The best way to reach me is via email. I also hold open office hours weekly for readers, sources, and anyone curious about my reporting.

Some Recent Projects

FundFire
- BlackRock’s Diplomat-in-Chief: Inside Larry Fink’s Shadow Foreign Policy
  A count of how frequently one of the most influential business leaders meets with presidents, prime ministers, and kings, and what it means for economic sovereignty
- Alts Managers Face Skepticism from RIAs Over Private Credit ETFs
  How the folks who sell securities are reacting to the folks who make securities attempting something new: making an illiquid asset for institutional investors liquid and for retail investors
- Asset Managers Spent Millions Targeting Tax, Retirement Policies in Reconciliation Bill
  A deep dive into the lobbying strategy of major industry groups around the 2025 reconciliation bill
- BlackRock Has Infrastructure Ambitions. Global Regulators Have Questions
  Scrutinizing regulatory responses as the world’s largest asset manager expands into infrastructure
- Private Equity Dominates Wealth M&A as Deal AUM Tops $1T
  Tracking the surge of private‑equity backed acquisitions across wealth management
- Firms Hike Spending on CEOs' Private Jets, Personal Security
  Comparing how much the largest asset managers spend on private flights and security for their chief executives, and updating their compensation
- Searches for BlackRock Skyrocketed After Trump-Shooter Ad Debacle
  A visualization of how often people Googled the world’s largest asset manager and the PR response after it was tied up in the news cycle of Trump’s assassination attempt
- Managers Go Mum on ESG as Political Pressure Mounts
  Text analysis putting dates behind when conversation around ESG investing peaked — and when it went quiet
- Chilling Effect: See How Asset Managers Are Stripping Disclosures of DEI
  A text analysis showing the decline of DEI language among publicly traded asset managers
Financial Advisor IQ
- Who Can Say They're an Advisor? Proposal Reignites Job Title Debate
  A peek under the hood of how industry groups collaborate on their strategy to influence regulations
- What's Driving the Boom in Structured Product Arbitrations
  A story on a complex financial product and the growth in the number of investors suing the advisors who sold them
- Wealth Mgmt PACs Boosted Front-Runners to Lead House Financial Services
  An overview of the candidates who were running to lead an influential congressional committee and their ties to the industry it oversees
- New York’s Role in Securities Industry Continues Shrinking
  New data showing the continuation of the financial industry’s spread outward from the nation’s financial center
- Financial Services Industry Spending on Lobbyists Like It's 2009
  How much the wealth management industry spends on lobbyists — and why
- U5 Series
  A three‑part series from public records requests filed across all fifty states seeking quasi‑public filings showing why securities brokers are terminated from their firms; Finalist for a 2025 Neal Award
More
- You Had Me at Low Cost: SEC Commissioners' Personal Assets
  A visual depiction of the personal investments disclosed by the five people who regulate the investment industry on their ethics forms
- Revealing Money and Power Networks in North Carolina Campaigns
  Mapping North Carolina’s campaign finance network in the 2020 General Assembly election, funded by a sunshine non‑profit
- EducationNC: Author Link
  Author page from my time covering education policy and the community college system for a non‑profit newsroom
- The Daily Tar Heel: Author Link
  Author page from my time as data editor at my college paper
- Chapel Hill Retirees Stage Ongoing Black Lives Matter Demonstration
  A group of locals in a majority‑white community engaged in a months‑long demonstration supporting the BLM movement. I brought a camping chair and asked them about it

About

How I Work

Some Recent Projects

Contact