The founder of Markit – which began life in a converted barn in Hertfordshire – is now thought to be worth hundreds of millions.
Asked to name the most valuable commodity, most people would probably plump for gold or another precious metal, such as platinum.
Or, if they were looking at the size of an entire market, they might cite oil.
For many professionals in financial markets though, the value of gold and oil pale into insignificance alongside data.
That has been underlined by news today that S&P Global, the financial data provider, is buying its rival IHS Markit for $44bn (£32bn). Read more…..

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