How much does it cost to buy a company’s trade secrets?

I really thought a non-disclosure agreement would be enough—it turns out you can actually make money from legally gray areas.

The market rate for senior executives is around $5,000 per hour, and those with access to core business and financial data can command tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands per hour. This is a company that quietly recruits executives from major corporations, billing by the hour: if you want to investigate a company, you reach out, pay a fee, and get about an hour of phone consultation time. They basically tell you everything they know (their cost is generally $1,000/hour; core executives aren't any cheaper). They can also arrange in-person consultations at double the rate.

And this is all written in their IPO prospectus—the dizzying part is that an investigation was practically guaranteed.

Behind China Huaxin's Investigation: $1,000 Per Hour for a Company's Secrets | Prism

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