Sam Joiner
@samjoiner.bsky.social
Visual Stories and Investigations Editor at the Financial Times. We use computational tools and traditional reporting to produce explainers, investigations and deep dives in visual formats.
Reposted by Sam Joiner
Looking for a long read to go with your coffee this morning? The Line is a project of incredible hubris - we got the story of how it unravelled.
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Looking for a long read to go with your coffee this morning? The Line is a project of incredible hubris - we got the story of how it unravelled.
Reposted by Sam Joiner
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
New: The inside story of how The Line — the 500-metre-tall, mirror-glass structure that was the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream — unravelled.
@alisonkilling.bsky.social spoke to 20+ insiders to reveal how MBS’s utopia was undone by the laws of physics and finance.
ft.com/saudi-neom-line
@alisonkilling.bsky.social spoke to 20+ insiders to reveal how MBS’s utopia was undone by the laws of physics and finance.
ft.com/saudi-neom-line
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:36 AM
New: The inside story of how The Line — the 500-metre-tall, mirror-glass structure that was the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream — unravelled.
@alisonkilling.bsky.social spoke to 20+ insiders to reveal how MBS’s utopia was undone by the laws of physics and finance.
ft.com/saudi-neom-line
@alisonkilling.bsky.social spoke to 20+ insiders to reveal how MBS’s utopia was undone by the laws of physics and finance.
ft.com/saudi-neom-line
Reposted by Sam Joiner
"everyone knows the project won’t work; it is now just a matter of letting MBS down gently"
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:28 AM
"everyone knows the project won’t work; it is now just a matter of letting MBS down gently"
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Deep dive on Neom focuses on The Line - a building planned at a scale that would run from London to the Norfolk coast but in the desert. Absolutely wild, absolutely doomed ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Reposted by Sam Joiner
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled on.ft.com/47FBigb
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
on.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:04 AM
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled on.ft.com/47FBigb
Blood on the streets of El Fasher: satellite images and videos capture new atrocities in Sudan as RSF forces take the city, marking a new chapter in the country’s ruinous civil war.
W/ William Wallis, @janatausch.bsky.social, @digitalcampbell.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/f39c...
W/ William Wallis, @janatausch.bsky.social, @digitalcampbell.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/f39c...
October 31, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Blood on the streets of El Fasher: satellite images and videos capture new atrocities in Sudan as RSF forces take the city, marking a new chapter in the country’s ruinous civil war.
W/ William Wallis, @janatausch.bsky.social, @digitalcampbell.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/f39c...
W/ William Wallis, @janatausch.bsky.social, @digitalcampbell.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/f39c...
How Trump companies made $1bn from crypto. Outstanding investigative reporting from a crack FT team.
on.ft.com/47bNR2L
on.ft.com/47bNR2L
FT Investigation: How the Trump companies made $1bn from crypto
[FREE TO READ] The president and his family have built a rapidly growing digital assets empire which has been fuelled by the administration’s industry-friendly policies
on.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 7:43 AM
How Trump companies made $1bn from crypto. Outstanding investigative reporting from a crack FT team.
on.ft.com/47bNR2L
on.ft.com/47bNR2L
Reposted by Sam Joiner
Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes. It's in soil, in water, in food, in our housing.
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
October 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Lead is leaching into the environment and lurking in our homes. It's in soil, in water, in food, in our housing.
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
And it's poisoning people.
The first episode of Untold: Toxic Legacy launches October 22. Trailer here:
open.spotify.com/episode/6M4H...
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:08 AM
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
“I suspect if you were to ask most billionaires, ‘Where is your loyalty, with your country or with your money?’, most would say, ‘My loyalty is with my money.’” Thought-provoking piece on challenges of taxing the rich by Emma Agyemang. Come for the reporting, stay for the comments
on.ft.com/48jmZjd
on.ft.com/48jmZjd
The problem with taxing the rich
[FREE TO READ] Fiscal systems designed around income and consumption struggle to capture wealth, and billionaires are highly mobile
on.ft.com
September 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
“I suspect if you were to ask most billionaires, ‘Where is your loyalty, with your country or with your money?’, most would say, ‘My loyalty is with my money.’” Thought-provoking piece on challenges of taxing the rich by Emma Agyemang. Come for the reporting, stay for the comments
on.ft.com/48jmZjd
on.ft.com/48jmZjd
This weekend’s must read. Phenomenal reporting by the brilliant @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social
FT mag piece from me: Spent a long time looking into the Britannia hotel chain, beneficiaries of a vast amount of taxpayer money via the asylum system
on.ft.com/47HEE46
on.ft.com/47HEE46
The crumbling seaside palaces at the centre of Britain’s asylum crisis
[FREE TO READ] How one hotelier built an empire from beloved community assets — and a government struggling to cope with a surge in migration
on.ft.com
September 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM
This weekend’s must read. Phenomenal reporting by the brilliant @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social
Reposted by Sam Joiner
Winner of Digital Storytelling (National/International) is the Financial Times @FT for “Are the robots finally coming?” #FutureMediaAwards
September 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Winner of Digital Storytelling (National/International) is the Financial Times @FT for “Are the robots finally coming?” #FutureMediaAwards
Reposted by Sam Joiner
This is amongst the best reported stories about the current state of ICE Air. Must read.
ICE plans to 6x its current budget for immigrant transportation and deportations. The money offers a potential windfall for a few contractors and charter airlines — some with close ties to the Trump campaign. Yet the system is already under strain, with significant concerns for detainees' safety: 🧵
The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights
Companies are jostling for billions of dollars to fly immigrant detainees out of the US
ig.ft.com
August 28, 2025 at 3:39 PM
This is amongst the best reported stories about the current state of ICE Air. Must read.
Reposted by Sam Joiner
ICE plans to 6x its current budget for immigrant transportation and deportations. The money offers a potential windfall for a few contractors and charter airlines — some with close ties to the Trump campaign. Yet the system is already under strain, with significant concerns for detainees' safety: 🧵
The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights
Companies are jostling for billions of dollars to fly immigrant detainees out of the US
ig.ft.com
August 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
ICE plans to 6x its current budget for immigrant transportation and deportations. The money offers a potential windfall for a few contractors and charter airlines — some with close ties to the Trump campaign. Yet the system is already under strain, with significant concerns for detainees' safety: 🧵
Reposted by Sam Joiner
This is great fun. I won the FA Cup and overspent by £100m but the memories will live forever #PinkhamTiliDie
We've built a football game and it's free to play!
Can you run a Premier League club? Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game ⚽️💸
Can you run a Premier League club? Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game ⚽️💸
Can you run a Premier League football club?
Step into the boardroom, navigate profit and sustainability rules and guide your club to glory
ft.com
August 23, 2025 at 8:25 AM
This is great fun. I won the FA Cup and overspent by £100m but the memories will live forever #PinkhamTiliDie
FREE TO PLAY: ⚽ Can you run a Premier League football club?
Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game
Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game
August 23, 2025 at 6:10 AM
FREE TO PLAY: ⚽ Can you run a Premier League football club?
Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game
Step into the boardroom, navigate financial regulations and guide your team to glory in our new game.
👉 ft.com/football-game
Reposted by Sam Joiner
If only there were some famous text warning of vainglorious desert-based ambition which could've given us a clue as to how hosting the Winter Olympics in Saudi Arabia would go on.ft.com/3UH13qt
Saudi Arabia’s 2029 Asian Winter Games at risk from snow mountain delay
[FREE TO READ] Kingdom eyes alternative countries to host event after falling behind on construction of desert ski resort
on.ft.com
August 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
If only there were some famous text warning of vainglorious desert-based ambition which could've given us a clue as to how hosting the Winter Olympics in Saudi Arabia would go on.ft.com/3UH13qt
Reposted by Sam Joiner
NEW: Ski resort in the Saudi mountains? This animation shows how the huge Trojena project which is set to host the Asian winter games in 2029 is falling behind schedule
Great reporting from @alisonkilling.bsky.social Andrew England Joe Leahy and Ahmed Al Omran
www.ft.com/content/6dfc...
#dataviz
Great reporting from @alisonkilling.bsky.social Andrew England Joe Leahy and Ahmed Al Omran
www.ft.com/content/6dfc...
#dataviz
August 21, 2025 at 7:08 AM
NEW: Ski resort in the Saudi mountains? This animation shows how the huge Trojena project which is set to host the Asian winter games in 2029 is falling behind schedule
Great reporting from @alisonkilling.bsky.social Andrew England Joe Leahy and Ahmed Al Omran
www.ft.com/content/6dfc...
#dataviz
Great reporting from @alisonkilling.bsky.social Andrew England Joe Leahy and Ahmed Al Omran
www.ft.com/content/6dfc...
#dataviz
Reposted by Sam Joiner
NEW: Saudi is holding internal discussions about having China or South Korea hold the 2029 Asian Winter Games as it struggles to deliver its desert defying ski resort in Neom. on.ft.com/45qlxtK
Delays to Saudi Arabia’s snow mountain put 2029 Asian Winter Games at risk
[FREE TO READ] Kingdom eyes alternative countries to host event after falling behind on construction of desert ski resort
on.ft.com
August 21, 2025 at 7:12 AM
NEW: Saudi is holding internal discussions about having China or South Korea hold the 2029 Asian Winter Games as it struggles to deliver its desert defying ski resort in Neom. on.ft.com/45qlxtK
Exc: Saudi Arabia is struggling to deliver its desert-defying ski resort for the 2029 Asian Winter Games and has held internal discussions about finding alternative countries to host the event.
Great scoop by @alisonkilling.bsky.social, Andrew England, @alomran.me and Joe Leahy
on.ft.com/45qmKRM
Great scoop by @alisonkilling.bsky.social, Andrew England, @alomran.me and Joe Leahy
on.ft.com/45qmKRM
Delays to Saudi Arabia’s snow mountain put 2029 Asian Winter Games at risk
[FREE TO READ] Kingdom eyes alternative countries to host event after falling behind on construction of desert ski resort
on.ft.com
August 21, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Exc: Saudi Arabia is struggling to deliver its desert-defying ski resort for the 2029 Asian Winter Games and has held internal discussions about finding alternative countries to host the event.
Great scoop by @alisonkilling.bsky.social, Andrew England, @alomran.me and Joe Leahy
on.ft.com/45qmKRM
Great scoop by @alisonkilling.bsky.social, Andrew England, @alomran.me and Joe Leahy
on.ft.com/45qmKRM
Reposted by Sam Joiner
Incredibly instructive reporting on what appears well on its way to becoming the biggest, most concentrated, most energy- and resource-intensive, and most speculative wave of capital investment ever.
ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
July 31, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Incredibly instructive reporting on what appears well on its way to becoming the biggest, most concentrated, most energy- and resource-intensive, and most speculative wave of capital investment ever.
ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
New: Inside the relentless race for AI capacity.
The quest for superintelligence is spurring a data centre boom, with hyperscalers clustering thousands of chips to train AI models. But critics question the environmental impact, soaring costs and whether it's all needed.
👉 ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
The quest for superintelligence is spurring a data centre boom, with hyperscalers clustering thousands of chips to train AI models. But critics question the environmental impact, soaring costs and whether it's all needed.
👉 ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
July 31, 2025 at 6:17 AM
New: Inside the relentless race for AI capacity.
The quest for superintelligence is spurring a data centre boom, with hyperscalers clustering thousands of chips to train AI models. But critics question the environmental impact, soaring costs and whether it's all needed.
👉 ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
The quest for superintelligence is spurring a data centre boom, with hyperscalers clustering thousands of chips to train AI models. But critics question the environmental impact, soaring costs and whether it's all needed.
👉 ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
New: The American guns turning Haiti’s gangs into an army.
Caches of weapons — including sniper and military-style rifles — are being smuggled from Florida, enabling Haitian militias to challenge the country’s fragile government. The UN says gangs now outgun the police.
ig.ft.com/haiti-gangs/
Caches of weapons — including sniper and military-style rifles — are being smuggled from Florida, enabling Haitian militias to challenge the country’s fragile government. The UN says gangs now outgun the police.
ig.ft.com/haiti-gangs/
The American guns turning Haiti’s gangs into an army
Weapons smuggled from Florida are empowering the country’s militias and enabling them to challenge a fragile government
ig.ft.com
July 30, 2025 at 6:20 AM
New: The American guns turning Haiti’s gangs into an army.
Caches of weapons — including sniper and military-style rifles — are being smuggled from Florida, enabling Haitian militias to challenge the country’s fragile government. The UN says gangs now outgun the police.
ig.ft.com/haiti-gangs/
Caches of weapons — including sniper and military-style rifles — are being smuggled from Florida, enabling Haitian militias to challenge the country’s fragile government. The UN says gangs now outgun the police.
ig.ft.com/haiti-gangs/
New: Inside America’s booming immigration detention industry.
The largest domestic deportation operation in US history has seen detention companies’ market value surge. But FT analysis has identified facilities housing 100s more people than they are designed to hold.
👉 ft.com/us-detention-industry
The largest domestic deportation operation in US history has seen detention companies’ market value surge. But FT analysis has identified facilities housing 100s more people than they are designed to hold.
👉 ft.com/us-detention-industry
July 16, 2025 at 6:26 AM
New: Inside America’s booming immigration detention industry.
The largest domestic deportation operation in US history has seen detention companies’ market value surge. But FT analysis has identified facilities housing 100s more people than they are designed to hold.
👉 ft.com/us-detention-industry
The largest domestic deportation operation in US history has seen detention companies’ market value surge. But FT analysis has identified facilities housing 100s more people than they are designed to hold.
👉 ft.com/us-detention-industry
New: Inside Gaza’s 'death traps'. A US-backed scheme forces hungry Palestinians to trek kilometres for food aid. First-hand testimony, satellite imagery and verified video shed light on the dangerous journey from which many never return.
on.ft.com/4lKG6Go
on.ft.com/4lKG6Go
July 14, 2025 at 7:27 AM
New: Inside Gaza’s 'death traps'. A US-backed scheme forces hungry Palestinians to trek kilometres for food aid. First-hand testimony, satellite imagery and verified video shed light on the dangerous journey from which many never return.
on.ft.com/4lKG6Go
on.ft.com/4lKG6Go