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Blair Effron

Cofounder, Centerview Partners

Search every verified Blair Effron interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Blair Effron, co-founder of Centerview Partners, appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on May 28, 2026, to discuss market trends, M&A activity, and the impact of AI. Effron said that the M&A market "remains busy" and projected the year would end "strongly" at around $4 trillion in deal volume, noting that 2025 ended at $4.5 trillion, the second highest ever, despite a slowdown attributed to the Iran war and oil pricing. He stated that "cash flow numbers [are] as strong as ever" and that the best companies have flexibility to invest in capex, return money to shareholders, and consider M&A, though he predicted a slowdown in outsized earnings growth by the third quarter as inflation works through the system. Regarding AI, Effron described it as "an unalloyed positive" for his firm, calling it a "revenue enhancing tool" that frees up colleagues for higher-margin, client-oriented work. He noted that the top issue CEOs are discussing is "how much money to put into AI," and highlighted that only 5% of CEOs recently polled plan to lower capex from projections, while $700 billion in capex is expected from the four largest hyperscalers. Effron also addressed AI's effect on employment, stating that while 100,000 jobs have been lost to AI over the past two months, average monthly employment has been 140,000, and he emphasized that continued economic growth is key, as "every 1% of GDP is a million jobs."

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