With a history-making deal and a headline-making birthday party, Steve Schwarzman has become the symbol of a new era in finance. And that's always a risky proposition. (more)

The largest passenger plane ever built, the Airbus A380, has been a a $6 billion headache for its European manufacturer. Now the company is scrambling to keep customers onboard. Fortune's Nelson D. Schwartz reports. (more)

In an exclusive sit-down with Fortune, the outgoing chairman of NBC Universal talks about the future of the network, his old boss Jack Welch, and his new quest: the fight to cure autism. (more)

The A380 jetliner is AIRBUS'S HUGE BET on the future. Imagine 13 SUVs stacked on top of each other—that's how tall the plane is. But it was bundles of wires, each the size of a fist, that punched a hole in the company's ambitions, causing production delays. What happened? Turn the page to see story. (more)

Airtricity has plans to overthrow global warming's biggest culprit—power plants—with a sea of wind turbines. (more)

Nutriset is attacking a huge problem with a surprisingly small product. (more)

A Canadian company, PyroGenesis, has perfected the ultimate recycling machine: a superheating furnace that reduces trash to valuable raw materials. (more)

WaterHealth's UV treatment plants deliver drinkable water to thousands who don't have it. (more)

Sun Ovens International is saving trees and cutting deadly pollution in 130 countries, from Haiti to Nepal. (more)

Voxiva is closing distance and technology gaps to help stop diseases in their tracks. (more)

Hawaii startup Kona Blue is pioneering deep-ocean aquaculture that could help save declining fish populations around the world. (more)

Think humanity's problems are too big to be tackled by business? Think again. Here are seven companies showing how we can make millions saving us from ourselves. (more)

At long last Audi announces the R8—a two-seater that brings the brand's Le Mans–winning capabilities to the street. (more)

Boston Beer chairman Jim Koch thinks he can better the taste of beer, without touching the recipe. Fortune's Matt Boyle gets to the bottom of the glass. (more)

With jewelry, yachts, and vineyards available by the slice, even the superrich are learning to share. (more)

Brian France, 44, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR (more)

Millions of Chinese rushed to tie the knot before the new year - good news for those in the wedding business, says Fortune's Sheridan Prasso (more)

Sanctions? What sanctions? Coke and Pepsi are battling for the hearts and minds of Tehran. (more)

Americans will always need hangers, but may not be making them much longer. Fortune's David Whitford reports on the last days of a low-tech factory. (more)

The country that gave the world the coffee bean and the company that invented the $4 latte are fighting over a trademark, says Fortune's Stephan Faris. (more)

The SEC is investigating whether some of Wall Street's top investment banks are using inside information. Fortune's Shawn Tully explores the potentially explosive scandal. (more)

Will a lawsuit against sony in china set a scary precedent? (more)

Fortune's Anne Fisher interviews Jigar Shah, CEO of SunEdison. (more)

HOT SPOTS, FAULT LINES, AND EVENTS THAT MIGHT HAVE AN IMPACT ON GLOBAL RISK (more)

The imbroglio involving CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo and fired Citi exec Todd Thomson is about much more than plane rides—and it may not be over. (more)

Star strategist Jason Trennert believes that after years of sluggish performance, the slumbering giants are ready to roar. Fortune's Corey Hajim reports. (more)

Companies with the top reputations don't always have the best-performing stocks, says Fortune's Matthew Boyle. (more)

The phone giant is spending billions of dollars on cutting-edge technology. But any payoff is years away, says Fortune's Stephanie Mehta. (more)

Meet Unity '08, a Net-powered third party that may actually work, says Fortune's Matt Miller. (more)

FORTUNE looks at America's rich, past and present: how they invest, where they buy their Rolls, the most generous benefactors, and some of history's truly odd eccentrics. Are the rich different? Take a look and decide for yourself. (more)

FORTUNE ranks and rates today's leading private-equity firms. (more)

What happens inside the exclusive enclave of private equity is roiling the economy in a way that it never has before, says Fortune's Rik Kirkland. (more)

Fortune's Brent Schlender explains why smart companies can be too smart for their own good. (more)

A series of rules changes is eroding the authority of chief execs, says Fortune's Geoff Colvin. (more)

Fortune's Stanley Bing envisions a future without protection from inconsiderate airline passengers. (more)