[samstave]

So, what are all the shell/holding companies in the Panama Papers, carribean etc doing with that money? Is it being invested?

I recall an article a few years back saying Apple is the largest hedge fund in the world, run buy a small office in Reno NV - and they had a gigantic cash reserve sitting in the bank:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braeburn_Capital

[pas]

The real-real-real true genuine answer is: it doesn't matter. We are not capital constrained. The central banks of the world issue/print money to keep the economy growing at a steady rate of ~1 percent. (For example the official target for the US central bank [the Federal Reserve System, aka the Fed] is 2 percent year-on-year PCE [personal consumption expediture] growth. But (!) at the same time the Fed has a dual mandate, to ensure close to full employment. And recently the Fed started becoming even more aggressive in addressing that: https://www.stitcher.com/show/voxs-the-weeds/episode/fix-rec... )

So it doesn't matter if Apple has a trillion dollar in the bank just sitting. The central bank will conduct open market operations to lower the rates of credit so people/companies are incentivized to start new ventures, finally invest in upgrading their old shit, buy a house with a lower APR, etc. And similarly when Apple starts "dumping money into the economy" the Fed will promptly raise rates to keep inflation in check.

Technically for those particular shell companies, yes likely.

For the general offshore companies (like Apple's), a very big yes.

This is a very accessible and detailed paper about how FDI (foreign direct investment) through offshore companies work, and how the high-tax-regime countries benefit the most (eg. the US): https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article...

[lotsofpulp]

I recommend not using websites such as Zerohedge or CNET as sources of information.

[rmah]

Apple's money is not "sitting in the bank". Most of it is invested in various debt instruments (probably mostly US Treasuries).

[samstave]

I was referring to an article I read about this Reno office - and they specifically said that - that they were investing, but they ALSO had a crap ton of cash in the bank...

They closed that office and now I cant find that article.