Fast growing: The nomination period for the eighth annual LSU 100: Fastest Growing Tiger Businesses opened today. Hosted by LSU Executive Education, the competitive program identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing businesses led or owned by LSU alumni in the world. Anyone may nominate a qualified company. To be eligible, companies must have been in business for five years or more as of Dec. 31, 2017, and have revenues of at least $100,000 in each calendar year from 2015-2017. The deadline to submit nominations is Thursday, May 31, and the 2018 LSU 100 Gala will be held on Friday, Nov. 16, at L’Auberge Casino Hotel. Get more information.
War chest: Gov. John Bel Edwards is sitting on a $5 million campaign account to run for re-election next year. The Democratic governor’s latest campaign finance report, covers money raised and spent in 2017. The report shows Edwards raised more than $2 million last year and has $5 million in the bank. His fundraising slowed slightly, from more than $3 million a year earlier. Among Republicans who say they may run against Edwards are U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham and state Sen. Sharon Hewitt. Attorney General Jeff Landry and Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, also are considered possible challengers. Read more.
Payment options: An increasing number of real estate listings have begun accepting or requesting cryptocurrency as a form of payment, with some exclusively listing bitcoin as the only accepted payment method, Business Insider reports. Bitcoin Real Estate, a website specializing in real estate listings that accept cryptocurrency, told the Mercury News in late January that it has nearly 400 homes listed on its website, and Trulia last week reported that it had around 80 listings that mentioned cryptocurrency in some way. One house in New Jersey is selling for $2.3 million in bitcoin. Read more.
