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Business Pants
Hosted by Free Float Media Inc. · EN
Whether you love business news or feel like you’re supposed to know it but hate it, Business Pants is business news for humans. Snarky and irreverent, deeply researched and factual, a podcast devoted to market quirks and the humans that make up companies. Investing isn’t a what, it’s a who.
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BP’s bully pulpit, index funds hate your rights, Dell buys a contract, and baby name lies
3d ago01:00:49Tap to summarizeStory of the Week (DR):BP ousts chair over ‘serious’ governance, oversight concerns MMThe board said the decision was unanimous. In a statement, Amanda Blanc, BP's senior independent director, described the board as having been caught off guard by what it found: "The board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action."The oil giant’s board removed Albert Manifold from his roles as chair and director this week, effective immediately. He faced a contingent of investor opposition at BP’s recent annual meeting.Internal leaks and a whistleblower report point to a pattern of "aggressive," "verbally abusive," and "bullying" behavior toward multiple colleagues, alongside accusations of withholding info from the board and leaking privileged data.Ousted BP Chair Hits Back at ‘Lies’ About His ConductThe boardroom turmoil at BP deepened after its ousted chair, Albert Manifold, claimed allegations about his conduct were “lies”.In a new and lengthy statement, Manifold disputed reports about his conduct, saying: “At no point in my tenure as chairman of BP has anyone raised with me any issue about my conduct or my relationship with my colleagues.”He also described media reports that he wanted to exert control of the FTSE 100 company like an executive chair as “nonsense”. Manifold said he had “many other commitments” and had only spent 13 days in BP’s London office so far this year.“What I do not accept is that lies can be told about me, nor that anyone should be allowed to hide behind anonymity when commenting on my time at BP.”Manifold conceded he may have “pushed hard and challenged people directly” amid his “determination to drive change on costs, performance, the balance sheet and shareholder communications”.However, he disputed reports from the company about his behaviour, adding: “There is a considerable distance between driving an organisation with urgency and the characterisation of my conduct that is now being put about.”He said such “accusations” had not been previously made about his behaviour during his 40-year career. He added that he “called out … unnecessary or excessive expenditure” but felt not everyone shared his priorities.Manifold said he turned down many of the benefits traditionally enjoyed by top executives, which he called a “culture of entitlement”, including chauffeur-driven cars, being flown by private jet or taking advantage of corporate hospitality: “I had no interest in having a dedicated chauffeur-driven limousine at my beck and call on the occasions that I was in London. I, like most people, walked, took taxis, trains, etc. I had no interest in taking private aviation nor in availing myself of corporate tickets for sports events. I made my own coffee, bought my lunch in the local cafe. I sat in a small office, eschewing the grand corner-office privilege of previous chairmen.”Ian Tyler has been named interim chair, BP said, with the board set to begin a formal process to identify a permanent successor: "The Board and leadership team have deep conviction in the strategic direction we have laid out, and the company is moving at pace to deliver it."This marks BP's fourth abrupt top-tier departure in three years, following the rapid exits of previous chair Helge Lund and chief executives Bernard Looney and Murray Auchincloss.BoardIan Tyler Interim Chair 2025Meg O'Neill CEO 2026Kate Thomson CFO 2024 (Interim in 2023)Dame Amanda Blanc Senior Independent Director 2022Dave Hager 2025Tushar Morzaria 2020Hina Nagarajan 2023Satish Pai 2023Dr. Johannes Teyssen 2021Manifold took up the chairmanship just last October. At last month's annual general meeting, just 81.8% of shareholders backed his electionAmong the most consequential decisions of Manifold's short tenure: pushing out former CEO Murray Auchincloss and overseeing the selection of Meg O'Neill to succeed him — a hire that marked the first time BP had recruited an external CEO and the first time a woman had led one of the oil industry's largest players.Dell wins a $9.7 billion Pentagon software deal after donating to Trump accountsDell stock skyrockets 32%, heads for best day ever as AI server revenue soarsMichael Dell added $35.8 billion to his personal fortune in a single day.Michael Dell pledged $6.25 billion to Trump AccountsThis greatly helps with $100M Dell ($4M personally for Michael) had to pay in 2010 for its Intel Cookie jar Scandal: Dell was telling investors that its high profits were due to amazing management and great computer sales. In reality, a massive chunk of their profits came from secret exclusivity payments from Intel so that Intel could shut out their competitor AMD.SpaceX’s Unconventional Corporate Arrangements Favor Elon MuskDanish pension fund rejects SpaceX IPO over valuation and governance concernsStandard Chartered CEO apologises for ‘lower-value human capital’ remarksStandard Chartered CEO Bill Winters triggered a massive PR firestorm by describing the bank’s plan to replace back-office staff with automation as replacing "lower-value human capital" with financial investmentStandard Chartered is cutting roughly 7,800 jobs—representing about 15% of its global back-office corporate support roles—over the next four years t...
Transcribe →Bezos spouts, CEOs hate employees, SpaceX IPO gaslights
6d ago01:04:26Tap to summarizeESG StuffBP removes chairman Albert Manifold over governance issues 9The board said the decision was unanimous. In a statement, Amanda Blanc, BP's senior independent director, described the board as having been caught off guard by what it found: "The board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action."The company did not elaborate on the specific nature of the concerns.Ian Tyler has been named interim chair, BP said, with the board set to begin a formal process to identify a permanent successor: "The Board and leadership team have deep conviction in the strategic direction we have laid out, and the company is moving at pace to deliver it."Manifold took up the chairmanship just last October. At last month's annual general meeting, just 81.8% of shareholders backed his electionAmong the most consequential decisions of Manifold's short tenure: pushing out former CEO Murray Auchincloss and overseeing the selection of Meg O'Neill to succeed him — a hire that marked the first time BP had recruited an external CEO and the first time a woman had led one of the oil industry's largest players.Tulsi Gabbard Exit Marks Fourth Woman to Leave Trump Cabinet 0Apology TourBank boss sorry after describing workers as 'lower value human capital' 7Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters triggered a massive PR firestorm by describing the bank’s plan to replace back-office staff with automation as replacing "lower-value human capital" with financial investmentStandard Chartered is cutting roughly 7,800 jobs—representing about 15% of its global back-office corporate support roles—over the next four years to make room for AIAfter internal anger and blistering public criticism, Winters posted a formal apology for his "choice of words." However, he initially fueled the fire by attaching the full interview transcript to justify his broader context, drawing further criticism for being defensiveIn his first attempt to quiet the storm, Winters leaned heavily into the corporate strategy rather than apologizing for the specific phrasing: "I said that lower-value roles are more vulnerable to automation, and that we have a responsibility to help colleagues move into higher-value roles. That is what a responsible employer should do. We will continue to speak honestly about the impact of technological change, and we will continue to act responsibly in helping our people to adapt and succeed."After a barrage of negative comments on his first post, Winters returned to LinkedIn later that day to offer an explicit apology for his phrasing: "I have received a lot of support for the messages in my previous post but still get questions about my choice of words, which I know has caused upset to some colleagues. For that I am sorry.""I think the transcript makes it clear that I value our colleagues – all of them – most highly and that we are totally committed to helping them to cope with the accelerating pace of change in our industry."JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon says bank chief's viral AI comment was 'inartful' Dimon downplayed the viral backlash against Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters—who drew fire for saying his bank would replace "lower-value human capital" with technology—calling it an "inartful" slip-of-the-tongue from a friend.Neopbabies and Dropout babiesJames Murdoch to acquire New York Magazine and Vox Media Podcast Network -1Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 6Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow justified firing his entire Human Resources department by claiming they actively manufactured internal frictionThe aggressive purge follows a brutal 97% collapse in Bolt’s valuation—crashing from an $11 billion peak in 2022 down to $300 millionTraditional HR has been entirely swapped for a skeletal "people operations" team, shifting the focus away from employee complaints and internal processes toward basic compliance training and empowering managers to make split-second decisionsAlongside gutting HR, Breslow rolled back employee-friendly benefits like four-day workweeks and unlimited PTO, claiming a culture of complacency had taken over and that 99% of his legacy workforce was simply unwilling to work hardRyan dropped out of Stanford in 2014 to launch BoltThe Middle School Boy Man Babies Rule the WorldMan Drives Cybertruck Into Lake to Test Elon Musk’s “Boat” Claims, and It Went About as Well as You’d Guess -10"The passengers abandoned the vehicle and the driver was arrested."Tesla CEO Elon Musk:randomly tweeted that the vehicle would function as a rudimentary flotation device.“It will even float for a while.”“[The vehicle would be able to] traverse at least 100m [330 feet] of water as a boat.”“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren’t too choppy.”Jeff Bezos urges US government to stop taxing 50% of America — and claims doubling his taxes won’t help ‘that teacher in Queens' 400Jeff Bezos backs Mamdani's tax on luxury second homes, but says Ken Griffin isn't the villainJeff Bezos on Zohran Mamdani’s big mistake: ‘When you don’t know how to solve a problem, create a villain, blame them’<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/20/j...
Transcribe →GOOD GAME: Booing AI, Musk loses, BYD and public transit win, empty Waymos
2w ago00:43:32Tap to summarizeThe Good GameFormer Google CEO Eric Schmidt booed by graduates at mention of AI And yet: College students are booing commencement speakers celebrating AI, but the wave of hate hasn’t stopped them from using it to cheat on their examsElon Musk loses court battle against Sam Altman and OpenAI after 3-week trialA federal jury in Oakland, California, on Monday said Elon Musk waited too long to sue OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over claims they allegedly violated an agreement to run their artificial intelligence venture strictly as a charitable nonprofit.The advisory jury’s verdict, which came after less than two hours of deliberations, was immediately adopted by District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.In a post on his social network X, Musk called the decision a “calendar technicality … There is no question to anyone following the case in detail that Altman & Brockman did in fact enrich themselves by stealing a charity. The only question is WHEN they did it!”And yet: Jury Throws Out Musk's OpenAI Lawsuit in Under Two Hours, Clearing Path for Sam Altman's IPOPope Leo launches an AI commission days before he releases a papal letter alongside Anthropic cofounder Christopher OlahThe Vatican is treating AI as a core moral issue, not a side topic.Pope Leo is moving fast: a new AI commission lands just before his first major AI-focused encyclical.The message is clearly human-centered: dignity, justice, labor, and protection of people come first.Bringing in Anthropic cofounder Christopher Olah signals the Church wants direct dialogue with top AI builders, not just criticism from the sidelines.This looks like an attempt to shape AI norms early, before the technology’s social impact hardens into policy and cultureThe AI economy is rewriting the American Dream — and blue-collar workers are poised to winThe rapid spread of AI across corporate America is creating a crisis for young adults with college degrees who are finding a slowdown in hiring for entry-level positions in AI-exposed industries.And yet: Don’t hold your breath for the great AI job reshuffle, says Goldman Sachs—there’s little evidence of ‘too many coders and not enough plumbers’And yet: Despite degrees being slammed as ‘useless’ by Gen Z, data shows graduates have had the lowest unemployment rate of anyone for the last 20 yearsDSE, IFC host 'women on boards' session to strengthen female corporate leadershipDhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) PLC and International Finance Corporation (IFC) jointly organized an on-boarding session titled "Women on Boards (WOB)" aimed at enhancing women's participation in corporate leadership and decision-making processes.Starbucks Korea sacks CEO over controversial 'Tank Day' promotionStarbucks Korea thought it would be a brilliant idea to promote their new "Tank" line of coffee tumblers by declaring a special marketing event called "Tank Day." The catastrophic oversight? They launched it on May 18—the highly sensitive national anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. For South Koreans, the word "tank" on this specific day immediately evokes the horrific memory of the military dictatorship deploying actual armored tanks to brutally crush and massacre pro-democracy protestersThe promotion featured the tagline: "put it on the table with a sound of 'Tak!'" (or "thwack on the desk"). In South Korea, "Tak!" is chillingly famous. In 1987, when the military regime tried to cover up the torture-induced death of student activist Park Jong-chul, police absurdly claimed the student just suddenly collapsed and died because an investigator struck a desk, making a "tak" soundSon Jung-hyun (Sohn Jeong-hyun), the CEO of Starbucks Korea, was summarily fired within hours of the campaign going livethe retail conglomerate that operates Starbucks Korea (Shinsegae Group) also fired the unnamed executive who planned and oversaw the campaign, while launching disciplinary proceedings against every other employee who let this pass the review stage.Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin was reportedly "furious" and ordered the immediate sacking of the CEO to "make an example."South Korean President Lee Jae Myung them as "low-class peddlers" engaging in "inhumane, bottom-feeding behavior" that mocked a blood-stained struggle for basic human rightsStarbucks US headquarters reportedly apologized as well, saying it deeply regretted the “unacceptable” marketing incidentBYD surges, Toyota falters as oil crisis boosts EVs in Australia AND Gas prices are rising. So is public transit ridershipAnd yet: EPA Claims ‘Overwhelming Rejection’ of EVs as It Moves to Loosen Air Pollution RulesSPEED ROUNDFree gas from Cracker Barrel this summer: Here’s how you can get it Sports Illustrated Just Deleted Every Article by One of Its Writers After Accusation of AI PlagiarismMayor Zohran Mamdani says first of NYC's five government-run grocery stores will open in the Bronx next yearAI CEOs Baffled by Hatred of Their Technology Southwest Airlines is banning humanoid and animal-like robots from its flights after a robot flies to DallasSwarm of Empty Waymos Descends on Unsuspecting Suburb, Circle Cul-de-Sacs for Hours on End Like Strange GhostsBeing a Crappy Boss to AI Chatbots Pushes Them Toward Spouting Marxist Rhetoric and Organizing With Their Compatriots, Researchers Find <p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wr...
Transcribe →Companies kill benefits, activist wants manly Victoria’s Secret, Buffett turns off the lights
2w ago00:58:23Tap to summarizeStory of the Week (DR):Trump is bringing Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and a dozen other CEOs to Beijing for his Xi summitTechnology & AIElon Musk – CEO, Tesla and SpaceXTim Cook – CEO, AppleJensen Huang – CEO, Nvidia (joined as a last-minute addition after a personal call from the President)Cristiano Amon – CEO, QualcommSanjay Mehrotra – CEO, Micron TechnologyDina Powell McCormick – President, MetaJim Anderson – CEO, CoherentFinance & InvestmentLarry Fink – CEO, BlackRockStephen Schwarzman – CEO, BlackstoneDavid Solomon – CEO, Goldman SachsJane Fraser – CEO, CitigroupAerospace & ManufacturingKelly Ortberg – CEO, Boeing (reportedly finalizing a massive 500-jet deal during the trip)Larry Culp – CEO, GE AerospacePayments & ServicesMichael Miebach – CEO, MastercardRyan McInerney – CEO, VisaAgriculture & BiotechBrian Sikes – CEO, CargillJacob Thaysen – CEO, IlluminaPaypal agrees to $30 million settlement with Trump's Justice Department over 'illegal DEI'The company launched a $530M Economic Opportunity Fund in 2020 for Black and underrepresented minority businessesDid not fight this in court, just surrenderedTo make the DOJ happy, PayPal had to ditch its race-based criteria; instead, it now funnels that financial support to veteran-owned businesses and companies in farming, manufacturing, or technology. A direct “black” to “white” transferAny company that launched a race-specific grant or loan program after 2020 is now officially in the DOJ’s crosshairs, and "social justice" is being litigated as "civil rights fraud."PayPal board:“Independent” chair David W. Dorman (2015-; 17%)member of the Dell Technologies BoardMichael Dell and Donald Trump are BFFs: Dell pledged $6.25B to Trump AccountsJonathan Christodoro (2015-; 13%): a disciple of billionaire Carl Icahn (former Managing Director at Icahn Capital), one of Trump’s oldest and most vocal alliesFounder PayPal Mafia Trump BFFs: Musk (DOGE), David Sacks (AI and Crypto Czar), Peter Thiel (JD Vance creator)Frank Yeary (2015-; 12%): Intel director since 2009 and chair since 2023It Was One of DOGE’s Most Absurd Abuses. A Court Finally Exposed ItThis whole saga centers on a major legal showdown between the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The case is a consolidated lawsuit (often called the NEH-DOGE lawsuit) filed in May 2025 by groups including the Authors Guild, the American Historical Association, and the Modern Language Association. On May 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon issued a massive 143-page ruling. She essentially nuked DOGE’s attempt to defund hundreds of humanities projects, calling their process a "textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination."The AI Purge: Instead of a professional review, DOGE staffers (described in court as young "technologists" with no background in humanities) ran thousands of grant descriptions through ChatGPT.DOGE staffers—mostly described as 20-somethings with "zero experience in the humanities"—attempted to dodge government transparency laws by conducting official business on Signal with auto-delete enabled. The court found this was a blatant violation of the Federal Records Act, proving that "efficiency" is often just code for "avoiding a paper trail."The Woke Filter: They told the AI to flag anything related to "DEI." This backfired spectacularly when the AI flagged projects on Holocaust survivors, Appalachian history, and Italian-American archives simply because they used words like "identity," "culture," or "women."DOGE didn't actually read the grants they cut. Instead, they used ChatGPT and basic keyword searches to flag any program containing "incriminating" words like "history," "culture," "identity," or "BIPOC." If the AI thought it sounded "woke," the funding was axed—a move Judge Colleen McMahon called a "textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination."In perhaps the most "mask-off" moment of the proceedings, it was revealed that DOGE staffers flagged and canceled a documentary about Jewish women’s slave labor during the Holocaust. The reason? Their AI-driven filter decided that focusing on "Jewish cultures" and "female voices" made it an illegal DEI program. Apparently, documenting Nazi atrocities is now "radical identity politics."The ruling highlighted a minor detail the administration seemed to forget: DOGE isn't a real government agency. The judge noted that DOGE had absolutely no lawful authority to terminate congressionally appropriated funds. They were essentially a group of private-sector bros playing President with the NEH checkbookThe Redirect: The court found that the $100 million "saved" wasn't actually returned to the Treasury. Instead, it was being funneled into the administration's own projects, like the "National Garden of American Heroes."Why Two Big Companies Just Cut Paid Family Leave MMFor the last decade, a tight labor market forced companies to compete for talent with generous perks. Now, with the job market cooling and employees having less leverage to quit, companies like Deloitte and Zoom are quietly rolling back benefits.Zoom, the company that became the face of remote work, has slashed its paid parental leave. Birthing parents saw their leave drop from up to 24 weeks to 18 weeks, while non-birthing parents were cut from 16 weeks down to 10.Deloitte is making deep cuts, but not for everyone. The reductions specifically target “Center” employees—...
Transcribe →BLAME: Coinbase’s AI job cuts, Starbucks’ $10 “affordable” coffee, Bezos at the Met
4w ago00:59:23Tap to summarizeDRCoinbase cuts headcount by 14% citing AI acceleration. The shares are gainingCoinbase cuts headcount by 14% citing AI acceleration WHO DO YOU BLAME?Cofounder/CEO/Chair Brian Armstrong: 49.6% voting power MMIn 2020, amidst global protests for racial justice, Armstrong issued a blog post that effectively banned employees from discussing social issues or activism at work: "We don't advocate for any particular causes or candidates internally that are unrelated to our mission, because it is a distraction from our mission... we won't engage in broader societal issues."Brian is a proponent of "Freedom Cities"—privatized zones built on federal land that would be exempt from the laws that govern the rest of the countryMeta Platforms director Marc Andreessen:Impeding the development of AI in any way, he argues, “is a form of murder."Our enemies are 'social responsibility', 'stakeholder capitalism', 'Precautionary Principle', 'sustainable development goals', 'social justice', and 'environmental, social, and governance (ESG)'... These are all ideas that would lead to a stagnant, decadent, and ultimately dead society."The dual class share structure:The holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to twenty votes per share, and holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote per share.Jeffrey Billings, the independent trustee for certain trusts established by Brian Armstrong (representing 18.9% voting power)Co-founder/director Frederick “Fred” Ernest Ehrsam III (10.6% voting power)co-founder and general partner of the crypto-focused venture capital firm Paradigmco-founder and CEO of Nudge, a neurotechnology startup developing non-invasive brain–computer interfacesDuke UniversityWhile Fred is often seen as the quiet intellectual counterpart to Marc Andreessen, his philosophy is arguably even more dystopian to critics because it moves beyond just software—aiming to program human governance and the human brain itself.Fred is the Quiet Architect of a future where human systems are replaced by cold code.Fred is a major backer of the Prometheus Summit, a secretive gathering of tech elites focused on "longevity" and "assisted reproductive technologies."In 2026, Fred was appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) by President Donald TrumpThe 2 women on the board, seems very DEI-ishThe shares are gaining WHO DO YOU BLAME?InvestorsUp 15$ in 2 days: $655M for brianDiary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with ‘zero’ work experience because she ‘thanked the security guard by name’ before the interview WHO DO YOU BLAME?The so-called “meritocracy” MM“I hired someone who’s CV was two lines. Their experience was zero”Elon Musk's SpaceX Could Be Fast-Tracked Into S&P 500 After IPO Under Proposed Rule Changes AND Elon Musk settles SEC lawsuit over Twitter purchase and agrees to pay $1.5m fineA trust in Musk’s name will pay a $1.5m civil penalty, without admitting wrongdoing. Musk won’t have to give up any money he allegedly saved from the delay. In its January 2025 lawsuit, the SEC said Musk’s 11-day delay in revealing his initial 5% Twitter stake in late March and early April 2022 let him buy more than $500min shares at artificially low prices, before he finally revealed a 9.2% stake. WHO DO YOU BLAME?The SEC CommissionersJan 2025Chair Gary Gensler (D) Commissioner Hester Peirce (R)Commissioner Mark Uyeda (R)Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw (D)Commissioner Jaime Lizárraga (D)Today MMChair Paul Atkins (R)Commissioner Hester Peirce (R)Commissioner Mark Uyeda (R)VacantVacantSpecifically Paul AtkinsDuring his first stint as an SEC Commissioner (George W. Bush), Paul was famous for his dissent against large corporate penaltiesHe argued that fining a company for the "sins" of its executives just hurts the innocent shareholders a second timeRecently in the same Administration with Musk (DOGE)Generally believes the SEC overregulates; Musk has referred to the SEC as “bastards”Commissioner Hester PeirceThe perennial dissenter (pre-Trump 2.0): Whenever the SEC would sue a crypto firm or fine a high-profile CEO, Peirce would release a blistering public letter explaining why the SEC was wrong, overreaching, and "paternalistic."Hester is the primary author of the Token Safe Harbor proposal, which essentially argues that tech companies should be allowed to operate for three years without any SEC oversight to "find their footing."Hester has long argued that the SEC’s disclosure requirements are "bloated" and "immaterial." In her view, Musk’s failure to file a 13D form for his Twitter stake wasn't a crime—it was a failure to comply with a "clunky, outdated bureaucracy.""In our purportedly enlightened era, we pin scarlet letters on allegedly offending corporations without bothering much about facts and circumstances... After all, naming and shaming corporate villains is fun, trendy, and profitable."The S&P 500, managed by S&P Global Dow Jones Indices, on Th...
Transcribe →CEOs silent millions, DEI dies, Altman’s sorry, Gorman’s Disney problem, Chip Wilson won’t leave
May 101:07:23Tap to summarizeStory of the Week (DR):Happy (?) May Day MMMay Day 2026: Top CEO pay increased 20 times faster than workers’ pay in 2025Rivian Sold 42,247 Cars And Paid Its CEO [RJ Scaringe] $403 Million, Or 15 Jim FarleysComcast Co-CEO Mike Cavanagh Lands $72 Million Pay Package For 2025Google co-founder [Sergey Brin] rips California billionaire tax: 'I fled socialism'ONE-TIME wealth tax: The proposal would impose a 5% tax on net worth above the $1 billion threshold for people who were California residents as of Jan. 1, 2026, with some assets like real estate and certain retirement accounts excluded~$13B, with certain exclusions this figure could drop to $9B (the approximate value of his real estate empire)This is the equivalent of $2,500 if you earn $50,000Ken Griffin slams Mamdani for singling him out as a 'profound lack of judgment,' ripping socialist bentBill Ackman to New York City Mayor Mamdani: Don't scare away the billionaires CEOs got millions after boards ‘neutralized’ the impact of tariffs. Some won't say what it was worthRTX CEO Christopher Calio: $27.7 million in compensation last yearAt its January 2025 board meeting, the compensation committee of RTX pre-authorized the removal of tariff impacts on business metrics related to Calio’s pay months before President Trump announced a set of sweeping Liberation Day tariffs on April 2, 2025 that upended global supply chains. The RTX comp committee said that the tariff-cost impact “should be neutralized” for determining annual bonus payouts because the tariffs were “externally imposed, unpredictable and unrelated to operational execution.”Calio’s annual bonus hit $5.1 million, an 85% increase over the $2.76 million the company paid him the year beforeHow much of that growth was attributable to the tariff exclusion, RTX did not discloseWe spoke to over 30 CEOs and business leaders. Here's what worries them mostA world of constant shocksSupply chains are under strain and getting costlierInflation is testing the consumerAI is an opportunity, but also a threatCyber and trust are keeping CEOs upEnergy security is back at the centerThe leadership playbook is changingThe 'Dirty Secret' Behind AI Layoffs: Forrester Warns Tech Is Often Non-ExistentForrester finds most firms citing AI for job cuts lack the systems to back it up, deepening mistrust over how and why people are being let goExecutives are increasingly blaming artificial intelligence for sweeping layoffs even when the technology is barely in place, Forrester has warned, with analyst J.P. Gownder saying that in 'nine out of 10' such cases the AI capability behind those cuts simply does not existMeta says it doesn't know its ideal size as it prepares to lay off 10% of its staffBed Bath & Beyond CEO: AI will lead to ‘significant reduction in headcount’Sam Altman says he is 'deeply sorry' for failing to alert police ahead of mass shootingSam Altman Issues Grim ApologySam Altman is “the face of evil” for not reporting school shooter, says lawyerSam Altman apologized to the people of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, because OpenAI had flagged and banned the suspect’s ChatGPT account but did not alert police before the mass shootingApril 28, 2026: Our commitment to community safety“We assume the best of our users, but when we detect that someone is attempting to use our tools to potentially plan or carry out violence, we take action, including revoking access to OpenAI’s services.”“We use automated detection systems to identify potentially concerning activity at scale.”“When an account or conversation is flagged, it is assessed in context by trained personnel. These human reviewers are trained on our policies and protocols, and operate within established privacy and security safeguards”“When conversations indicate an imminent and credible risk of harm to others, we notify law enforcement.”Zero mention of the Tumbler Ridge massacre, the apology, the lawsuits, etc.Elon Musk's trial against Sam Altman to reveal the ongoing power struggle for OpenAI<p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" styl...
Transcribe →IN OR OUT: New Rexnord and AIG CEOs, Dana White, Autodesk board refresh, Spirit Airlines
Apr 2800:48:12Tap to summarizeRegal Renord [sic] Corporation Names Aamir Paul As New CEOIN: Louis Pinkham (24%) will also resign from the Board of Directors effective on his last day as CEO. ININ: Because of Chair Rakesh Sachdev (15%) OUTA powerful counterpoint to a new CEO’s powerAxalta Coating Systems (27%)Herc Holdings (14%)Edgewell Personal Care (13%)OUT: “On October 29, 2025, the Company announced that Mr. Pinkham, our CEO, will separate from his role with the Company in connection with a CEO search process being led by the Company’s Board. Mr. Pinkham’s separation from his role as CEO is expected to occur by June 30, 2026.” OUTWhat took them so long?And what’s wrong with their bench? ($8.775M golden hello)Brooke Lang: President, Power Efficiency Solutions (2022-)VP & GM of the Power Components DivisionEaton (2008-2016)Jerry Morton: President, Industrial Powertrain Solutions (2015-)served as President – Integration, Motion Control Solutions from 2021-2023, President of the Power Transmission Solutions from 2019-2021, Vice President, Business Leader of Power Transmission Solutions from 2017-2019, and led the global operations for Regal Rexnord's power transmission business from 2015-2017. Kevin Long: President, Automation and Motion Control (2025-)10 years at Dover Corporation, most recently as Group President of OPW, a global business serving the fluid handling, clean energy, cryogenics, and car wash markets.IN: Aamir spent years at Schneider Electric: essentially a AAA MSCI companyENVIRONMENT: Opportunities in Clean Tech 4.7 industry average/6.4 score (Regal is completely opposite here 4.7/3.0) INOUT: The Board is too entrenched: get rid of Rakesh Sachdev (15%, 18 years) Curtis Stoelting (21 years, 9%), Stephen Burt (15 years) and maybe this could work. OUTUFC CEO Dana White Says WHCD Shooting Was 'Awesome' and He 'Took In Every Minute' of the Incident IN: Dana White is Dana White. Works perfectly for TKO Holdings and Meta Platforms ININ: Because of Ari Emanuel (CEO/founder/Chair of TKO) and Zuck OUT (CEO/founder/Chair of Meta). Ari is the most powerful agent in Hollywood. Zuck is the king of social media addiction. They handle the “adult” business while Dana handles the “middle school” businessTKO Group Holdings: Ari Emanuel 67%Meta Platforms: Zuck 68%; Dana White 0%OUT: Dana White is Dana White. How are major sponsors like Disney going to feel about calling a shooting “awesome.”IN: Look at the Board: these are serious douches and they love this kind of behavior OUTAri Emanuel: known as being the a-hole of Hollywood.Silver Lake’s Egon Durban: VC bro, Elon bud, Dell buddy, say no moreTKO COO Mark Shapiro: Hollywood man has served wherever there are bratty boys in charge: TKO, Endeavor (re: Elon, Ar, Egon), Dick Clark Productions, Papa John’s, Six Flags, etc.TKO LD Steve Koonin is the CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and used to serve on the WWE and GameStop boards“The Rock”Former WWE CEO Nick KhanNepobaby Jonathan Kraft, NFLOUT: Look at the Board: these are serious douches and they love this kind of behavior. This is male toxic leadership that will eventually screw it all up. Ari Emanuel: known as being the a-hole of Hollywood.Silver Lake’s Egon Durban: VC bro, Elon bud, Dell buddy, say no moreTKO COO Mark Shapiro: Hollywood man has served wherever there are bratty boys in charge: TKO, Endeavor (re: Elon, Ar, Egon), Dick Clark Productions, Papa John’s, Six Flags, etc.TKO LD Steve Koonin is the CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and used to serve on the WWE and GameStop boards“The Rock”Former WWE CEO Nick KhanNepobaby Jonathan Kraft, NFL AIG names Andersen CEO as Zaffino moves to exec chairIN: You’re getting a two-headed monster. Eric Andersen (ex-Aon President) handles the daily operations, while Peter Zaffino stays as Exec Chair to handle the high-level strategy OUTIN: Andersen spent years at Aon. OUTClimate Change Vulnerability 6.2/8.2 Human Capital Development 4.2/4.9 Privacy & Data Security 3.8/5.0OUT: AIG is already strong in the same places: OUTClimate Change Vulnerability 6.2/7.1 <p data-rte-preserve-empty=...
Transcribe →CEO turnover boom, Texas rejection, and white guy leadership victimhood (man feelings)
Apr 2401:01:03Tap to summarizeStory of the Week (DR):Apple names John Ternus as CEO to replace Tim Cook, who will become chairmanApple CEO Tim Cook is stepping downMeet John Ternus, the 51-year-old former swimming champ who will succeed Tim Cook as Apple CEOTim Cook to step down as Apple CEO. In letter, describes 15 years of emailsTim Cook’s exit is part of a CEO reckoning sweeping Corporate AmericaAre internal CEOs the way to go?Best Buy taps insider Jason Bonfig as new CEO, Corie Barry steps downShe’s actually leaving the boardLululemon names former Nike exec Heidi O'Neill as CEO MMLululemon CEO Pick Heidi O’Neill Faces Skeptical Wall Street AND Lululemon shares dive on new CEO pick — as investors fear she may not have chops to save struggling companyO’Neill brings more than 30 years of experience in performance apparel, footwear, and sports, including over 25 years at Nike, where she was credited with transforming their women’s business from a side-project into a global juggernaut. Her leadership spanned product creation, brand strategy, marketing, and global operations, making her one of the most influential executives in the company’s modern era. Most recently, she served as President, Consumer, Product & Brand, overseeing Nike’s global consumer and product engineGolden hello: $7M equity, $2M cashRoughly 75% of Lululemon’s customers are womenLululemon board: 7 of 11 FChair Martha MorfittCommittees:Audit: 2 of 3 F, including chairNomination: 3 of 5Pay: 3 of 5 F, including chairAlso: CFO, Chief Merchandising Officer, Chief People & Culture Officer, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Chief Brand & Product Activation OfficerNow we get why Chip is so mad: Chip Wilson, Lululemon’s founder, largest shareholder and chief agitator, has not weighed in on the pick yet, although he previously advocated for waiting to name a new CEO until the board could be resetBest Buy taps insider Jason Bonfig as new CEO, Corie Barry steps downBest Buy taps insider Bonfig to succeed veteran Barry as CEO amid demand slowdownOil giant BP suffers shareholder revolt over climate transparency at tense AGM“BP suffered a shareholder revolt at its AGM over the election of a new chair and resolutions that included dropping some climate disclosure obligations”BP failed to get majority shareholder approval on two highly anticipated motions, which would have permitted online-only AGMs and retired two company-specific climate disclosure obligations. Each resolution received around 47% support, far short of the required 75% required to pass.Ahead of the AGM, BP’s board blocked a motion tabled by Follow This that would have required the company to share plans on creating value for shareholders under future scenarios of falling oil and gas demand.Resolution 1: Annual Report and Accounts – 98% For / 2% AgainstResolution 2: Directors' remuneration report – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 3: Directors' remuneration policy – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 4: To elect Albert Manifold as a director – 82% For / 18% AgainstSome activist investors had said even a 5% vote against Manifold, who has only been in post as chair since October, would represent a severe reprimand, particularly after a historic 24% vote against outgoing chair Helge Lund last year.Resolution 5: To elect Meg O'Neill as a director – 97% For / 3% AgainstResolution 6: To re-elect Kate Thomson as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 7: To re-elect Dame Amanda Blanc as a director – 95% For / 5% AgainstResolution 8: To re-elect Tushar Morzaria as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 9: To re-elect Ian Tyler as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 10: To re-elect Satish Pai as a director – 92% For / 8% AgainstResolution 11: To re-elect Dr Johannes Teyssen as a director – 89% For / 11% AgainstResolution 12: To re-elect Hina Nagarajan as a director – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 13: To elect Dave Hager as a director – 97% For / 3% AgainstResolution 14: Reappointment of auditor – 100% For / 0% AgainstResolution 15: Remuneration of auditor – 100% For / 0% AgainstResolution 16: Political donations and political expenditure – 98% For / 2% AgainstResolution 17: Directors' authority to allot shares – 96% For / 4% AgainstResolution 18: Special resolution: Authority for disapplication of pre-emption rights – 99% For / 1% Against<p data-rte-preserve-empt...
Transcribe →Tim Cook steps over, Swiss envy Singapore, Ford’s EV oops, and the corporate groin
Apr 2100:37:29Tap to summarizeDR1In our 'And in the biggest leadership transition of 2026' headline of the week. RPM Announces Appointment of Thomas C. Gentile, III to Board of Directors*************** In our 'When we told shareholders that keeping Jay Hoag on the board was in the best interests of shareholders right after they voted him off the board. Haha, suckers.' headline of the week. Reed Hastings Reveals His 'All-Time Favorite Memory' At Netflix As He Steps Down*************** "My all-time favorite memory was January 2016, when we enabled nearly the entire planet to enjoy our service."In our 'Proxy analysts give up and openly announce laziness' headline of the week. AI as the New Proxy Advisor: Reshaping Shareholder Activism Communications*************** AI is currently more likely to support an activist’s case for change than an incumbent Board and management team.Which sources most often shape AI analysis in proxy fights? frequently source lower-quality, but higher-volume, automated sites for retail financial analysisIn our 'Master Certified Life Coach and college dropout tells people that data centers are the new corporate coffin' headline of the week. A talent CEO says data centers are a 'massive opportunity' for office workers to pivot mid-career*************** Broadstaff CEO Carrie CharlesIn our 'Two MIT grads beg the Supreme Court to let them cause millions of addictions and bankruptcies and maybe even influence geopolitics' headline of the week. Kalshi’s fight over sports betting is hurtling toward the Supreme Court—and the future of gambling is at stake*************** In our 'Switzerland calls Singapore to congratulate its success in diversity in leadership' headline of the week. Gender diversity, tenure length remain governance gaps among Singapore company chairpersons*************** 3 of 30 Sing: 1 in 30 switzMM1In our 'CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA part 1' headline of the week. Ford's CEO said he chose to test-drive a Xiaomi and not a Tesla because the latter doesn't have an 'updated vehicle'"We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up,"In our 'CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA CHINA part 2' headline of the week. Ford CEO Draws Line In Sand: Keep Chinese EVs Out Of US – 'Should Not Let Them Into Our Country'Allowing the Chinese companies in would be "devastating” to American manufacturing, which Farley calls "the heart and soul of our country.”In our 'When we say, "Endless", you say, "Temporary"!' headline of the week. Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp Is Back—With a Few Strings AttachedUnlike the promotion’s previous iteration, this time Red Lobster plans to offer Endless Shrimp on a limited-time basis at participating locations. The chain won’t serve it to-go, for delivery, or on holidays.In our 'When we say "Standard", you say, "What standards?"' headline of the week. Standard Dental Labs Inc. Appoints Brendan Cummins to Board of DirectorsBrendan Cummins, finance and trading dude, joins the board that includes founder James Brooks, whose prior work in "financial leadership" and Claire Ambrosio, lawyer to James Brooks. The management team listed includes Kristin Triplett, accountant, David Acosta, finance acquisitions, and Tiffany Boulton, communications. Not listed at Standard Dental Labs: a standard dentist.In our 'When we say, "Your nurse", you say, "You mean Gary, the gig nurse who also works as a DoorDash delivery guy?"!' headline of the week. ‘Uber for nurses’: gig-work apps lobby to deregulate healthcare, report findsDR2In our 'Exclusive-horses are horses' headline of the week. Exclusive-Musk and insiders to retain voting control of SpaceX after IPO*************** In our 'Hey Ma, another headline where big tech screws up big but won't be held liable, you know, because of free speech or china or trans people or DEI or whatever, tell Dad!' headline of the week. Barclays CEO Flags Anthropic's Mythos AI As Potential Catalyst For Cyberattacks On Global Banks: 'A Serious Issue'*************** In our 'Blah blah founder blah blah chairman blah blah nepobabies blah blah activist investor blah blah blah how did this board even exist in the first place blah blah blah founder let's get rid of the only woman blah blah blah founder blah blah blah investors' headline of the week. Activist Investor Value Base has joined forces with the late founder’s children in efforts to oust the chairman and most of the board, including the late founder’s second wife.*************** Radcom: 7 directors: 1W<p data-rte-preserve-emp...
Transcribe →Allbirds’ pivot, Illinois’ AI law allows nuclear war, Amazon’s dead worker, Reed Hastings steps off
Apr 1701:06:22Tap to summarizeStory of the Week (DR):Sneaker Company Allbirds Plans to Pivot to A.I. Yes, A.I. MMAfter selling its business for $39 million last month, the company said it planned to buy powerful computer chips and rebrand itself NewBird AI.Allbirds is ditching years of clean and green street credEach share of Class A common stock is entitled to one vote on each proposal and each share of Class B common stock is entitled to ten votes on each proposalClassified: one Class I director to hold office until the 2028 Annual MeetingAI/technology experience on board: ZEROVoting powerCofounder/former CEO/director Joseph Zwillinger (24%)VC dude: B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research; M.B.A. Wharton; director since 2015Cofounder/former CEO/director Timothy Brown (27%)Former soccer player: B.S. in Design; M.Sc. in International Management; director since 2015 Director Dan Levitan (33%)VC dude: B.A. in history from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard; director since 2016Lead independent director and “effective chairperson” Dick Boyce (4%)VC dude; B.S.E from Princeton and M.B.A. from Stanford; director since 20162 whole womenAlsoSnap blames AI as it lays off 1,000 workersStarbucks launches beta app in ChatGPT to fuel new drink discoveryUS Army Builds First AI Chatbot for Troops, Trained on Live Conflict Data From Iran and Ukraine, Built on Reddit-Style ForumsMeta is making an AI Mark Zuckerberg to talk to employees, report says‘AI Is Our Friend,’ Morgan Stanley CEO SaysTrump administration taps automakers to boost weapons production in WWII-style pushSenior U.S. defense officials have held talks about producing weapons and other military supplies with top executives of companies includingGeneral MotorsCEO/Chair Mary Barra has spent 2025 and 2026 "cozying up" to the administration. In recent shareholder letters, she has explicitly thanked Trump for his support of the industry and praised his tariff policy for "leveling the playing field."Director Wesley G. Bush: the former CEO of defense giant Northrop Grumman also sits on the board of GE Aerospace, acting as a major link to the administration’s military expansion goals.Two weeks prior to his resignation as CEO, a scathing independent review outlined the 14-year delay, 19x budget overrun ($800M), and numerous human errors made by Northrop Grumman in the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope, which led to Wes testifying before congressGM donated $1 million to the 2025 inauguration and supplied the official presidential motorcade vehicles, continuing their long-standing traditionFord MotorCEO Jim Farley has been described as a frequent caller to President Trump. In January 2026, Trump was caught on a live mic during a Michigan factory tour claiming Farley calls him "all the time" to push for the repeal of environmental "garbage" (EPA regulations).Chair William Clay (Bill) Ford Jr.: has maintained what he calls a "great relationship" with President Trump since the 2024 election. In January 2026, he personally hosted Trump at the Ford Rouge Center in Dearborn, where they toured F-150 production lines.Ford Motor Company was one of the first major corporations to "line up" for the 2025 inauguration. The company donated $1 million to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee and provided a fleet of vehicles for the ceremony's transportation needsDirector Jon Huntsman Jr. served as Trump’s Ambassador to Russia during his first term.GE AerospaceCEO/Chair Larry Culp has a very direct win-win relationship with the administration. In May 2025, Culp accompanied President Trump on a high-stakes trip to the Middle East.During that trip, Trump helped broker a $96 billion order from Qatar Airways for Boeing jets, which will be powered exclusively by GE engines.Culp was seen side-by-side with Trump in Doha celebrating the deal.Director Wesley G. Bush: the former CEO of defense giant Northrop Grumman also sits on the board of GM, acting as a major link to the administration’s military expansion goals.OshkoshDirector David Perkins: a retired 4-star General and former commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)U.S. tech companies ramp up government lobbying amid Iran war uncertaintyNetflix Chair Reed Hastings to Leave Board in June The founder is stepping aside to focus on his philanthropic effortsSarandos or Peters or Hoag?Average Frequency 2004: approximately 5 to 6 discs per month per subscriberToday: Monthly Average: This adds up to about 31 to 32 hours per month.The "Browsing" Tax: Interestingly, data shows that the average user spends about 18 minutes per day just scrolling through the menu before actually hitting "play." If you...
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