Earn Your Leisure Podcast Episode Summary
Title: Can Apple Regain Its Throne? The Battle of Trillion-Dollar Tech Giants
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Mike Millings
Release Date: July 6, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Mike Millings delve into the competitive landscape of trillion-dollar tech giants, focusing on whether Apple can reclaim its position as the foremost tech leader. The discussion navigates through current market standings, potential shifts driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and strategic investments that could influence future rankings.

Current Market Landscape

Mike Millings opens the discussion by questioning Apple's ability to maintain its top spot amidst rising competitors:
"Is there any company that could overtake Apple in third place? Or will Apple take back the number one spot?" [01:20]

Rashad outlines the current top ten companies by market capitalization, highlighting Nvidia's dominance at the top:
"At 10, we got Berkshire Hathaway at a little over 1 trillion. Taiwan Semi is 9, Broadcom is 8, Saudi Aramico is 7, Meta is 6, Google is 5, Amazon is 4, Apple is 3, Microsoft is 2, and Nvidia is 1." [02:31]

Mike emphasizes the critical role of AI investments in Apple's ability to stay competitive:
"If Apple does not invest into AI or has a significant partnership in four or five years, it's a great question. I can see a conglomerate like Saudi Aramico taking it, but I think someone in the AI space could definitely take it." [01:32]

The Role of AI and Strategic Investments

The hosts discuss how AI investments are pivotal for maintaining or elevating market positions. Mike expresses concern over Apple's current stance on AI:
"Apple still has the worst AI product in Siri. I can't even when I do market research I have to exit out of Siri to go to ChatGPT if I'm going to use voice mode to get an actual recantation of what's happening in the market." [06:22]

Rashad concurs, emphasizing the importance of AI-driven profitability:
"How does profit margin change over the next two to three years when things become automated? For a company that pretty much is making things automated already, if they increase automation, what does that do for profit margin?" [03:22]

Mike argues that companies like Google are better positioned to leverage AI for profitability:
"Google can take that spot if Apple doesn't get this together. Sergey being at the helm and being in the office allows Google to engineer their profitability a lot faster than Amazon." [02:56]

Market Capitalization and Future Projections

The conversation shifts to future projections of market caps, with Rashad and Mike speculating on the potential shifts:
"If Apple does not significantly invest and Google continues to do so, I can see them going to 5th and Google taking that spot." [04:24]

Rashad adds a worst-case scenario for Apple:
"Potentially be falling to 5 worst case scenario. Worst case they're sitting right under 3 trillion." [06:22]

They also touch upon Nvidia's near future, indicating its strong position:
"Nvidia is not far from four." [06:38]

Competitive Strategies and Leadership

Mike critiques Apple's leadership decisions, suggesting a reluctance to invest in emerging technologies:
"You have Apple sitting on enough money to buy Syria cash free and clear and you won't buy an AI company. Why?" [04:45]

He contrasts this with Meta's proactive investments:
"He's putting capital behind the AI investment to get them from OpenAI to Meta." [04:56]

Rashad highlights the importance of strategic partnerships and investments for sustained growth:
"If they course correct in a year or two and have a partnership with Perplexity or a major AI infrastructure company, they will keep that spot or remain higher." [04:33]

Audience Q&A: Differentiating Dead Charts from Opportunities

The episode includes an insightful audience question:
"What do you use to differentiate the difference between a dead chart versus an amazing opportunity?" [09:25]

Mike responds by emphasizing the significance of a company's fundamental health over mere stock chart appearances:
"It's not so much the chart is dead, it's if the company is dead or not. If you believe in a great company, you should throw as many shares as you can into it." [10:42]

Rashad adds a technical perspective, advocating for trend analysis through candlestick charts:
"From a technical standpoint, I would be looking at the value, how it's trading on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Use candlesticks to see momentum." [12:47]

Investment Strategies and Future Outlook

The hosts discuss investment strategies, particularly during market fluctuations:
"You want to stack as many shares as you can before they take off. Same with Nvidia, same with AMD. We can go to Tesla before Cathy Wood made her proclamation on CNBC and they left her off stage and then Tesla took off to the upside." [10:42]

Rashad underscores the importance of investing in companies with strong future prospects:
"At a certain point, they're going to start seeking the benefits of investment. And I think we're getting to that point." [08:00]

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a consensus that strategic investments in AI and other emerging technologies are crucial for tech giants like Apple to maintain or elevate their market positions. Mike reiterates his confidence in Apple as a company while urging for necessary course corrections:
"For everyone who asks what will make me change my stance on Apple? I still believe in it as a company." [08:16]

Rashad highlights the dynamic nature of market trends and the importance of staying ahead through innovation and strategic partnerships:
"We're getting to the point where investment into AI is no longer optional but essential for sustaining growth." [08:22]

Key Takeaways

• Apple's Market Position: Currently third among trillion-dollar tech giants, with challenges in AI investments potentially affecting its ranking.
• Importance of AI: Strategic investments in AI are critical for maintaining competitiveness and enhancing profit margins.
• Future Projections: Companies like Google and Nvidia are poised to ascend, potentially overtaking Apple if the latter does not adapt.
• Investment Strategy: Focus on fundamental company health and future prospects rather than solely on stock chart movements.
• Leadership Decisions: Effective leadership and willingness to invest in emerging technologies are vital for sustained growth.

Notable Quotes

• Mike Millings: "Apple still has the worst AI product in Siri. I can't even when I do market research I have to exit out of Siri to go to ChatGPT if I'm going to use voice mode to get an actual recantation of what's happening in the market." [06:22]

• Rashad Bilal: "How does profit margin change over the next two to three years when things become automated?" [03:22]

• Mike Millings: "If Apple does not significantly invest and Google continues to do so, I can see them going to 5th and Google taking that spot." [04:24]

• Mike Millings: "It's not so much the chart is dead, it's if the company is dead or not." [10:42]

This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the current and future standings of major tech giants, emphasizing the pivotal role of AI and strategic investments. Rashad and Mike offer valuable insights for investors and enthusiasts looking to understand the evolving dynamics of the tech industry.