Morning Brew Daily – January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Neal Freyman and Toby Howell dive into a big week in business, tech, entertainment, and pop culture. Highlights include Elon Musk’s headline-grabbing debut at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, record-breaking Oscar nominations for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, the viral impact of HBO’s Heated Rivalry on hockey’s popularity, and quirky business news around Toto (Japan’s toilet tech king). Plus, the episode explores OpenAI’s latest moves, celebrates the Eagles’ historic album, and previews Alex Honnold’s daring skyscraper climb live on Netflix. The hosts blend humor, analysis, and storytelling while unpacking these major stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elon Musk's WEF-Davos Debut and AI Future ([02:09–04:42])

• Elon Musk Joins Davos: Despite being a vocal WEF critic, Musk appeared on the main stage, hyping a future dominated by robots, teasing the public sale of Tesla’s Optimus robot, and making bold AI predictions.

  • Notable Musk quote: “I think there'll be an AI smarter than any human by the end of this year, and in five years from now AI will be smarter than all of humanity collectively.” ([02:00])
  • He quipped about Mars: “People ask me, do I want to die on Mars? And I'm like, yes, but not on impact.” ([02:09])

• AI's Role in Davos Conversations: AI emerged as a dominant topic, with breakout presence from Anthropic and widespread debate over AI’s societal impact.

  • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s warning:

    "Ten million people, about seven million of them in Silicon Valley, could, quote, decouple from the rest of society, so they would enjoy as much as 50% GDP growth while the others were left behind." ([03:38])

  • Potential consequences: Economic inequality, rapid GDP growth paired with high unemployment (10%), an unprecedented scenario.

2. AI Hype, Caution, and Ground-Level Impact ([04:42–06:16])

• Skepticism and Bubble Talk:
  • Former OpenAI board chair Brett Taylor suggests AI may be a bubble—"causing both smart money and dumb money to fund companies like crazy" ([04:50])
  • Satya Nadella (Microsoft): Warns AI could "lose its social permission if it burns too much energy without real world benefits." ([05:20])
  • Despite skepticism, Taylor remains bullish: "This will be a revolutionary technology." ([05:32])
• Founder perspectives at Davos: Nearly every founder interviewed remarked how AI, especially since November 2022, radically shifted the business landscape.
  • Cybersecurity founder example: "Companies are getting attacked way more now that AI is a thing, way more sophisticated than ever before. But at the same time, we also have the tools to combat that." ([06:16])

3. Lighter Davos Moments and Macron’s Aviator Sunglasses ([06:32–07:08])

• French President Macron’s iconic look: His €659 French-made aviators went viral, "crashing the brand’s website" after he wore them indoors—his stock (the sunglass maker) jumped 28%. ([07:08])

4. Oscars Shake Up: ‘Sinners’ and the Warner Bros/Netflix Power Play ([07:08–10:38])

• Sinners Makes History: Ryan Coogler's vampire epic Sinners lands 16 nominations—the most ever, surpassing Titanic, La La Land, and All About Eve.

  • “After Sinners, Paul Thomas Anderson’s action roller coaster One Battle After Another received 13 nods, making those two films the big winners from the Oscar nomination announcement Thursday morning.” ([07:44])
  • Best Picture category includes: Sinners, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein, Train Dreams, and more. ([07:52])
  • Best Actor and Actress line-ups are highlighted, with Jessie Buckley ("Hamnet") as the frontrunner for Best Actress. ([08:36])

• Industry Power Dynamics:

  • Warner Bros Discovery leads studios with 30 nominations; Netflix and indie producer Neon also score 18 nominations each. ([08:36–09:34])
  • Potential Warner-Netflix merger would result in unprecedented Oscar clout.

• Behind-the-Scenes Dealmaking:

  • Ryan Coogler’s unprecedented deal: He will own the film outright in 2050—a studio rarity likely to shift future director-studio contracts. ([09:55])

• Oscar Ceremony Trends:

  • Viewership stabilized after years of decline; Conan O’Brien returns to host. In 2029, the Oscars move to YouTube, potentially reshaping the broadcast. ([10:38])

Notable Quote

• On the impact of the Warner-Netflix power combo:

  "That's a lot of Oscar nominations under one roof.” – Toby Howell ([08:36])

5. Viral TV: 'Heated Rivalry' Boosts Hockey’s Popularity ([11:18–14:42])

• Stock of the Week: Hockey: The HBO hit Heated Rivalry has dramatically increased interest and ticket sales in hockey.

  • “SeatGeek said its weekly hockey ticket sales jumped over 20% after the show first aired last year, while StubHub saw searches jump 75%.” ([11:34])
  • NHL teams embrace the trend by selling jerseys with the show’s fictional player names, echoing the Taylor Swift–NFL effect. ([13:00])

• Cultural Spillover: The show sparks themed SoulCycle rides, actor lookalike contests, and tattoo fads. ([13:39])

• Production Story: Heated Rivalry started on a shoestring Canadian budget, was acquired by HBO for $600k per episode, and became a global phenomenon.

  • “I can't believe this just fell into my lap. This. This is available? Are you serious? And then you put it on HBO?” ([14:15])

6. Tech & Markets: Toto Toilets Ride the AI Chip Wave ([16:13–19:28])

• Stock Highlight: Toto: Shares jump 11%—not just from toilets, but from their ceramics division making electrostatic chucks for chip manufacturing.

  • “It starts to make sense when you learn that Toto has a separate business making what's known as electrostatic chucks that are used in the chip making process.” ([16:14])
  • 42% of Toto’s operating income is now from this tech, and others in Japan similarly straddle consumer goods and semiconductors. ([18:49])

• AI Infrastructure Boom: Nvidia’s Jensen Huang claims we’re entering the largest infrastructure buildout in history, triggering massive demand for chips and supporting tech like Toto’s ceramics. ([17:07])

Notable Exchange

• “This is so funny. Like what do you mean? The same ceramic that you sit on on a toilet is perfect for the AI revolution as well.” – Toby Howell ([17:07])

7. OpenAI, Apple & the Next Big AI Devices ([19:28–21:13])

• OpenAI Hardware Teasers: OpenAI confirms a new device is coming in 2026 (possibly earbuds, codenamed “Sweet Pea”) via Jony Ive. Apple rumored to be working on a wearable pin.

  • “Right now, glasses are the dominant form factor. But in the span of a few days, two totally new approaches look to be coming for our ears and our chests.” – Neal Freyman ([20:13])
  • “I wonder what it's going to be like to always have all of the intelligence of humanity whispering in my ear.” – Toby Howell ([21:13])

• Is Wearable Tech Shifting?: Glasses, pins, earbuds—debate on which will win over users, after high-profile flops like Humane’s pin.

8. Music Milestone: Eagles Hit 40 Million Albums ([21:25–22:42])

• Eagles Reach Quadruple Diamond: Greatest Hits 1971-1975 becomes the first U.S. album to surpass 40 million units sold.
  • Runners-up: Michael Jackson's Thriller (34x Platinum) and Eagles' own Hotel California (28 million).
  • Certification now includes streaming: “If you stream an album 1500 times, that is now equal to one album sale.” ([22:34])
  • Eagles celebrate with new shows at the Sphere, Las Vegas.

9. Alex Honnold’s Live Skyscraper Climb ([22:43–24:45])

• Daredevil Feat: Rock climber Alex Honnold will live-climb Taipei 101 (NT$101), without ropes, live on Netflix Jan 23 at 8pm EST (with a 10-second delay for safety).
  • “The New York Times asked him if he's worried he'll slip and he laughed and said, you just hold on tight.” – Neal Freyman ([23:15])
  • Discussion on the compromise between risk and spectacle, as Honnold is now married and "entering the next stage of his life.” ([24:18])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I think there'll be an AI smarter than any human by the end of this year, and in five years from now AI will be smarter than all of humanity collectively.” – Elon Musk ([02:00])
• “People ask me, do I want to die on Mars? And I'm like, yes, but not on impact.” – Elon Musk ([02:09])
• “Ten million people ... could, quote, decouple from the rest of society, so they would enjoy as much as 50% GDP growth while the others were left behind.” – Dario Amodei ([03:38])
• “[AI] could lose its social permission if it burns too much energy without real world benefits.” – Satya Nadella ([05:20])
• “SeatGeek said its weekly hockey ticket sales jumped over 20% after the show first aired last year, while StubHub saw searches jump 75%.” – Toby Howell ([11:34])
• “42% of its total operating income came from this neck of the woods. So at a certain point, maybe it's not a toilet company anymore.” – Toby Howell ([18:49])
• "You never know what's going to pop these days, and it's not so unique for a Japanese company that makes something entirely different to also have a product... in the semiconductor supply chain." – Neal Freyman ([18:11])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Elon Musk, Anthropic, Davos AI dominance: [02:09–06:16]
• Oscars nominations & Sinners record: [07:08–10:38]
• Heated Rivalry and hockey's surge: [11:18–14:42]
• Toto & the AI chip ceramics connection: [16:13–19:28]
• OpenAI / Apple device rumors: [19:28–21:13]
• Eagles quadruple diamond: [21:25–22:42]
• Alex Honnold climbs Taipei 101: [22:43–24:45]

Tone and Style

Witty, sharp, and fast-paced—with friendly banter and pop-culture quips. Neal and Toby keep the energy high, blending serious business analysis with entertainment and humor.

Summary prepared for listeners who want all the business, tech, and culture highlights from Davos week – no flight delays or freezing Swiss WiFi necessary.