What the Fed’s Third Rate Cut Means for 2026

Summary

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Prof G Markets – December 11, 2025

Episode: What the Fed’s Third Rate Cut Means for 2026

Episode Overview

On this episode of Prof G Markets, hosts Ed Elson and Scott Galloway tackle the Federal Reserve’s third interest rate cut of 2025—the first meeting in six years with significant dissent on the Fed board. Chief Economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics joins to break down the decision, its political undertones, and what it might mean for the economy in 2026. The show then shifts focus to SpaceX’s forthcoming historic IPO and closes with a spotlight on MacKenzie Scott’s remarkable philanthropic giving.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Federal Reserve’s Third Interest Rate Cut ([02:47]–[09:31])

Market Reaction and Fed Board Division

• Fed drops rates by 25bps: The third rate cut this year, putting rates at their lowest in three years.
• Disagreement among Fed officials: First meeting in six years with three dissenting votes—two wanted to hold steady, Trump appointee Stephen Myron wanted a larger 50bps cut.
• Quote:
  “Pretty much down the strike zone, as they would say, Ed. Markets, investors expected the Fed to cut a quarter percentage point and that's exactly what they did.” — Mark Zandi ([03:50])

Why the Division? (Politics and Policy)

• Close to “neutral” rate: Disagreement reflects rates approaching “R-star”—the neutral equilibrium.
• Political pressure: Trump’s influence on the Fed is clear; Myron’s dissent is in line with Trump’s interest in lower rates.
• Tariffs and immigration: Both weaken growth but raise inflation—complicating the Fed’s calculus.
• Quote:
  “The President wants lower interest rates... That’s also playing a role and thus goes to the disagreements and dissent. So a lot of cross currents here.” — Mark Zandi ([06:25])

Data Deficiency Amid Policy Change

• Government shutdown impact: The Fed was missing critical jobs and inflation data due to government disruptions, making their decision more challenging.
• Labor market weakness: Even absent all data, existing indicators showed job creation stagnating and rising unemployment, especially among young people and minorities.
• Quote:
  “Job creation has come to a standstill. Unemployment is still low, 4.4%, but it is moving higher and it's moving very quickly higher for certain groups like young people...” — Mark Zandi ([07:45])

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2. Economic Outlook for 2026 ([09:31]–[12:35])

Cross Currents and Fragile Growth

• 2025 recap: Modest growth, fueled largely by AI, but described as “fragile.”
• Widening inequality: Top third thriving; bottom two-thirds struggling with higher costs, stagnant hiring.
• Growth doesn’t feel good:
  “It’s hard to get very enthusiastic about how things are going when you're not creating any jobs and unemployment's on the rise.” — Mark Zandi ([10:49])
• Risks ahead: Absence of job growth is a red flag for 2026.

Fiscal Stimulus and Interest Rates in 2026

• Major fiscal stimulus incoming: “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” brings business and personal tax cuts, likely propping up growth.
• Fed outlook: Only one rate cut officially forecast for 2026, but changes in Fed leadership could shift the picture.
• Quote:
  “Hopefully with a little bit of luck and that fiscal stimulus, we kind of navigate through and avoid another year... without an economic downturn.” — Mark Zandi ([12:35])

Fed’s Political Future

• Leadership change: Powell out in May; possible replacement by Trump pick, likely Kevin Hassett.
• Fed independence at stake: Dismissal of Fed Governor Lisa Cook and political maneuvering could mean more cuts than forecast.
• Quote:
  “Now you got to throw into the mix kind of the political independence of the Fed and that would argue all else equal for lower rates.” — Mark Zandi ([13:59])

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3. SpaceX IPO: Hype and Hesitation ([16:38]–[25:02])

Historic Public Offering Anticipated

• SpaceX targets $1.5T valuation & $30B raise: Poised to set record for largest IPO ever.
• Starlink and leadership: Starlink called “an incredible product”; strong operational leadership highlighted.
• Scott Galloway on SpaceX:
  “I think this is an incredible company… I think this could—I mean as you said, our pick for 2026.” — Scott Galloway ([18:33])

Why Not Invest? (Valuation & Ethics)

• Valuation concerns:
  “At 100 times revenues, you’re talking about Palantir-like valuation… Most of the juice will have been squeezed.” — Scott Galloway ([23:01])
• Musk’s divisiveness: Scott openly states he won’t invest due to concerns about Elon Musk’s values and political activity.
• Unassailable moats:
  “It’s very difficult to build a startup… two guys in a dorm room at MIT can’t build a viable competitor to a space launch company.” — Scott Galloway ([21:22])

Analog vs Digital Business “Moats”

• Slower, but more defensible growth for ‘analog’ (SpaceX) businesses versus rapid but riskier scaling for digital (OpenAI).
• Memorable moment: Galloway podcasting from outside a men’s bathroom at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, joking about running for Senate and the awkwardness of his live podcasting location.
  “I have my camera out. I'm loitering outside the men's room. I'm pretty sure this will be the last time I'm calling you from Roof Gardens.” — Scott Galloway ([17:25])

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4. MacKenzie Scott’s Philanthropy: A Standout Act ([25:08]–[30:13])

Record-Breaking Giving

• $7.2B given away in 2025: More than entire WHO budget, Suez Canal, Burj Khalifa, Hoover Dam, and Vegas Sphere—combined.
• Lifetime giving over $26B: Now among world’s top-10 philanthropists by total given.
• Focus of donations: Half to education, 90% to US-based causes, plus hundreds of millions to environment and social equity.

Why This Matters

• Comparison to other billionaires:
  “Elon Musk is worth over $490 billion. Last year, he gave away around $470 million, and that's less than 0.1% of his total net worth.” — Ed Elson ([28:44])
• Moral of the story:
  “Giving away $7 billion is far more impressive than making $7 billion.” — Ed Elson ([29:25])
• Scott’s humility: Recognizes her gifts, but also the everyday giving by millions, often unrecognized.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------|---------| | [03:50] | “Pretty much down the strike zone...markets expected the Fed to cut a quarter percentage point and that's exactly what they did.” | Mark Zandi | | [06:25] | “The President wants lower interest rates... That's also playing a role and thus goes to the disagreements and dissent.” | Mark Zandi | | [10:49] | “It’s hard to get very enthusiastic about how things are going when you’re not creating any jobs and unemployment’s on the rise.” | Mark Zandi | | [13:59] | “Now you got to throw into the mix…the political independence of the Fed, and that would argue all else equal for lower rates.” | Mark Zandi | | [18:33] | “I think this is an incredible company… I think this could—I mean as you said, our pick for 2026.” | Scott Galloway | | [21:22] | “It’s very difficult to build a startup… two guys in a dorm room at MIT can’t build a viable competitor to a space launch company.” | Scott Galloway | | [23:01] | “At 100 times revenues, you’re talking about Palantir-like valuation… Most of the juice will have been squeezed.” | Scott Galloway | | [29:25] | “Giving away $7 billion is far more impressive than making $7 billion.” | Ed Elson |

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:47] — Market update and Fed policy breakdown
• [03:33] — Mark Zandi joins to discuss rate cut, dissent, and outlook
• [09:31] — 2026 economic projections and risks
• [12:35] — Impact of Fed chair transition, political influence
• [16:38] — Introduction to SpaceX IPO discussion
• [18:33] — Scott Galloway’s take on SpaceX & sector insight
• [23:01] — Valuation warning and investment hesitation
• [25:08] — MacKenzie Scott’s record philanthropy spotlight

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Conclusion

This episode delivers sharp, candid takes on the week’s market-moving stories. Listeners get not only a breakdown of the Fed’s complex decision-making around rates and data, but also a preview of 2026’s economic terrain. Scott Galloway shines with irreverent humor and tough love for both rocket billionaires and market hype—even as he acknowledges the analog moats of businesses like SpaceX. The episode closes on a high note, celebrating the generosity of MacKenzie Scott and underscoring the often-overlooked acts of selflessness in a world transfixed by wealth accumulation.

For finance followers and curious listeners, this is a frank, topical episode—part macro lesson, part market drama, and part philosophical reflection.

Transcript

[Ed Elson]

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[Ed Elson]

The.

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[Ed Elson]

Today's number 18 that is how many hours koala bears spend asleep every single day. That makes koala bears the second sleepiest animal in the world, just behind Mitch McConnell.

Money market matter if money is evil, then that building is hell.

[Scott Galloway]

Show goes up.

[Ed Elson]

The fighter never wants to sell.

[Scott Galloway]

Sell.

[Ed Elson]

Welcome to Frost G Markets. I'm ehelson. It is Dec. Dec. 11. Let's check in on yesterday's market vitals. The major indices rallied following a Federal Reserve meeting. More on that in a moment. Meanwhile, treasury yields fell, the dollar slumped, and finally, Oracle shares dropped more than 10% in after hours trading on lower than expected quarterly revenue.

Okay, what else is happening? For the third time this year, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points. However, a divide is growing on the Fed board. This decision marked the first meeting in six years where three Fed officials dissented Two governors voted to hold rates steady while Steven Myron voted to cut by 50 basis points, not 25. As for the Bob ahead, the Fed's outlook calls for just one cut in 2026. The S& P and the Dow both hit session highs as Chair Powell gave his remarks. Okay, here to take us through what happened with this Fed decision, we are speaking with Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. Mark, thank you for joining us again on profgumarkets.

[Mark Zandi]

Ed, so good to be with you. Thanks for the opportunity.

[Ed Elson]

Good to have you back. So this, this Fed decision here we got a another cut, third in a row, lowest level in three years. Let's just start with your initial reactions to what we saw today.

[Mark Zandi]

Pretty much down the strike zone, as they would say, Ed. You know, markets, investors expected the Fed to cut a quarter percentage point and that's exactly what they did. There was widespread expectation that there would be a lot of dissension in terms of the decision and we got that as well. One dissenter wanted a 50 basis point cut in rates. A couple other Fed members wanted to hold policy unchanged. That's unusual, but that was expected. And I think Chair Powell in the presser afterwards, after the release of the announced move made it clear that while there might be another rate cut in our future next year, it's becoming much more data dependent. It's hard to know exactly what the path forward is. And I think investors knew that that was coming. So all in all, I thought it was, as I said, right down the.

[Ed Elson]

Strike zone, the dissension that we saw. Three dissenting votes, first time that's happened in six years, as you say. There were two officials who said let's hold interest rates steady. And then there was one, and this is Trump's guy, Stephen Myron, who said.

No, let's cut by 50 bips instead of 25. Is that important? I mean, what does that say about where we're at? Jerome Powell seemed to say that that wasn't really an issue or that didn't matter that much. What is your view? How important is it that we saw this level of dissension?

[Mark Zandi]

Well, I think it's meaningful. I think it's explainable by the fact that the federal funds rate target, the interest rate the Fed controls is now pretty close to what might be considered the so called neutral rate, the equilibrium or R star, that rate at which policy is either supporting or restraining growth. That's not written in stone somewhere that we can go take a look. It's estimated and policymakers get to it by intuition and feel. So as a result, there's a lot of debate about that. We're pretty close. And because we're pretty close, it's not surprising you'd get people disagreeing about what the appropriate policy steps would be. The other thing that's going on of course, is tariffs and highly restrictive immigration policy. And those policies, they weaken growth, which would argue for rate cuts, but they also raise inflation, which would argue for no rate cuts and maybe even increase, all else being equal. So that is another factor behind.

The disagreements and thus the sense. Then I also think Fed independence is probably playing a role here. The President, President Trump has made it quite clear he'd like input into the decision making process at the Fed around interest rates. Is one of his recent appointees, Stephen Merritt, that you mentioned, the former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors wants a 50 basis point cut which goes to what the President wants. The President wants lower interest rates and much lower interest rates. And that's also playing a role and thus goes to the, to the disagreements and dissent. So a lot of cross currents here. So it's very unusual you see these kinds of disagreements, but in the current context I think it makes a lot of sense.

[Ed Elson]

Yeah, it sounds like politics is playing a larger role right now than it has in the past. The other issue was this lack of data. And we had Katherine Ann Edwards, an economist on the show recently and she was not so sure that we would get a cut because her view was they're operating with a lot less data because of the shutdown. So the idea of changing policy.

Maybe is not the right move. What, what exactly were they missing in terms of data and how did that affect or not affect the decision that they ended up making?

[Mark Zandi]

Well, they jobs data and data on inflation and that goes right to their back to their dual mandate. They, they're chartered with ensuring full employment, everyone's employed and maintaining low stable inflation, you know, close to the 2% inflation target. And they we were missing data on related to both those mandates. In fact, next week we're going to get the October, November payroll employment data, which is, you know, critical data for understanding what's going on in the labor market and the consumer price inflation data. We're not even going to get that for the month of October. We're only going to get that for November here in the not too distant future. So they were lacking a lot of data. But I do think the data we are seeing and getting, particularly on the labor market front, would suggest the economy is struggling. The job Market is really going nowhere fast. Job creation has come to a standstill. Unemployment is still low, 4.4%, but it is moving higher and it's moving very quickly. Higher for certain groups like young people, folks between the ages of 2024, their unemployment rates now over 9%, up, you know, 3 percentage points in the last couple years. Minority group, minority rate. Minority group unemployment rates are up a lot. The black unemployment rate. So there's, we were getting other data related to the labor market, the same, but roughly the same thing, so called war notices and, and layoff announcements. So I think there was enough information, despite the government shutdown and the disruption to typical data for the, for Fed officials to come to the conclusion that they still should be more focused on the mandate around jobs and full employment and the economy than around inflation. And that's how they acted and I think that was appropriate.

[Ed Elson]

We're coming to the end of the year here, so this will probably be the last time we see you in 2025. And then we'll be taking a break later. Do you have any thoughts on what 2026 is going to look like? And does this decision tell us anything about what might happen here with the economy? We're talking about the labor market issues, which as you say, they're getting, appearing to get worse. But then also inflation, which, I mean, doesn't seem to be getting a whole lot better. But if we are entering a lower interest rate environment, maybe that means more spending, more earnings growth, expansion in the economy. What do you think we're going to see in 2026?

[Mark Zandi]

Yeah, a lot of cross currents there. That's why there's so much confusion around the economy. It depends on what you're focused on, which part of the economic elephant you're touching. Yeah, I mean, I think generally 2025 would, I'd characterize it as.

A year of growth. I mean, we did not go into recession. We continued to grow largely because of the boost created by AI, artificial intelligence. Lots of different channels through which that's occurring, but it's a very fragile growth. It's hard to get very enthusiastic about how things are going when you're not creating any jobs and unemployment's on the rise.

And particularly for many Americans, it's a tough economic environment. I mean, if you're in the top third of the income distribution, life is good, no problem. But if you're in the bottom two thirds, particularly the bottom third, it's a struggle. Inflation's up, hiring is down, you don't want to lose your job. You're grappling with higher debt payments, cards, student loans, and you're really not benefiting from the, you know, romp in equity prices because you don't own any equity. So, you know, it really depends. And I think that that will characterize 2026. And I do think.

There is a lot of risk when the economy is not creating jobs. That is not a place you want to be for very long. So hopefully, you know, we'll start to see hiring kick back into a higher gear and job growth resumes and we continue to push forward. But I worry that that won't be the case and that it'll be a tougher year. The one other thing I'll just throw into the mix, Ed, that's different from 25, that we're different in 26 and 25 is we're going to get a lot of fiscal stimulus. One big beautiful bill act kicks into high gear here in 2026. Tax cuts for businesses, accelerated depreciation and tax cuts for individuals, tips and overtime and salt and bunch of other stuff. So that should provide some juice. And of course, the Fed's been cutting rates and, you know, all else equal, that should also support growth in 26. So I think it's going to be another kind of just uncomfortable year for many Americans with a lot of risk around that. But hopefully with a little bit of luck and that fiscal stimulus, we kind of navigate through and avoid another year. We have another year without an economic downturn.

[Ed Elson]

Final question before we let you go here. We're gonna have a new fed chair in 26. Trump says he's found his guy, but he's been kind of coy about it. People think it's gonna be Kevin Hassett. Either way, we're gonna have a new Fed chair. The Fed is saying we'll have one rate cut in 2026. But if Trump shakes up the composition of who's actually in the Fed, can we really trust those projections? I mean, how will the new Fed chair actually change things in terms of policy?

[Mark Zandi]

Yeah, you make a great point. I mean, I think it does raise the odds that we see more rate cuts than markets are currently seem to be anticipating next year. I think because the independence of the Fed is under a lot of pressure already, and there's a lot of things going to happen here. You mentioned Fed Chair Jay Powell rolling off in next May. And the other thing is the court case. Right. Lisa Cook, who's a Fed member, was fired by the President.

[Ed Elson]

I almost forgot. Right.

[Mark Zandi]

So we'll have to See how that plays out. So, yeah, I think, you know, all else equal, you know, job market inflation, everything the Fed looks at, financial conditions, inflation expectations. Now you got to throw into the mix kind of the political independence of the Fed and that would argue all else equal for lower rates.

[Ed Elson]

Okay, Mark Zandi, really appreciate your time. Thank you very much. I will see you next year, probably.

[Mark Zandi]

Yeah, anytime, Ed.

[Ed Elson]

After the break. SpaceX is going public. If you're enjoying the show, give Prophecy Markets a follow.

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[Ed Elson]

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[Scott Galloway]

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[Ed Elson]

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[Mark Zandi]

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[Ed Elson]

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[Ed Elson]

We're back with Prof. G markets. The biggest IPO in history is on the horizon. Elon Musk's SpaceX is aiming to raise more than $30 billion next year at a $1.5 trillion valuation. That would eclipse Saudi Aramco's 2019 record raise and it would make it the largest offering ever. The company hopes to list as soon as next summer. And SpaceX expects to use some of the proceeds to build data centers in space. Okay, here to discuss this ipo, we are speaking with someone who's been very bullish on space lately, and that is Scott Galloway. Let's give him a call.

Scott, good to see you.

[Scott Galloway]

Good to be seen. Ed, how are you?

[Ed Elson]

I'm doing well. Where are you?

[Scott Galloway]

I am just outside the men's bathroom at the roof garden, say Kensington, which I'm pretty sure is a violation of every rule that the membership. I have my camera out. I'm loitering outside the men's room. I'm pretty sure this will be the last time I'm calling you from roof gardens.

[Ed Elson]

I love it. You are live streaming to. To a very large audience from inside the club.

[Scott Galloway]

But I do want to announce that I'm running for Senate from Minnesota. You're not going to remember this guy, but there was a senator from Minnesota who was this homophobic motherfucker. And of course he got caught trying to solicit blowjobs in the airport men's room at Minneapolis International Airport. And he claimed it was just his wide stance. Anyways, I'm hovering outside of men's rooms. Let's talk about SpaceX, Ed.

[Ed Elson]

Let's talk about SpaceX. We want to talk to you because SpaceX was your big pick for 2026. It's your tech of the Year now. We've got the largest, most important space company in the world going public. The largest IPO in history, if it happens. Your reactions.

[Scott Galloway]

So I think it's. I gotta be honest, I think it's super exciting. I think this is an incredible company. There are A few products that I think have a greater delta between the offering and the rest of the competition than Starlink. I think it's just an incredible product. Also, I think SpaceX is one of the best running companies in tech. Glenn Shotwell what they've achieved there is just staggering. So I hate to say it because I don't know if you've ever sensed this, but I'm not a huge fan of Elon Musk, But I think SpaceX is an incredible company and I think this could. I mean as you said, our pick for 2026, the sector that will get the most cheap capital is a boost from ego and Katy Terry and bullshit billionaires going into space and all these phallic things going just above the Karman line and then floating back line it's going to go to connectivity, which is what this is. And then ultimately I think the real juice next year is going to be in space defense, which I don't think gets enough attention. But in sum I'm pretty excited about it.

[Ed Elson]

Are you going to try to get into the IPO?

[Scott Galloway]

No. I mean they're talking about $1.5 trillion. Also I sold my Tesla. I'm not. I think it's an incredible product. I logged off of X. There's enough investment opportunities where I don't need to paint the fucking facts of a guy.

Whose primary objective is to sponsor media companies and turn them into Nazi porn bars. That's not a company I'm going to invest in, but it is an incredible company.

There's some things here. 90% of space launch capability right now in terms of material shot into space is from one company, SpaceX. They're now the only company in the world that can put men or women into space. Two thirds of low earth orbit satellites are from one company. And also if you think of the greatest market capitalization or the greatest innovations in history in terms of shareholder value, it's been when a seminal technology declines massively in cost and processing power and bandwidth all kind of came down 80 or 90% over a 10 year period. And that's what SpaceX has been able to do in terms of cost per kg to get into space, they've brought it down I think 88% over the last 10 years. The other kind of the business learning here, I'm kind of curious to get your take but one of the observations I had looking at the numbers, SpaceX only did 13 billion last year and this year it's only going to do 15. So its growth is not parabolic but it's one of the reasons that Amazon's value is so enduring and that OpenAI might be Netscape and that is digital companies can scale faster, but analog companies have much bigger moats and that is to put in place distribution centers and 747s, which Amazon has done, is really difficult and it's difficult to kind of assail, if you will. Whereas OpenAI is trading at about a half a trillion dollars, is growing much faster than SpaceX at a similar revenue multiple, but is much more vulnerable from open weight LLMs and AI from China and from other competitors and Google and Alphabet. But the bottom line is it's very difficult to build a startup. Two guys in a dorm room at MIT can't build a viable competitor to a space launch company. And that's what's so incredible about this company, is it's going to have moats that are just very difficult to cross because it's going from 13 to 15 and they're talking about a valuation of triple of what OpenAI is now. That is going from 13 to much more than that this year. Because the reality is OpenAI is very vulnerable. These digital companies scale up faster, but quite frankly they're just more vulnerable.

[Ed Elson]

So it sounds like you're very bullish on the company. I'm pretty bullish on the company myself. But you don't want to invest because, I mean, let's say you were given the opportunity someone, Elon Musk calls you, not Elon Musk, but someone else, someone calls you tomorrow, they say, here's allocation pre ipo. You don't want to do it. One, because you don't like Elon, and two, you mentioned the valuation there. One and a half trillion dollars. Why wouldn't you invest? Exactly.

[Scott Galloway]

Well, one, I don't have. I have many morals, but I do have a few. I just thought there's just too many opportunities.

So again, paint the fence as someone who is divisive and at 100 times revenues, you're talking about Palantir, like valuation. So I just, I mean this is the problem with the public markets, and you've talked about this a lot, is that most of the juice will have been squeezed. It'll probably get a pop out of the gates because everybody wants to own SpaceX. It's a great gift to give to little Rachel for a Bob Mitzvah or whatever. But you're probably talking if it goes out of one and a half, it'll pop to two and then it's trading at 150 times revenue. So I think it's an incredible company. I think it's exciting. I think it'll ignite a new space race. But, no, I'm not. In sum, I'm not an investor at 100 times valuation at a guy whose primary export into Europe is not rockets or Twitter. It's political division. All this bullshit calling for the breakup of the EU or showing up in nationalist rallies.

I just think this concentration, you know, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And this guy's on the verge of absolute power.

[Ed Elson]

Fair enough. I will say you don't have many other options, though.

[Scott Galloway]

Oh, from the men's room at the Kensington Roof Gardens.

[Ed Elson]

I just want to know what people's faces are like, the people who are around you. What are people saying as they walk into the bathroom right now and hear you on a. On a live podcast?

[Scott Galloway]

Some dude just said prop G. But I'm not sure. It's, like, good form at my age to be filming men going into a men's room. I don't know if that's, like, good for their brand or mine.

[Ed Elson]

It's good for the brand. Give them a shout out.

[Scott Galloway]

This is my first and last video from the roof gardens. Late. I think we did one last year. God, I miss Chiltern, Ed. I miss Chiltern. This is Ross.

[Ed Elson]

I know.

[Scott Galloway]

I need someone to take me to Shea Margaux in New York. Do you know anyone maybe like a 30 under 30 total? Fucking douchebag.

Oh, that's good. That's good.

[Ed Elson]

We'll do it. We'll do it when you're back.

[Scott Galloway]

All right, brother, when you're back.

[Ed Elson]

Until then, enjoy the roof.

[Scott Galloway]

Take care.

[Ed Elson]

Thank you, Scott.

[Scott Galloway]

Bye now.

[Ed Elson]

Mackenzie Scott just revealed details on her philanthropic work this year, including how much money she gave away, and the number is quite staggering. $7.2 billion. This year's annual total was announced with an update on her blog, which also tracks all of her contributions to date. And for those who don't know who Mackenzie Scott. She is Jeff Bezos, ex wife. She helped to start Amazon back in the 90s, and she now runs her nonprofit, Yield Giving. And it was through this nonprofit that these donations were made. So, $7.2 billion in 2025. Let's just put that number in context. That is more than the entire budget of the World Health Organization. It is also more than it costs to build the Suez Canal, the Burj Khalifa, the Hoover Dam, and the Vegas sphere combined. And that is on top of the $2.6 billion she gave the year before that, as well as the $2.1 billion the year before that. And so this brings her total philanthropic contributions to over $26 billion. So at this point, Mackenzie Scott has given away more than a third of her net worth. And after this year, she is now in the list of the top 10 most giving philanthropists of all time. As for where the money actually went, about half of her gifts to date have gone to educational causes, almost 90% to causes in America. She's also given hundreds of millions of dollars to things like environmental conservation and economic opportunity and social equity nonprofits. The list goes on. But $26 billion, that is her total so far. So this isn't really a market story. It's not the kind of thing we usually cover. We usually talk about how much money people made, not how much they gave away. But we wanted to mention it because this is the kind of thing that really deserves more attention, more coverage, and more praise. In fact, I would argue that giving away $7 billion is far more impressive than making $7 billion. And I believe that that is why these kinds of contributions, these massive contributions, are so rare. And I can show you how rare they actually are. Even the richest few people in the world, people far richer than MacKenzie Scott even, they haven't given away nearly as much money as she's done. Elon Musk is worth over $490 billion. Last year, he gave away around $470 million, and that's less than 0.1% of his total net worth. By the way, most of that money went to entities he already controls. Bezos has given away about 2% of his net worth in his lifetime. Zuckerberg's given away about 2% as well. The average for American billionaires is about 3%. She's given away more than a third. So it would appear that it is actually easier to make lots of money, to make that amount of money than it is to give away that amount of money. And yes, getting rich takes a lot of skill. It takes ambition. It takes grit, patience, et cetera. And that is all very hard. But giving that money away requires something that is honestly harder. It means selflessness. It means kindness. It means running the risk of, yes, benefiting other people, but also at your own expense. Maybe there was something else you wanted to do with that money. Maybe you worked really hard for it. Maybe you were saving up for something. Maybe you were saving up to rent out Venice for your wedding. There are infinite reasons to not give your money away. And so to give it away is simply braver and more impressive than making it. Now, Mackenzie Scott deserves praise here, and that's what we're doing, but only so much praise. And what's great about her announcement and her blog post, which I encourage you to read, is that she actually recognizes that. She recognizes that, yes, she gave away a lot of money, and it's a big number, but proportionally speaking, there are still many people who give away a lot more. In fact, she points out, $7 billion is only a tiny fraction of what's given away by Americans every year. And that's only counting the money that is reported. You know, she also points out that 70% of Americans give away both their money and and their labor to people for free. And that can manifest in many different ways. It can mean literally giving money, or it could mean just taking the time out of your day to just show up for someone and help them. There are many ways in which people give, and yet so much of it unfortunately goes unrecognized and unreported. So that's why we wanted to recognize this contribution. It's not all about Mackenzie Scott, but it is a reminder of what is actually important and what is actually deserving of our respect.

Okay, that's it for today. This episode was produced by Claire Miller, edited by Joel Passon, and engineered by Benjamin Spencer. Our associate producer is Alison Weiss. Our research team is Dan Shalon, Isabella Kinsel, Kristen o' Donoghue and Mia Selena. And our technical director is Drew Burrows. Thank you for listening to Profti Markets from Profti Media. If you liked what you heard, give us a follow. I'm Ed Elson. Tune in tomorrow for an amazing conversation with Tom Lee.

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