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Nick
This is Nick, this is Jack.
Jack
Welcome back. It is Monday, June 9, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.
Nick
The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.
Jack
Well, looky here. The S&P 500 hit 6,000 points for the first time since February. Not too shabby.
Nick
We are now just 2% below the all time highs for the stock market.
Jack
Hope you're enjoying your summer Mondays Yetis, which, by the way, that's a real thing.
Nick
What's a summer Monday? Is that like permission to show up late?
Jack
It's a story for another pod. We'll get into it next. Next week. Jack, three stories for today's show. What do we got on the T boy?
Nick
For our first story, Elon versus Donald, the big bro Vorse was the talk of the week and the talk of the weekend.
Jack
So Jack and I figured out the equation for who will win. Elon's money or Trump's power.
Nick
For our second story, the hottest company on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube right now is Hot Wheels.
Jack
Yeah, Hot Wheels. Toy cars that. Hot Wheels.
Nick
Hot Wheels has the most sophisticated social media strategy of any brand right now.
Jack
Any of them. We check them all.
Nick
Our third and final story is Reddit. Reddit stock popped after it dropped the biggest AI lawsuit of the year.
Jack
Because Reddit controls the most powerful feature in the age of AI, the upvote.
Nick
But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful.
Jack
Mix of stories, fantastic mix of stories, love the mix. To kick off the week, Jack, we.
Nick
Have great news for anyone born between 1981 and 1996.
Jack
Congratulations. You're officially cool again.
Nick
Finally, Gen Z doesn't hate millennials. In fact, apparently Gen Z is obsessed with us.
Jack
And we got the data on it, don't we, Jack?
Nick
According to the New York Times, the hottest trend in every industry among people under 30 is millennial core.
Jack
Yeah, basically Y2K core. From music to tech fashion to facial hair, if it was hot in the 90s and 2000s, it is hot again, baby.
Nick
Exhibit A. Pokemon card values are up 240% in the last five years.
Jack
Sex and the City is the number one thing on HBO right now.
Nick
In tech, Wired headphones just had their best selling year since 2015.
Jack
I can't believe I'm saying this, but DVD sales surging. They hit 2 billion bucks last year.
Nick
That's just ridiculous.
Jack
Doesn't make sense.
Nick
I don't know why anyone would buy a dvd.
Jack
I find them looking offensive.
Nick
Jack, over in the fashion aisle for women, big hair accessories are Back like the butterfly clip that Buffy the Vampire Slayer always wore.
Jack
And for men, the tiny mustache is back. Timothee Chalamet looks like he copied Prince.
Nick
Do you remember JNCO Jeans, Nick? The baggiest jeans humanity ever.
Jack
I wouldn't touch them. Cause I probably drown in them.
Nick
There's like a 50 inch circumference on the leg opening for JNCOS.
Jack
Well, get this, Jack. JNCO Jeans. Jeans now sell for 1,000 bucks on eBay. And Justin Bieber just bought himself a.
Nick
Pair by the grace of Lani Gaga.
Jack
Millennial core is a thing right now, Jack. Maybe a good time to buy some shares of Under Armour.
Nick
As long as you feed my Tamagotchi neck, I'll get you some shares too.
Jack
Let's hit our three stories.
Unknown
Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is a norm, Jack.
Jack
That's it.
Unknown
I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at Liz. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show.
Jack
First, a quick word from our sponsor.
Nick
Monarch Money.
Jack
All right. Jack, can I tell you about my smh? What is that? It stands for my stupid money habit. You ready for this? I just realized I spent $412 last month on taxis.
Nick
Nick, that's a car payment.
Jack
I know. I could have probably just bought another car at this point.
Nick
Now Nick only realized how much he spent on Uber's, Lyfts and Yellow Cabs thanks to Monarch Money.
Jack
Monarch. It isn't just a budgeting app. It is like a personal cfo.
Nick
Now I'm using Monarch Money, too. My favorite part.
Jack
Yes, Jack.
Nick
I've actually retired my net worth spreadsheet. Seriously?
Jack
Really?
Nick
Because I have every single financial account I own linked to Monarch Money.
Jack
You can immediately see your net worth because Monarch Money refreshes all your account balances instantly.
Nick
So to help you track and build your net worth, Monarch Money is offering 50% off your first year for listeners of this pod.
Jack
And it's not just us. Over a million households already use Monarch Money.
Nick
The Wall Street Journal already named it the best budgeting app of 2025. Yeah, we're not even halfway through the year.
Jack
No, we're not. And I think I just spent 10 more dollars on a taxi. So, besties, get control of your overall finances with Monarch Money even apparently can Use code t boy@monimalmoney.com in your browser for half off your first year.
Nick
That's 50% off your first year if you go to monarchmoney.com and use code T Boy. This podcast is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual.
Jack
Yet he's Lots of financial companies want to talk to you, but Northwestern Mutual wants to listen to you.
Nick
Some companies say they have all the answers, but Northwestern Mutual has better questions.
Jack
Yeah, the financial pros, they are going to ask you questions about your financial situation that honestly, you never asked yourself a big one.
Nick
What's your ideal retirement? It's half therapy session, half financial conversation, half therapy session.
Jack
Because that's how Northwestern Mutual designs a strategy that'll be uniquely yours. So come lie down on the couch. Find a better way to money@nm.com that's.
Nick
Nm.Com the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company Milwaukee, Wisconsin for our first story, the.
Jack
Silicon Valley White House divorce between Donald Trump and Elon Musk was made for reality tv. It is Real Housewives of Mar A Lago.
Nick
But the consequences of this huge split up are huge on both Wall street and business.
Jack
I love ealdonaldtrump as much as a straight man can love another man.
Nick
That was a tweet from just four months ago from Elon Musk. Ironically, now during Pride Month, they're divorced.
Jack
That's right. This has become a bro vorce. We're talking MAGA versus Mars biggest man split since Drake versus Kendrick.
Nick
Our thought? After Elon failed to win that ra random Wisconsin election, he felt like he had lost the attention of the American public.
Jack
He noticed that tweets in opposition to Trump got him back in the spotlight, and he couldn't resist the dopamine hit of dropping a few of his own.
Nick
So he didn't drop just a few. He dropped like 100 tweets opposing Donald Trump and his politics and now besties.
Jack
We can only speculate as to why Elon pulled a full 180 on his love for Donald Trump.
Nick
Maybe he's really just that opposed to government spending.
Jack
Yeah, I mean, Elon's doge's goal was to cut government spending, and Trump's latest bill massively increases government spending while cutting.
Nick
Taxes and blowing up the deficit.
Jack
So Elon hit Trump where he's most vulnerable, his ego. He said that Trump was in the Epstein files, which is why he hasn't released them.
Nick
And then Trump hit Elon where he's vulnerable. He said he's gonna cut all government contracts for Elon's companies.
Jack
The result was a play by Play few days like a Regina George episode of Gilmore Girls.
Nick
Politically, this is a tectonic shift, but we're gonna break down the business angles.
Jack
So Yetis, when you check out the numbers, there are huge potential consequences to Elon's companies, the stock market, and entire industries.
Nick
Let's start with Tesla. The most important regulation for Tesla isn't the EV incentives we've had for decades. Now we think it's the self driving regulations.
Jack
That's right. For Tesla to keep its $1 trillion valuation, Jack, it needs the government to allow autonomous driving.
Nick
But last week, Tesla stock fell 14% in one day.
Jack
Yeah, I lost 150 billion bucks in. Trump could deny all of that.
Nick
He could stymie Tesla's self driving plans starting in Austin this month.
Jack
So that's Tesla. Jack, how about we turn over to SpaceX? Because SpaceX. This one's a little bit tricky.
Nick
Yes, SpaceX depends on the US government for a bunch of contracts, but the government depends on SpaceX for rocket launches.
Jack
It turns out SpaceX has an estimated $3 billion of government contracts at stake.
Nick
But no SpaceX, no US space program.
Jack
So they kind of balance out a bit. Like, we don't think SpaceX is actually gonna suffer much, even if Trump is as vindictive as he could be.
Nick
All right, let's move on to Twitter. Trump doesn't really need Twitter anymore. He uses TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, plus his own social platform, Truth, to get his word out.
Jack
That was kind of the funny part about this whole cat fight. Elon was tweeting on X and then Trump was posting on Truth. Two different places.
Nick
The social media platforms were almost like the lawyers representing the two in the divorce. You know how the divorcing parties don't actually talk to each.
Jack
They never talk. They never talk. Yeah, but it would be interesting, Jack, if Elon flips his algorithm from promoting pro Trump content to anti Trump content.
Nick
But then you got to remember number four here, Twitter is actually owned by Elon's AI company these days. X. AI.
Jack
Good point, Jack. XAI acquired Twitter, which is now known as X.
Nick
And XAI could actually be the biggest loser of all of Elon's companies from this breakup, because AI as an industry has huge regulatory exposure.
Jack
I mean, Jack, I don't want to turn this into a love triangle, but Trump already seems to prefer Sam Altman and OpenAI as the preferred White House AI company.
Nick
And the only person Elon hates more than Trump right now might be Sam Altman.
Jack
Actually, Jack, this is not what Gwyneth envisioned when she described conscious uncoupling. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies watching all of this?
Nick
It's the world's richest person versus the world's most powerful person and both lose.
Jack
Yetis, everyone always asks who wins. Well, that's an unanswerable question. In fact, we think it might be the wrong question.
Nick
We think both men lose from this breakup. The question is, who loses more?
Jack
Let's break it down. Trump loses politically because tech bro voters, they took their lead from Elon Musk.
Nick
And many could take their lead from Elon Musk again. Abandon Trump, and they could lose the midterms.
Jack
On the other side, Elon loses financially. On Thursday alone, his net worth lost 20 billion bucks just from his Tesla holding.
Nick
Every CEO is desperate to be on Trump's good side, but Elon just voluntarily moved to his bad side.
Jack
Bill Ackman, who's, you know, kind of in joint custody here. He's the conservative hedge fund manager who called it correctly on Twitter.
Nick
Trump and Musk are much stronger together than apart.
Jack
Sebasty's. Add it all up, and when it's the richest person versus the most powerful person, both lose. For our second story, Mattel's Hot Wheels is the brand social media account of the year, with a different strategy for each and every platform.
Nick
Because you don't need a social media person. You need a social media department, and.
Jack
That department deserves a raise. But first, Yetis, you're either Dunkin' or your Starbucks. Your McDonald's or your burger King, Your.
Nick
Hot Wheels or your Matchbox, by the way. Yeah, I'm actually Dunkin and Starbucks. Depends where I am.
Jack
You're regionally indiscriminate, and that's offensive to a lot of people, Jack. Well, as a Hot Wheels guy, I'm not buying that Matchbox.
Nick
Jack.
Jack
Hot Wheels cars are actually, actually Mattel's steadiest business.
Nick
Hot wheel sales jumped 5% last quarter for Mattel, making up $270 million of revenue.
Jack
Get this, Hot Wheels are now 33% of Mattel's business.
Nick
They sell 23 Hot Wheels cars every second, which adds up to 700 million cars per year.
Jack
Yeah, and one out of three of them are sold to me. I mean, to adults. I mean, to me.
Nick
And Nick, 93 million new cars are sold every year, which means the toy company Mattel makes eight times more cars than the rest of the car industry.
Jack
I think what you're saying, Jack, is that Mattel is now the biggest tire maker in the world because of Hot Wheels.
Nick
That is absolutely true.
Jack
And perfect timing, Jack, because after the success of the Barbie movie, Mattel has now officially launched a movie studio.
Nick
They're planning 19 films, basically a movie for every toy franchise in their portfolio.
Jack
And the next one, Hot Wheels. Plus a bunch of TV shows focused on Hot Wheels.
Nick
Hot Wheels. It's already a show on Netflix.
Jack
Well, who doesn't have a show on Netflix right now, Jack?
Nick
Well, we don't yet.
Jack
We'd love to. Yeah. But here's what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. The hottest part of Hot Wheels right now isn't the financials, it's the social media game.
Nick
Because in just one year, Hot Wheels added 550,000 new followers on TikTok and.
Jack
Instagram, plus a million more on YouTube besties. This company is 60 years old, but they just hit their social media growth Spurt, baby.
Nick
On TikTok, Hot Wheels has just two times types of posts that they make.
Jack
They do Hot Wheels made into real cars and then real cars made into Hot Wheels.
Nick
That's it?
Jack
Yeah, that's it.
Nick
So they'll show like a real race car on the street and then they'll show the toy version of that race car and vice versa.
Jack
30 second videos, Jack. It's like if you're a red Volkswagen that you drove across the country in, got into a Hot Wheel. Like, what if Rosie became a Hot Wheel?
Nick
It's a satisfying video. I followed that TikTok page, okay, but.
Jack
This is the wild Twist. Hot Wheels YouTube page is totally different content.
Nick
There you'll find five minute mini documentaries, basically. Basically each having 1 million views on average.
Jack
How a Hot Wheels gets made, how we design the wheels, how we craft the colors, how we do the chassis.
Nick
How does a Hot Wheels get made? They say it's die cast. I don't know what the heck that means.
Jack
And yet somehow we'll pay a premium for that. But Jack, here's another plot twist. Over on Instagram, they've got a third type of content that's totally different from the other two.
Nick
On Instagram, they exclusively show influencers Hot Wheel collections.
Jack
We're talking one minute videos of influencers showing off their favorite Hot Wheels.
Nick
Get ready with me and my Hot Wheels.
Jack
Come with me while I get a double digit latte with my favorite Hot Wheels.
Nick
And the results have been fantastic. In the past 12 months, Hot Wheels beat their internal goals by 88% in.
Jack
The social media category, according to the Future Social newsletter. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Hot Wheels?
Nick
You don't need a social media person. You need a social media department, and.
Jack
They need a budget. Yetis, we're gonna say something here that needs to be said. Social media professionals, they're underappreciated.
Nick
Why are they underappreciated? Because they're completely misunderstood.
Jack
You see, most executives see social media as one big alternative marketing space, but.
Nick
It'S actually a half dozen different marketing.
Jack
Spaces, and each is probably more important than the primary space that the executive's used to.
Nick
Just like television is different from movies, TikTok is different from Instagram.
Jack
Just like musicals are different from concerts, YouTube shorts are different from Snapchat, people.
Nick
Outside the social media team see social media as one amorphous place, and they assume the same content just simply gets posted everywhere.
Jack
But the reality is you need different strategies for different platforms and often with different content.
Nick
Hot Wheels surge across their three social media platforms proves it. They have totally different content for TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Jack
Sebastias, you don't need a social media person. You need a social media department. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.
Nick
Airbnb.
Jack
Now. Yet Jack mentioned his favorite skinny dipping spot. Where was that again?
Nick
I did a bunch of people ask me about that. But, Nick, there's nothing better than swimming in Mother Nature with the outfit mother gave you.
Jack
I mean, you know what they say. It's not the summer unless you're outside naked at some point and nobody knows it.
Nick
Now, another way to do that is an outdoor shower. And I should mention, my place has one of those, too.
Jack
And how is it possible you have an outdoor shower, Jack?
Nick
Because I'm an Airbnb host.
Jack
True.
Nick
Now, I usually spend my Airbnb hosting income on travel for the family, but this time we earmarked it for a home upgrade.
Jack
Now, Jack, I should point out I'm no carpenter, but out there shower, it ain't cheap. You got the cedar wood install, you got the copper pipes, the French drains.
Nick
But with the money we're making on Airbnb, it was affordable. We put it in last year.
Jack
Well played, yetis.
Nick
I'm an Airbnb host with my current chalet, and with two previous apartments, I can tell you it's very easy to use besties.
Jack
Millions don't realize their space could be an Airbnb. You already have an Airbnb. You could be yodeling naked outdoors with fresh shampoo in your hair in the.
Nick
Outdoor shower, paid for by your guests.
Jack
Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much@airbnb.com host. We are supported by vital proteins.
Nick
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides is a supplement that has four benefits all in one, helping support healthy hair, skin, nails, bones and joints.
Jack
Now, Yetis, you may be wondering why Jack's face is dewy like an Amazonian melon.
Nick
Or how Nick is strong enough to hold like, like 73 podcast mics.
Jack
Well, it's actually thanks to the most delicious part of our day, my morning coffee.
Nick
I mix in a vital proteins collagen chocolate powder. It is delicious.
Jack
Jack actually just used our promo code again for himself to buy another tub. He's got a problem with this stuff.
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Nick
That's vitalproteins.com promo code T Boy for 20% off.
Jack
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For our third and final story, last week, Reddit sued Anthropic. It's the biggest AI lawsuit of the year.
Nick
Because Reddit is a farms dealer.
Jack
Yes.
Nick
And it actually has the sweetest fruit on the entire Internet.
Jack
Oh, Yeti's Reddit. They got some of the most authentic human conversation on the whole world wide web, baby.
Nick
My favorite subreddit, made in USA Frugal men's fashion and buy it for life.
Jack
That's right, you heard it here first. The way to Jack's heart is buying him a cheap waterproof sweatshirt designed in Arizona.
Nick
Nick, if that product actually exists, I certainly would buy that.
Jack
Would I get you anything else, Jack yet? He's in each of Jack's favorite subreddits. You would find real people with no ulterior motives sharing real opinions on real useful topics.
Nick
Emphasis on the word real. Okay, because we're in the world of artificial intelligence. So real is Reddit's differentiator.
Jack
And real human intelligence happens to be the most critical of materials for artificial intelligence.
Nick
Which is why the Reddit CEO Steve Huffman is not happy right now.
Jack
That's right, because without permission, AI companies have an eat and up Reddit's content to train their artificial intelligence.
Nick
So Reddit is like a content farm, if you will. And the CEO has become a shotgun toting farmer, protecting his crop of content from the AI wolves.
Jack
In fact, Reddit's CEO said just last year that blocking AI has been a real pain in the ass.
Nick
But there's one AI company that Reddit has not been able to block, and it's a big one. So they're suing them.
Jack
And this was such a big deal. Reddit stock jumped 10% on that move.
Nick
The company being sued is Anthropic. Anthropic is the AI company behind Claude, which is the number two chapter bot in the country after ChatGPT.
Jack
And according to this lawsuit, Claude has visited Reddit 100,000 times, each time without permission.
Nick
Anthropic said they had stopped consuming Reddit content a year ago when Reddit asked them to stop, and they did it.
Jack
100,000 times more anyway, according to the lawsuit.
Nick
So why is Reddit so mad? Well, licensing content to train AI models is key to how Reddit makes money today.
Jack
Get this, Google and OpenAI are paying Reddit a reported 60 million and 70 million bucks every year to read their Reddit posts.
Nick
So there's no chance Anthropic is going to get to eat from Reddit's content farm for free.
Jack
And now, interestingly, maybe there's a strategic move here, Jack. Like maybe Reddit is suing Anthropic in order to force him to the table, if you will.
Nick
Yeah, maybe. The lawsuit ends with a negotiation and a deal just like the one OpenAI has.
Jack
Because if Anthropic wants to feast on Reddit posts, then it's going to have to pay for the privilege just like everyone else on that content farm.
Nick
Because Reddit Reddit is a farms dealer and their content is top quality stuff.
Jack
Sweet, sweet stuff. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Reddit?
Nick
The more AI slop, the more valuable Reddit is.
Jack
Yetis the $130 million a year that Reddit makes in AI licensing deals. That's just 10% of Reddit's annual revenue. The rest is ads.
Nick
One analyst thinks Reddit could charge 10 times as much for access to its content from AI companies.
Jack
Yeah, the reason? Well, every Reddit post is vetted by a human being and then it's upvoted or downvoted based on the quality.
Nick
And that upvoting and downvoting by a human user of Reddit, that is Reddit's most valuable and most differentiated feature.
Jack
Yeah, the upvote down vote is huge. The upvote down vote by a human is critical to AI because it tells the AI what is good or what is bad information.
Nick
Like Nick, if you ask Claude, where can I find a made in America low priced waterproof sweater? Yes, Jack, if they've consumed Reddit's content. They know exactly what to respond based on the upvotes.
Jack
So besties. That's why Jack and I think in the future, Reddit could easily be making a billion bucks a year from AI because it sells the sweetest of content fruits.
Nick
And the more our Internet gets filled with AI slop, the more valuable Reddit's content.
Jack
Reddit. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us to kick off this summer?
Nick
Monday, for our first story, it was Trump and Elon. Their bromance has broken up. Trump is hurt politically, Elon is hurt financially.
Jack
It's a bro vorce. The world's richest person versus the world's most powerful person. Both lose.
Nick
For our second story, Hot Wheels is a 60 year old brand thriving on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with different content for each.
Jack
Hot Wheels is proof that you don't need a social media person, you need a social media team.
Nick
And our third and final story is Reddit. They sued Anthropic last week for feeding their AI models Reddit posts without Reddit's permission.
Jack
The more artificial our Internet gets, the more valuable Reddit's real content becomes.
Nick
But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.
Jack
First, a happy worldwide developer conference day. To all those who celebrate, it begins today.
Nick
Apple. Apple's big annual event for developers begins today.
Jack
And now, remember last year Apple invented Apple Intelligence, their attempt to rebrand AI.
Nick
This year, Apple still hasn't delivered on that. So we'll cover more on WWDC in tomorrow's pod.
Jack
And second, growth in the cannabis industry is being driven by one particular demographic, your grandmother.
Nick
In the last four years, cannabis sales to Americans over the age of 65 are up 46%.
Jack
That's right. Get this, nearly 1 in 10 nanas and nanas, or senior citizens if you will, now use cannabis products.
Nick
They're popping edibles at 4:30 for the early bird special.
Jack
Not too shabby. And finally, the latest alternative recession indicator. Jack and I be keeping track for you. Summer rentals in the Hamptons.
Nick
Summer rental demand in the hamptons is down 30% this summer compared to last year.
Jack
And the more expensive the house, the bigger the drop. The biggest houses have seen demand fall by 75%.
Nick
Side note, do you know how expensive a summer house in the Hamptons is?
Jack
Okay, talk to me, Jack. Seven bedroom estate, Bridgehampton. What kind of numbers are we talking here?
Nick
200 grand a month? Yeah, 56 grand a week.
Jack
And that doesn't even include the 87 bucks for the citarella lobster salad. Now time for the best fact yet, which, because it's Monday, we got some T boy trivia for you. What do we got, Jack?
Nick
Trivia. What is the only product to at one point make up 10% of all eBay sales?
Jack
I love how you say trivia. I'll repeat it. What product once made up 10% of all eBay sales, Jack? What are the options?
Nick
Is it A, A, Rolex watches, B, Beanie Babies, C, ipods, or D, Magic the Gathering trading cards?
Jack
Okay, one of those four products was once the top seller on ebay, more than any other product ever in ebay's history. What is it? Drop a comment.
Nick
Which one of those products made up 10% of all of ebay's sales?
Jack
Yetis, you look fantastic out there. Jack, you are looking stunning in that cheap waterproof sweatshirt made down in Arizona designed in Michigan.
Nick
If it lasts for life, I'm interested.
Jack
Very millennial core view. Very millennial core. Yetis, you look fantastic today. If you haven't yet, tap to follow us. Make sure you get T boy every day and then tell a buddy, hey, H y. H T, B O y.
Nick
Have you had the best one yet? Nick and I, we will see you tomorrow after you share our show.
Jack
If you know, you know. And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary yeti Paul Brown over the pond in Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Nick
Happy birthday to Jeanette Pagan in Puerto.
Jack
Rico and Ahmad Saeed over in Berlin, Germany. Congratulations on the big birthday.
Nick
Happy birthday to Jack Ankema from Boston, Massachusetts who also just got a promotion at Mathworks.
Jack
Get outside Boston. And rima Naggs turning 30 years old. Congratulations on the 30th down in Hotlanta.
Nick
Congratulations to Julia Levens and Ross Kando who got engaged in Chicago and are coming to the live show.
Jack
Guys, we can't wait to see the ring in person and meet you there. Thanks for coming. Congrats on the big day.
Nick
Congratulations to Dylan Lester and Natalie Wiggins in San Francisco who got married over the weekend.
Jack
Congratulations, guys. Can't wait to see the picks. And Kevin Goodwin down in D.C. just got promoted to big time manager.
Nick
Shout out to David Pierce who's on the best walk yet right now in Atlanta, Georgia.
Jack
And a five star Friday's shout out to Squirrels Squirrel Thug who wrote this review of T Boy. T Boy is the best morning routine. I start every day with Nick and Jack. It's the only daily business news and econ oriented news I rely on. Squirrel Thug. Thank you for the five star Review.
Nick
This is Jack I own stock of Reddit and Netflix. Nick and I both own stock of Apple and ETFs of the S&P 500. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcast Prime.
Jack
Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us a.
Nick
Little bit about yourself by filling out a short survey@wondery.com survey we want to.
Jack
Get to know you.
D
Every big moment starts with a big dream. But what happens when that big dream turns out to be a big flop? From Wondery and Ill Media, I'm Meisha Brown and this is the Big Flop. Every week, comedians join me to chronicle the biggest flubs, fails and blunders of all time. Like Quibi.
Jack
It's kind of like when you give yourself your own nickname and you try to like get other people to do it.
D
And the 2019 movie adaptation of Cats.
Nick
Like if I'm watching the dancing and I'm noticing the feet aren't touching the ground, there's something wrong with the movie.
D
Find out what happens when massive hype turns into major fiasco. Enjoy the Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the Big Flop early and ad free on Wondery. Plus get started with your free trial at wondery.com plus.
Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet – Episode: 💔 “Bro-vorce” — Elon’s Money vs Trump’s Power. Hot Wheels’ Social Surge. Reddit’s Upvote Power
Release Date: June 9, 2025
Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell from Nick & Jack Studios, "The Best One Yet" delivers a vibrant 20-minute dive into three pivotal business stories shaping today’s pop-business landscape. In this episode, titled “💔 ‘Bro-vorce’ — Elon’s Money vs Trump’s Power. Hot Wheels’ Social Surge. Reddit’s Upvote Power,” Jack and Nick explore high-stakes conflicts, brand revitalizations, and the evolving dynamics between social media and artificial intelligence.
Time Stamps:
Jack and Nick dissect the tumultuous split between tech mogul Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, dubbing it a “bro-vorce.” This high-profile fallout has sent ripples through both political and financial spheres.
Key Insights:
Financial vs. Political Power: The crux of the feud lies in Elon’s financial influence clashing with Trump’s political clout. Nick emphasizes, “It’s the world's richest person versus the world's most powerful person, and both lose” ([21:27]).
Tesla’s Vulnerability: With Tesla’s stock plummeting by 14% in one day ([07:20]), the impending self-driving regulations could jeopardize its $1 trillion valuation if government policies shift unfavorably.
SpaceX Dynamics: While SpaceX holds substantial government contracts, Nick notes, “They kind of balance out a bit. We don’t think SpaceX is actually gonna suffer much” ([08:09]).
Notable Quote:
Elon Musk on his shift away from Trump’s influence: “Maybe he’s really just that opposed to government spending.” ([06:30])
The duo concludes that both Elon and Trump stand to lose significantly from this split, questioning who the ultimate loser might be in this power struggle.
Time Stamps:
Mattel’s iconic brand, Hot Wheels, emerges as a powerhouse in social media strategy, demonstrating a nuanced approach across different platforms.
Key Insights:
Platform-Specific Content: Hot Wheels tailors its content uniquely for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Nick explains, “They have totally different content for TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram” ([14:29]).
TikTok: Features videos transforming real cars into Hot Wheels toys and vice versa, engaging users with short, satisfying visual content.
YouTube: Publishes in-depth mini-documentaries on the manufacturing and design process of Hot Wheels, averaging 1 million views per video.
Instagram: Showcases influencer collaborations, with one-minute videos highlighting personal collections and lifestyle integrations.
Impressive Growth Metrics: Over the past year, Hot Wheels has amassed 550,000 new TikTok followers, increased their Instagram base by a million, and significantly boosted YouTube engagement.
Notable Quote:
Nick highlights the importance of specialized social media strategies: “You don’t need a social media person. You need a social media department” ([13:56]).
The authors assert that Hot Wheels’ success is a testament to the effectiveness of a dedicated, multifaceted social media team, proving that nuanced strategies tailored to each platform can drive substantial brand growth.
Time Stamps:
Reddit takes center stage as it sues AI company Anthropic for unauthorized use of its content to train artificial intelligence models, marking the largest AI-related lawsuit of the year.
Key Insights:
Content as a Valuable Asset: Reddit’s vast repository of user-generated content, especially the upvote/downvote system, is critical for training AI to discern quality information. Jack states, “The upvote down vote by a human user of Reddit, that is Reddit’s most valuable and most differentiated feature” ([20:36]).
Financial Stakes: Currently, Reddit earns approximately $130 million annually from AI licensing deals. Nick mentions an analyst's perspective that Reddit could potentially “charge 10 times as much for access to its content from AI companies” ([20:03]).
Strategic Litigation: By suing Anthropic, Reddit aims to enforce licensing agreements, ensuring that AI companies compensate for utilizing their content. “Maybe there’s a strategic move here... to force him to the table” ([19:28]).
Notable Quote:
Steve Huffman, Reddit’s CEO, on protecting content: “Blocking AI has been a real pain in the ass” ([18:25]).
The lawsuit underscores the growing tensions between content platforms and AI developers, highlighting the increasing value of authentic, human-curated content in the age of artificial intelligence. Jack and Nick predict that Reddit’s proactive stance could significantly bolster its revenue streams as AI reliance on quality data grows.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s feud is a double-edged sword, negatively impacting both their financial and political standings. As Jack aptly summarizes, “Both lose from this breakup” ([21:27]).
Hot Wheels exemplifies the power of a diversified social media strategy, proving that tailored content across platforms can rejuvenate a legacy brand. The hosts affirm, “You don’t need a social media person. You need a social media department” ([14:01]).
Reddit’s legal action against Anthropic highlights the critical intersection between content ownership and AI development, positioning Reddit as a pivotal player in the future of AI training and content monetization. Nick encapsulates, “The more our Internet gets filled with AI slop, the more valuable Reddit’s real content becomes” ([21:11]).
Final Thoughts:
Jack and Nick deliver a compelling analysis of high-impact business narratives, blending insightful commentary with engaging discourse. Whether it’s dissecting high-stakes personal rivalries, unraveling successful brand strategies, or navigating the complexities of AI and content ownership, this episode equips listeners with a nuanced understanding of today’s business environment.
For those eager to stay informed with a blend of humor and expertise, "The Best One Yet" remains an essential addition to the morning routine.