🤔 “China’s Factory Revolt” — Trade war moves to TikTok. Moleskine’s Gen Z board. Zuck's FTC lawsuit.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet – Episode: 🤔 “China’s Factory Revolt”

Release Date: April 15, 2025
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Description: Feel brighter every day with our 20-minute pop-biz news podcast. The 3 business stories you need, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning oatmeal ritual. Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Formerly known as “Snacks Daily”, Nick and Jack continue their podcast independent from Robinhood.

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1. China’s Factory Revolt: Trade War Moves to TikTok

Overview:
The first story delves into an emerging front in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. Chinese factories are leveraging TikTok to expose the true cost of American-made brands, challenging consumer perceptions and highlighting significant markup discrepancies.

Key Points:

• Exposure of Manufacturing Costs:
  Chinese factories are creating TikTok videos that reveal how much it actually costs to produce popular American brands. For instance, one video claims a $100 pair of Lululemon leggings costs merely $5 to produce in China.

  Nick (04:00): “Do your $100 Lululemon Leggins actually cost just five bucks to make?”

• Viral Impact:
  These videos have garnered massive attention, with view counts reaching into the millions. For example, a video revealing the low production cost of Lululemon leggings achieved 9.4 million views.

  Jack (04:38): “That video got me 9.4 million views on TikTok.”

• Algorithmic Amplification:
  The TikTok algorithm has significantly boosted the reach of these factory exposure videos, pushing them to approximately 13.7 million users despite being posted from anonymous accounts.

  Nick (07:04): “China just weaponized TikTok in the trade war.”

• Fact-Checking and Credibility Issues:
  Host duo Jack and Nick questioned the legitimacy of the claims, pointing out discrepancies between TikTok's assertions and Lululemon's audited financials, which state that the cost of goods sold (COGS) for leggings is around 40% of revenue, not the 5% suggested by the videos.

  Jack (06:11): “We fact-checked those numbers by looking at Lululemon's audited financials.”

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (08:32): “They show how China can weaponize TikTok in the trade war.”
• Jack (08:38): “Moleskine is a textbook case of age diversity.”

Takeaway:
The emergence of Chinese factories utilizing TikTok as a platform to challenge American brands signifies a strategic move in the entrenched trade war. While the authenticity of some claims remains questionable, the sheer reach and impact of these videos highlight the potent role social media algorithms play in shaping consumer perceptions and influencing international trade dynamics.

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2. Moleskine’s Gen Z Board: Innovating an Old Brand

Overview:
The second story explores how Moleskine, an iconic Italian notebook brand with a 200-year history, is thriving in the digital age. The secret behind its sustained success lies in its innovative governance structure—a board composed entirely of Gen Z members.

Key Points:

• Historic Heritage vs. Modern Relevance:
  Moleskine has been a staple for artists, writers, and creatives for centuries, with notable figures like Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway having used their journals.

  Jack (08:47): “Moleskine doesn't have age serum. They do have a Gen Z board of directors.”

• Rebranding and Market Expansion:
  Founded in 1997, Moleskine transformed the traditional concept of notebooks into a modern brand, attracting a younger demographic while maintaining its classic appeal.

• Strategic Growth:
  Despite the digitalization of note-taking, Moleskine has expanded its physical presence, now available in 29,000 stores globally and planning to triple the number of its own stores in the U.S. to 30 by 2025.

  Nick (10:14): “Moleskine is sold at 29,000 stores globally today.”

• Gen Z Board of Directors:
  A pivotal factor in Moleskine’s resurgence is its Gen Z board, composed of individuals under 30 who provide fresh insights and guide the company towards trending partnerships and innovative product lines.

  Nick (11:18): “Moleskine has a Gen Z board. That's right. An advisory board of people who never even learned to write cursive.”

• Corporate Partnerships:
  The Gen Z board has influenced strategic branded partnerships with entities like Saturday Night Live and NASA, ensuring Moleskine remains culturally relevant and appealing to younger consumers.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack (11:28): “Moleskine is a textbook case of age diversity.”
• Nick (12:09): “It's a textbook case of age diversity.”

Takeaway:
Moleskine’s ability to blend its rich heritage with contemporary innovation through a Gen Z board exemplifies effective age diversity and strategic adaptation. By aligning its leadership with the preferences and trends of younger generations, Moleskine not only sustains its relevance in a digital world but also paves the way for continued growth and cultural significance.

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3. Zuckerberg’s FTC Lawsuit: Meta’s Battle with Antitrust Regulations

Overview:
The final story covers the dramatic antitrust lawsuit filed against Meta (formerly Facebook) by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This landmark case aims to address Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, questioning their legality and impact on the social media landscape.

Key Points:

• Historical Context:
  In 2012 and 2014, Mark Zuckerberg acquired Instagram and WhatsApp, respectively. These moves have since positioned Meta as a dominant force in social media, leading to increased scrutiny and legal challenges.

  Jack (12:43): “Because a decade later, Meta dominates social media thanks to those acquisitions.”

• The Lawsuit:
  Filed in 2020, during Donald Trump’s first term, the FTC lawsuit alleges that Meta's acquisitions were anticompetitive and harm consumers by reducing competition in the social media space.

  Nick (13:01): “Meta versus the United States.”

• Subpoenas and Broad Impact:
  The trial has issued subpoenas to major tech companies, including Alphabet, TikTok, Snap, Pinterest, and even non-tech giants like Walmart and The New York Times, indicating the widespread implications of the case.

  Nick (14:03): “And the list is wild. It's huge.”

• Transparency in Proceedings:
  Contrary to Meta’s request to seal testimonies, the judge has allowed all evidence and testimonies to remain public, promising unprecedented transparency in the trial proceedings.

  Jack (15:28): “All those companies that got subpoenaed, they asked the judge to seal the evidence of their testimony so nobody would see it. But the judge said, no, I'm gonna let it all out in the open.”

• Potential Outcomes:
  Should Meta lose, the government may be compelled to force the sale of Instagram and WhatsApp, fundamentally altering the social media landscape and reducing Meta’s monopolistic grip.

  Nick (16:07): “And it shows that Zuck's suck up strategy failed.”

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (15:37): “It's gonna come from all those subpoenas. We're gonna learn a whole bunch of company secrets about Meta and Walmart and Snapchat and Alphabet and TikTok.”
• Jack (16:07): “Zuckerberg's suck up strategy has failed.”

Takeaway:
The FTC’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta represents a critical juncture in regulating big tech companies and maintaining competitive markets. The trial’s transparency and the broad range of subpoenas signify a thorough examination of Meta’s business practices. A potential breakup of Meta’s assets could reshape the social media ecosystem, fostering a more competitive environment and setting a precedent for future antitrust actions in the tech industry.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Best One Yet, Jack Crivici-Kramer and Nick Martell shed light on pivotal business stories shaping today's landscape:

1. China’s Factory Revolt on TikTok: Highlighting how Chinese manufacturers are using social media to challenge American brands and influence trade dynamics.
2. Moleskine’s Gen Z Board: Showcasing the power of age diversity and strategic adaptation in revitalizing a historic brand.
3. Meta’s FTC Antitrust Lawsuit: Exploring the high-stakes legal battle that could redefine the social media industry's future.

By weaving in insightful analysis and notable quotes, Jack and Nick provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these complex issues, making the episode both engaging and informative for those who haven’t tuned in.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Nick (04:00): “Do your $100 Lululemon Leggins actually cost just five bucks to make?”
• Jack (06:11): “We fact-checked those numbers by looking at Lululemon's audited financials.”
• Nick (08:32): “They show how China can weaponize TikTok in the trade war.”
• Jack (11:28): “Moleskine is a textbook case of age diversity.”
• Nick (15:37): “It's gonna come from all those subpoenas. We're gonna learn a whole bunch of company secrets about Meta and Walmart and Snapchat and Alphabet and TikTok.”
• Jack (16:07): “Zuckerberg's suck up strategy has failed.”

---

Final Note:
For those intrigued by these stories, The Best One Yet offers a deeper dive into each topic, ensuring you stay informed and engaged with the latest in pop business news.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Tuesday, t boy. Tuesday, April 15th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

Yetis, don't withhold any longer. Your taxes are due today.

[Jack]

Pause the pod. Yep, file that W2 like you're writing off your soul.

[Nick]

But today's pod is so good, it should be an exemption. So Jack, three stories for today's show. What do we got on the T.

[Jack]

Boy for our first story, there's a brand new front in the trade war that nobody is talking about.

[Nick]

True story.

[Jack]

Chinese factories are exposing American brands on TikTok.

[Nick]

Do your $100 Lululemon Leggins actually cost just five bucks to make?

[Jack]

We'll tell ya in our first story.

[Nick]

There'S a Revolution Brewing.

[Jack]

For our second story, how is Moleskine, a brand that makes journals, books and diaries, thriving right now?

[Nick]

Moleskine is winning. Cause it's got a board of Gen Zs. That's right, it's got a Gen Z board of directors.

[Jack]

And our third and final story, the epic antitrust lawsuit Meta began on Monday.

[Nick]

And here's what's at stake. Zuck could actually lose Instagram.

[Jack]

But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful.

[Nick]

Mix of stories, what a mix of stories. Love the T Boy Tuesday mix.

[Jack]

Jack, yesterday we asked you a trivia question. What famous toy was invented by a NASA rocket scientist?

[Nick]

And the answer is the Super Soaker.

[Jack]

The billion dollar toy that was created by accident in a man's bathroom Super Soaker.

[Nick]

It's destroyed more sibling relationships than any other toy in the world.

[Jack]

Mom, he shot me for first. Mom, she shot me in the eye. It also became the top selling toy in America in the 1990s, right after it debuted.

[Nick]

Basically, where there was water, there was a Super Soaker.

[Jack]

But few know the story of the Super Soaker's legendary founder, a black man.

[Nick]

Who grew up in the segregated South.

[Jack]

Lonnie Johnson was a NASA engineer who worked on spaceships, but side hustled with water guns.

[Nick]

And even after selling that brand to a big toy company, he had to sue to get paid what he was owed.

[Jack]

We actually mentioned him during Black History.

[Nick]

Month and we turned that fact into this entire new episode.

[Jack]

So Yetis, check out the latest episode of our weekly show, the Best Idea yet.

[Nick]

Because this week we'll tell you the true origin story of the Super Soaker.

[Jack]

Tap the link in the episode description to listen to our other show. Tbiy the Best Idea Yet.

[Nick]

Oh, also we're gonna tell you the secret to a successful side hustle.

[Jack]

You're gonna love it, but today's show is fantastic.

[Nick]

Today's show, Jack. This should deserve a deduction. Jack. Let's hit our three stories, plug it together.

[Unknown]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the north met in the dorm. They had an idea that caused a cultural storm. It's the best one yet but the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip. T Boy city on your at list. If you know, you know. Cause we read to go we can't wait no more so just start the.

[Jack]

Show.

[Unknown]

Start the show, Start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor for our first story. We've noticed a strange, shocking new battle in the trade war that no one is covering. Chinese factories are exposing American brands to influence how you buy.

[Jack]

What we're saying is the trade war is now moving to TikTok.

[Nick]

Now, Yetis, Jack and I use social media for a bunch of research. We like to find trending stuff before it's in the news, before it's even trending.

[Jack]

And this one has not been by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNBC or anyone else.

[Nick]

And here it is. TikTok. Videos from Chinese factories are exposing the real price of your clothes.

[Jack]

They claim to spill the beans that your made in America brands are actually made in China and that the American.

[Nick]

Brands you love are actually charging you 10 times more than they pay for those clothes.

[Jack]

Here's a few examples of the videos we found on TikTok.

[Nick]

These are wild. Let's hit them.

[Unknown]

Trick, who is the Chinese supplier behind Under Armour? Shenzhou International, which is one of the largest clothes clothing factories in China. It also supplies for many other big famous brands such as Adidas, Nike, Uniqlo, Lululemon and so on.

[Jack]

Interesting. Okay, one company produces for all of those brands.

[Nick]

Oh, and get this, Jack. That video got 1.7 million views.

[Jack]

Here's another one.

[Nick]

All right, let's hit it.

[Jack]

While people are out here clowning Shane and Taemu for being cheap and low quality, the expensive stuff you think is handcrafted in Paris or Milan. Yeah, that's made in China too. So that one you can tell is a voiceover with AI because they mispronounced she him.

[Nick]

Still, Jack, I'm looking at the numbers. 2.6 million views on that video.

[Jack]

Alright, our last one.

[Nick]

Let's hit it.

[Unknown]

I guess most of you know the price of Lululemon or other big Brands, they sell you a legging pants for a hundred dollars. And guess what? Here in these two factories, you can get them for around five to six bucks.

[Jack]

Crazy. $100 leggings from Lululemon only cost $5 in China.

[Nick]

I'm taking my pants off right now, Jack. I am insulted by those prices.

[Jack]

That video got me 9.4 million views on TikTok.

[Nick]

Okay, pause the pod, Jack. What did we just watch?

[Jack]

It looks like Chinese factories are doing a diss track on American capitalism.

[Nick]

I feel like we're in the middle of a capitalism rap battle right now. That's what these videos are.

[Jack]

So Nick and I tried to dissect these videos, and we realized they're making two distinct points.

[Nick]

First point is respect. Made in China.

[Jack]

Made in China is where high end products are actually created, according to these videos.

[Nick]

Their second point is really about the price. Lulu.

[Jack]

Yeah, they're ripping you off because Lululemon is charging us 20x markups. They're taking a $5 pair of pants and charging us $100 in the stores.

[Nick]

If your aligned leggings cost 100 bucks at Lulu and 5 bucks in China, like, at that point, you're not going to the Westfield Mall. You would book a flight to China and buy them direct from the factory.

[Jack]

But Nick and I heard those 20x markup numbers, and they sounded off to.

[Nick]

Us like, Jack and I are studying profit margins all the time. We have not seen retail profit margins of physical goods at like, 90%.

[Jack]

So we fact check those numbers by looking at Lululemon's audited financials.

[Nick]

Because, Jack, what's the one thing we happen to love in particular about the United States stock market?

[Jack]

It's a bastion of truth.

[Nick]

Yes, it is.

[Jack]

Legally, if Lululemon lies in their earnings report, they can go to jail.

[Nick]

All right, so, Jack, let's whip out the latest copy of Lululemon's quarterly earnings. What kind of number?

[Jack]

They pay 40% of the revenue in cogs, which are their costs of goods sold.

[Nick]

So based on those cogs that cost of goods sold, Lulu is saying the $100 pair of leggings that they sold, you cost them $40 to produce.

[Jack]

So Lulu says their leggings cost $40 to produce. TikTok says they're $5 to produce.

[Nick]

Again, Lulu says it cost them 40 bucks to make those aligned leggings. TikTok costs says you can buy them for five bucks straight from the factory in China. That's a huge difference.

[Jack]

Which leads us to the even bigger story that's in our Takeaway.

[Nick]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for all our buddies watching these viral Chinese factory exposure videos?

[Jack]

China just weaponized TikTok in the trade war.

[Nick]

Yetis, full disclosure, we don't have proof of China's government being behind these factory exposure videos. And we're not saying that China's government is behind them.

[Jack]

But TikTok's algorithm did push those three videos to 13.7 million users, even though each of the videos was posted from an anonymous TikTok account.

[Nick]

And that's a reminder about a reality about TikTok. The algorithm is a black box.

[Jack]

The concern with TikTok has always been that the Chinese government could demand an algorithm tweak to sow distrust and misinformation on Americans.

[Nick]

Well, Jack, that's kind of what's happening here, right?

[Jack]

These videos have made people very angry at US brands. We can tell from the comments.

[Nick]

And during the trade war, they're right now helping build empathy for Chinese factories.

[Jack]

Even though they're saying numbers. Five bucks per leggings. That Nick and I didn't pass our fact check.

[Nick]

It is good to know where your clothes actually come from. That was interesting and important to see.

[Jack]

But like we said, it's clear to us that much of the numbers and stats from these videos are hugely exaggerated.

[Nick]

So, besties, add it all up, and for the first time, we are seeing the trade war reach a new battleground. TikTok.

[Jack]

When you've heard politicians call for TikTok bans, something like this was their concern.

[Nick]

And that is what is so important about these $5 Lululemon leggings videos.

[Jack]

They show how China can weaponize TikTok in the trade war.

[Nick]

For our second story, Moleskine, the Italian notebook is 200 years old, but living its best life.

[Jack]

Moleskine doesn't have age serum. They do have a Gen Z board of directors.

[Nick]

True story. But Jack, let's talk art history here for a second. Pablo Picasso, he sketched in it.

[Jack]

Vincent Van Gogh, drew in it Ernest.

[Nick]

Hemingway, he took a shot of whiskey, a second shot of whiskey, and then he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls in it.

[Jack]

Since the 1800s, Western artists have written and drawn in a book bound by moleskin.

[Nick]

But it wasn't until 1997 that an entrepreneur turned that Moleskine concept into a brand new moleskin with an e at the end, because that differentiated it.

[Jack]

Now to clarify, is there the skin of the mole bounding these books?

[Nick]

That's a fair question. I'm sure Pete is asking it too. But technically, no. Moles were harmed in the making of these diaries, Jack. It just appears to look like the skin of a mole.

[Jack]

So Moleskine IPO'd on the Milan stock market. They were a publicly traded notebook stock, but they're now privately owned, still based in Italy.

[Nick]

And you probably got three of them as a graduation gift.

[Jack]

It's the default diary. The only question is, are you getting lined pages or dotted pages?

[Nick]

You've probably seen someone at a Starbucks scribbling their next great American novel on one of these.

[Jack]

Or if you're like me, you were gifted one. And now it just sits in your man bag because you use your computer.

[Nick]

But besties. This is what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. Despite the obvious digital threat, in a world where everything is on screens, Moleskin is in growth mode.

[Jack]

Moleskin is sold at 29,000 stores globally today. Got them at your Barnes and Noble, your campus bookstore, your airport gift shop.

[Nick]

But it's also got its own Moleskine stores, and they're planning to triple the number in the United States to 30.

[Jack]

They even own a handful of cafes. Yeah, because a majority of Moleskine journaling is done with a macchiato on the table.

[Nick]

But the profit puppy of Moleskine, what is it, Jack?

[Jack]

Branded notebooks. Whatever corporate event you went to recently, you probably got a Moleskine corporate branded.

[Nick]

Notebook in your gift bag, and that's what's driving sales. In fact, 50% of Moleskine's revenues come from these corporate gifting events.

[Jack]

Whatever college you went to, there is a Moleskine version of your college notebook.

[Nick]

I mean, Jack, Moleskine has basically become the intellectual equivalent of the Patagonia fleece.

[Jack]

But we were still curious. How is an analog notebook thriving in a digital world?

[Nick]

Part of it is the backlash against screens that you're seeing in a lot of places these days.

[Jack]

People want a respite from the blue light, but we noticed.

[Nick]

But it's also something else, something more specific. Moleskine's board of directors.

[Jack]

Sorry, they're Board of Gen Zers.

[Nick]

Yeah, that's our takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Moleskine?

[Jack]

Moleskine is a textbook case of age diversity.

[Nick]

Get this Yetis. Moleskine has a Gen Z board. That's right. An advisory board of people who never even learned to write cursive.

[Jack]

Yes, they do have a regular corporate board, but they have another board. 18 people, all under the age of 30.

[Nick]

Basically the chief of cringe control. That's this Gen Z Board.

[Jack]

They started this Gen Z board three years ago and they meet periodically with the CEO to suggest trends.

[Nick]

So with this age specific board, the CEO is accountable to the customer who they're targeting.

[Jack]

The Gen Z board is why Moleskine has doubled down on strategic branded partnerships.

[Nick]

Moleskine for Wicked, Moleskine for Saturday Night Live, Moleskine for NASA, all those notebooks, they were driven by ideas from the Gen Z board.

[Jack]

Moleskine is more relevant than ever today, 200 years after the first one was made, because they've made generational perspective a top priority.

[Nick]

It's a textbook case of age diversity. Now, a quick word from our sponsor for our third and final story. On Monday, the most epic antitrust trial of all time began. Meta versus the United States.

[Jack]

We're about to get the dirt, though, on everyone in tech, not just Zuckerberg, because of the subpoena.

[Nick]

Ooh, the secrets are in the subpoena. But Jack, let's travel back to 2012 and 2014, when the Obama government made two big mistakes. And what were they, Jack?

[Jack]

They let Mark Zuckerberg acquire Instagram and they let him acquire WhatsApp, or as.

[Nick]

Jack and I call it, the two original sins of social media.

[Jack]

Because a decade later, Meta dominates social media thanks to those acquisitions.

[Nick]

And the US Government is trying to undo both of those deals that it approved.

[Jack]

Basically, the government is trying to control Z their approvals of the Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions.

[Nick]

Here's what's at stake. Should Instagram and WhatsApp be split from Meta? Well, that trial began on Monday and all of tech is tuning in.

[Jack]

But the lawsuit for this trial was actually filed in 2020 during Trump's first term. Nick, why did it take a whole administration for it to go from lawsuit to trial?

[Nick]

Well, Jack, because the commerce cops, known as the ftc, Federal Trade Commission took five years collecting evidence.

[Jack]

Here's the news that Nick and I discovered. The FTC dropped the S bomb on just about everybody in Silicon Valley.

[Nick]

And by S bomb, we mean subpoena.

[Jack]

Subpoena. To figure out if Meta is a rule breaking social media monopoly, the court is requiring others to provide testimony or documents in this trial.

[Nick]

And in some of these cases, Meta is subpoenaing the competition that hates Zuck and Meta.

[Jack]

If we ever got subpoenaed, we must respond truthfully, under oath, to whatever questions get asked.

[Nick]

Basically, if someone did something bad, it is illegal not to tattletale on them if you're subpoenaed.

[Jack]

Right? It's illegal to not tattletale. If you know they did something wrong.

[Nick]

Yeah, like Jack, you know in Mean Girls, Regina George has that burn book where she rips on everyone.

[Jack]

Yeah.

[Nick]

A subpoena is like the opposite. It's like instead of one ripping on all, all get to rip on one. I think that holds legal water, Jack. I believe it does. So, besties Jack and I found this fascinating because we jumped into the court filings and saw all the parties who have been subpoenaed, and the list is wild. It's huge.

[Jack]

Alphabet, TikTok, Snap, Pinterest, Nextdoor. They've all been subpoenaed in this big Meta trial.

[Nick]

Honestly, we're most excited to see what Snapchat says in the subpoena. Right.

[Jack]

Oh, because Zuck ruthlessly has copied Snapchat's innovation in the past decade.

[Nick]

Oh, and it's not just tech companies that got subpoenaed in this deal.

[Jack]

Walmart was subpoenaed. Match Group was subpoenaed. The New York Times. They're all parties to this epic trial.

[Nick]

And they may tell the government that when it comes to online ads, there was only one place they could go.

[Jack]

They.

[Nick]

They had to buy ads from Meta.

[Jack]

Or who knows, Maybe they'll say something that's favorable to Meta in the trial. We won't know till it happens.

[Nick]

Okay, but then here's another wrinkle in this whole Zuck drama.

[Jack]

All those companies that got subpoenaed, they asked the judge to seal the evidence of their testimony so nobody would see it.

[Nick]

But the judge said, no, I'm gonna let it all out in the open.

[Jack]

That's why this trial is so exciting for guys like Nick and me.

[Nick]

The juice of this trial, it isn't just gonna come from like a cross examination with Zuckerberg straight out of a movie.

[Jack]

It's gonna come from all those subpoenas. We're gonna learn a whole bunch of company secrets about Meta and Walmart and Snapchat and Alphabet and TikTok. This is the kind of thing you only learn in a trial.

[Nick]

To quote Jack Nicholson. Yeah, you can't handle the truth, but we'll grab some popcorn. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Meta?

[Jack]

Zuckerberg's suck up strategy has failed.

[Nick]

Yetis. After Trump was elected, Zuck pivoted hard to maga. He started the lobbying equivalent of Facebook stalking.

[Jack]

He's probably bought like a doz cybertrucks just to try to get into Trump's inner circle.

[Nick]

Yeah, and he bought a third house for his fourth yacht in Washington D.C.

[Jack]

And now with this trial, it's clear what his goal was all along. Zuck's goal was to get this lawsuit.

[Nick]

Dismissed because Trump has dropped cases against white collar criminals and pardoned other corporate fraudsters before.

[Jack]

But he has not dropped his antitrust lawsuit against Zuckerberg's Meta.

[Nick]

Again, the stakes are huge. If Meta loses, the government will ask a judge to force Meta to sell Instagram and WhatsApp.

[Jack]

First of all, that'd be kind of cool. Like imagine a publicly traded gram, which is a company that competes with Facebook instead of collaborates against it.

[Nick]

It publicly traded Instagram stock. Not too shabby.

[Jack]

And by the way, Zuck would make a bunch of money if he was forced to sell Instagram. He could probably sell it for like.

[Nick]

A trillion dollars, but Zuck would lose a bunch of power for all that.

[Jack]

And the fact that this trial has not been dismissed is a sign of the limits to lobbying Trump.

[Nick]

Basically, Zuck's suck up strategy failed. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T Boy Tuesday videos.

[Jack]

Are going viral on TikTok showing where American brands are really made and what they really cost to produce $5 Lulu leggings.

[Nick]

To us, it looks like China's weaponizing TikTok in the trade war.

[Jack]

For our second story, Moleskine, the 200-year-old notebook is tripling their US stores in 2025.

[Nick]

Their Gen Z board of directors shows the value of age diversity.

[Jack]

And our third and final story, Meta is on trial. Their acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were allegedly illegal.

[Nick]

And it shows that Zuck's suckin up strategy failed.

[Jack]

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know.

[Nick]

Today, the first all female space crew in decades successfully returned back from orbit.

[Jack]

The six woman crew included the musical artist Katy Perry, the journalist Gayle King, and of course Jeff Bezos fiance Lauren Sanchez.

[Nick]

It was the first all female space flight since 1963. And Katy Perry's probably working on a song about it now that she's back down from orbit.

[Jack]

Second, guess who's ironically loving all the stock market volatility right now.

[Nick]

Who's into it, Jack?

[Jack]

The big banks?

[Nick]

Oh yeah. Goldman Sachs just announced its best quarter ever.

[Jack]

Stock trading revenue jumped 27% in the first quarter because they're making money on market moves. Whether it's up or down, whether you're.

[Nick]

Buying or selling, are taking trading fees, fee fees and fees on those fees.

[Jack]

And finally, trade war Almanac Day 15 how tariffs are Messing with the economy. Nick and I are keeping Track.

[Nick]

All right, iPhone, how we looking? Are we gonna pay five grand for one of these puppies?

[Jack]

Jack, you're probably wondering how iPhones are being affected by tariffs. We are too.

[Nick]

Yeah. On Friday, Trump announced he's exempting iPhones and electronics from the China tariffs.

[Jack]

But on Sunday, he walked that back, saying there were, and I quote, no exceptions announced on Friday.

[Nick]

And Wall street, they have no idea what's going on. We're all confused. Apple stock jumped 3% Monday. Because no one's really sure. No one's really sure.

[Jack]

Hey, Siri, you know what? I'm not even gonna ask her.

[Nick]

Now. Time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by uncle Sam in D.C. jack, what do we got.

[Jack]

For the fact last year Berkshire Hathaway paid more in corporate income taxes than any American company ever. By far.

[Nick]

Get this, Warren Buffett's company paid $26.8 billion to the feds.

[Jack]

We know because we read the Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter. And Nick, can you read the final sentence in that letter?

[Nick]

So, thank you, Uncle Sam. Someday, your nieces and nephews at Berkshire hope to send you an even larger payment than we did in 2024. Spend it wisely.

[Jack]

Happy tax day, everybody.

[Nick]

Yetis, you look fantastic over there. Jack, have you ever seen a CPTS 2000?

[Jack]

Don't know what that is.

[Nick]

It's the only Super Soaker that was banned because it was too powerful.

[Jack]

It was shooting people's eyes out.

[Nick]

Yeah, apparently someone lost an eye, no one knows who.

[Jack]

You're gonna poke somebod his eye out with that thing?

[Nick]

Mom, she's hit me first. Yetis, listen to the untold origin story of the Super Soaker. At one point, the best selling toy in America.

[Jack]

We got a link in the episode description. It's a wild story.

[Nick]

It's also an inspiring story. Incredible tale of the founder who just pushed and pushed and pushed and side hustled his way to success.

[Jack]

Check it out. And Nick and I will be back with another T boy tomorrow, if you know.

[Nick]

And before we go, a happy birthday to a couple legendary two year old twins, Henry and Arthur. Born in San Francisco, but living it up on the Upper east side of Manhattan.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Aidan Paksoi in San Francisco.

[Nick]

And a happy birthday to Matt Dwyer from Nantucket, who played lacrosse at a small unranked college in New Hampshire. But statistically speaking, this fantastic father in law is still the top attackman in Long island history. Happy birthday, Matt and Jack Patrick from Bedford, New Hampshire. Get this, he's an accountant born on tax day, celebrating today on his busiest.

[Jack]

Day of the year. Congratulations to Nisha for publishing that new single Midnight Crisis.

[Nick]

And a shout out to Riley Sangbush, Allison Levine and Storymaker 1316 for guessing right on our TBI tour view yesterday.

[Jack]

And to anyone else who celebrated something today, make it a T boy.

[Nick]

And Kenny Penny, thanks for trying. You were so close.

[Jack]

Celebrate the this is Jack. Nick owns stock of Lululemon, I own stock in Berkshire Hathaway and we both own stock in Apple. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Jack]

And before you go, tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey we want to.

[Unknown]

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