Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode: “Human-shaming” — Sam Altman’s bubble. Axe’s bodyspray rebound. Milan’s Brexit win. +Hockey tooth recession
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: February 24, 2026
Length: 20 minutes (excluding ads and non-content)

Episode Overview

This T Boy Tuesday edition of “The Best One Yet” dives into three major pop-biz stories of the day:

1. Axe Body Spray’s comeback and its surprising new strategy.
2. The unraveling of the “Sam Altman bubble” in AI — with a spicy side of human-shaming.
3. Why Milan, Italy, is the true economic gold medalist a decade after Brexit.

Nick and Jack bring energy, wit, and sharp one-liners with their signature “T Boy” inflections, providing fresh takes on trends in business, sports, and global economics.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Hockey Tooth Recession: The True Cost of Olympic Gold

[01:18–03:18]

• USA Men’s Hockey Triumph (and Dental Sacrifice):
  The hosts celebrate the U.S. men’s hockey team’s epic win, also noting what players paid for it — namely, their teeth. Player Jack Hughes “lost his two front teeth to win that game” ([01:38], Nick).
• Hockey’s Dental Dangers:
  • Stats: 31% of hockey players sustain an oral injury during their career; in the NHL, 60% lose at least one tooth ([02:06–02:18], Jack & Nick).
  • Quote:
    “The other 40%…they just haven’t played hockey long enough.” ([02:18], Jack)
  • Tradition trumps protection: Hockey players don’t have to wear mouthguards; pucks and sticks fly, fighting is frequent, and “spinning the chiclets” (i.e., losing teeth) is almost a rite of passage ([02:22-02:50]).
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Nick shares his own “fake teeth knocked out by a stick” story ([03:02], Nick).
  • “Jack had to drive me to the plastic surgeon after that” ([03:11], Nick).
  • “Best thing that ever happened to my face. Honestly, they’re better than the original ones.” ([03:18], Nick)

2. Axe Body Spray: Growing Up or Staying Forever Teen?

[06:02-10:35]

• Fragrance Trend — Smell Maxing:
  Modern teens (Gen Z and Alpha) wear multiple fragrances per day for different body parts. Fragrance sales are at record highs, and Axe is looking for relevance again ([06:23–06:43]).
• Axe’s Comeback Plan:
  • New Bottle: 25% smaller, 10% more sprays; each spritz delivers less Axe ([07:21–07:34], Jack).
  • Modern Pitch:
    “No longer will you drown a potential mate in an aerosol vape cloud.” ([07:41], Jack)
  • Axe’s new ads have shifted away from sexualized, controversial themes to a more self-aware, humorous approach ([09:26], Jack).
• Brand Context:
  • Axe is 43 years old, launched in France in 1983 (known as Lynx in the UK), and owned by Unilever ([08:00–08:12]).
  • Struggled in mid-2010s as teens moved on — sales fell 30%, market share dropped by a third ([08:57], Jack).
• The Brand Dilemma:
  • Whether to “grow up” with loyal millennial users or “stay the same age” by re-focusing on teens ([09:37], Jack).
  • Quote:
    “You can grow up with your audience, or you can try to stay the same age.” ([09:37], Jack)
  • Axe’s answer: Stay young, but adapt. Each teen generation is different — hence, the less-is-more bottle for Gen Alpha ([10:14–10:25]).
• Comparison to Harley-Davidson:
  Harley doubled down on aging boomers; Axe does the opposite: “There’s a reason you wore Axe to the bar mitzvah… but not your wedding” ([10:03], Jack).

3. The “Sam Altman Bubble” Pops — And Why China Is the Real Threat

[10:40–15:07]

• Sam Altman’s Shift to “Human-Shaming”:
  • Sam Altman claimed AI isn’t the problem — “you pesky human beings are” ([11:18], Nick).
  • He’s defensive, shifting focus from AI’s resource use to humans’ own consumption.
  • Quote:
    “The face of American AI has resorted to human-shaming.” ([11:34], Nick)
• AI Business Woes:
  • OpenAI’s Project Stargate (a $500 billion data center vision) has stalled — no data centers built, deal with Nvidia and Oracle fizzled ([12:21–12:51], Jack).
  • Circular chip financing deal with Nvidia replaced by a standard VC investment ([12:58], Jack).
  • Meanwhile, competitor Anthropic is surging, with the “prettiest princess at the AI Ball” ([13:20], Jack).
• Despite Setbacks, OpenAI Still Gets Valuations:
  • About to close a $100B round at $830B valuation ([13:41–13:49]).
• China’s “Temu AI” Strategy:
  • All major Chinese tech firms launched new AI models at the Lunar New Year ([14:00–14:11]).
  • China’s models are “90% of the value for 10% of the price” ([14:27], Jack). Example: Airbnb would pay $1 million/month for Anthropic, but just $100,000/month for a Chinese equivalent.
  • Quote:
    “China’s new AI playbook? It’s the same as their old one: Flood America with a cheaper version of the stuff we already have.” ([15:01], Jack)
• Takeaway:
  • The old China playbook (from textiles to solar panels) is now being used in AI, creating a new challenge for American tech.

4. Milan’s Olympic (and Economic) Gold: Winning Brexit’s Aftermath

[16:57–21:51]

• Record Olympics—But Milan is the Real Winner:
  • Milan hosted a successful Winter Olympics, but more importantly, emerged as a decade-long economic beneficiary of Brexit ([17:01], Jack).
• The Flat Tax Shift & “Cristiano Ronaldo Law”:
  • After Brexit, Italy introduced a €100,000 flat tax for wealthy foreigners moving to Milan — “music to oligarchs’ ears” ([19:39], Jack).
  • “Cristiano Ronaldo … only paid €100,000 in taxes. That’s less than 1% …” ([19:43], Jack).
• Financial and Startup Influx:
  • UK banks and businesses relocated traders to Milan to retain access to the EU, leading to a cascade — literally, “from Canary Wharf to the Corso” ([20:18], Jack).
  • VC and startups arrived, including Bending Spoons, which has become an $11B Milan-based tech leader.
• Milan’s Unique Position:
  • Combines fashion, finance, manufacturing, design — “the only place in Italy where you can see fashion models, financial models, and the original models of Ferrari” ([19:05], Nick).
  • Offers an exceptional lifestyle — mountains, lakes, and Riviera, all an hour away ([20:41], Nick).
  • Now has “Europe’s hottest housing market” ([21:03], Jack).
• Quote:
  • “Milan’s economy is going Gucci. London’s is looking a little more fuchi.” ([21:10], Jack)
• Takeaway:
  • “Finance is a zero-sum game. For every credit, there’s always a debit.” ([21:23], Jack)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hockey Injuries:
  “Yetis, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth. I'm sorry, correction: teeth.” ([01:35], Nick)
• On Fragrance Overuse:
  “High school boys locker rooms…smelled like a New Jersey casino back in the day.” ([06:59], Nick)
• On Axe’s Evolution:
  “There’s a direct correlation between underconfidence and over fragrance.” ([08:44], Jack)
• AI Bubble Reality Check:
  “Sit down, stand up and spit out your LaCroix again. I’m sorry, Jack.” ([11:34], Nick)
• China’s Disruption Playbook:
  "Temu AI — 90% of the value for 10% of the price." ([14:27], Jack)
• On Milan vs. London:
  “We’ll swap a pint for a spritz and just say it: Milan won Brexit.” ([21:14], Jack)

Additional Fast Facts, Mini-Stories & Takeaways

[22:05–22:39] - Podcast Takeaways Recap:

• Axe chases Gen Alpha, doesn't follow millennials.
• Sam Altman is more defensive, OpenAI faces real competition from low-cost Chinese AI.
• Milan is the economic winner of Brexit, as “in finance, for every debit, there’s a credit.”

[22:45–24:08] - Quick Hits:

• Trump raised tariffs from 10% to 15%; Supreme Court has not clarified matters.
• Burger King lets you call its president directly for complaints ([23:12]).
• Goldman Sachs launches an “AI-Free” stock index, trailing the S&P 500 ([23:47]).

[24:10–25:08] - Best Fact Yet:

• President Teddy Roosevelt set the handshake world record: 8,510 in one day ([24:57]).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:18] – Hockey & the “tooth recession”
• [06:07] – Axe Body Spray comeback story
• [07:34] – New Axe bottle & self-aware marketing
• [09:37] – Brand growth vs. target youth appeal
• [10:42] – Sam Altman bubble, AI culture wars
• [12:21] – OpenAI’s sidelined mega-projects
• [14:27] – China’s “Temu AI” strategy
• [16:57] – Milan’s Olympic & economic triumph
• [19:28] – The "Cristiano Ronaldo" flat-tax law
• [21:03] – Milan’s hot housing market, “Gucci” economy

Summary Table — At a Glance

| Segment | Main Theme | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Hockey Tooth Recession| Olympian heroics = dental losses | Hockey is the most dentally dangerous sport | | Axe's Comeback | Fragrance strategy for Gen Alpha | Stay young, but adapt with self-aware, lighter spray | | Sam Altman Bubble | AI vibes down, China rising | US faces “Temu AI” challenge — 90% value, 10% price | | Milan wins Brexit | Economic, real estate & lifestyle boom | Flat-tax & EU status turbocharged Milan post-Brexit |

Final Thoughts

Nick and Jack continue to mix fun, facts, and business insight, making the episode perfect for business news fans who love a blend of pop, global trends, and morning oatmeal. Whether it’s hockey smiles (missing teeth and all), fragrance nostalgia, or the ever-shifting AI landscape, “The Best One Yet” delivers sharp, snackable business storytelling.