The Bezos Met Ball Takeover: All the Money, None of the Rizz | Pivot
1948 segments
This is just so stupid and such
a waste of oxygen. It doesn't pass the
most basic smell test.
[music]
>> Hi everyone, this is Pivot from New York
Magazine and the Fox Media Podcast
Network. I'm Cara Swisser
>> and I'm Scott Galloway.
>> So are you going to the Met Bowl?
>> I was invited.
>> Why were you invited? I'm sorry to ask
that. [laughter]
>> I I acknowledge it. was in the Devil
Wears Prada, which may I say, as I
predicted,
>> what happened?
>> Oh god, are we talk? Is this your new
Taylor Swift thing?
>> $233
million globally. But why? Tell me why
you were invited to the Metall.
>> I'm still not sure. I just I'm I think
it's because I've talked a lot about and
got a lot of um social media activity
when I went to the Vanity Fair thing.
So, I think I I don't know. I think
someone I think some intern somewhere
said podcasting. What about that crazy
professor? I don't I'm not sure why.
>> They tried to be your pal, right?
Weren't they trying to like suck up to
you
>> um
>> for a minute and a half?
>> I don't know. People are pretty nice. Um
>> no, the Bezos people. Bezos and his lady
friend.
>> Oh, I I like them. I I met I mean I
don't know them, but I my I've had
you've had more interaction with with
them than I have, but I find them to be
lovely. I
>> I was invited I think I told you this. I
was invited to a small dinner with him
and another friend and I I said no I
don't a I don't like dinners and two I
don't you know two I don't like people
and three I don't I don't want to know
these people because I know what's going
to happen. We talk about the slot. I'm
going to like them and I'm going to
start
>> you like everybody.
>> I'm going to stop speaking my mind.
>> Truly low bar for people.
>> It is a pretty low bar. [laughter] I'm
pretty
>> say I'm pretty nice. I'm like
>> Yeah. No, I'm pretty I'm pretty
>> I think they're getting the kicked
out of them. You know, there's protests
and like billboards, very some funny
things. There was um um you know, like a
shopping cart out front with a bunch of
empty bottles and said bathroom, VIP
bathroom.
I They're projecting things onto the
buildings nearby. Um they kind of
hijacked the whole thing and it's kind
of I don't know, graspy and thirsty. I
find that
>> it's a perfect fit. Vogue Vogue has so
much RZ and no money and the Bezos
[clears throat]
have just so much money and not a lot of
RZ. It's a marriage made in heaven. I
don't know this, but I get the sense
Bezos is pretty self-actualized and
Honey Bear don't give or Honey Badger
don't give a I think he's just
living his best life. Quite frankly, I
don't very different.
>> Oh, you might know more than me. I don't
>> I think they're tonedeaf to what the
what what's going on right now. Gas
prices nearing $5. I think they're
always showing off.
>> They're unaffected gas prices. I get it.
But that's hilarious.
>> No, I don't think honey. We need to cut
back. No more second yacht. They're
they're they're not quiet wealth. Let's
just say apparently he's selling his
yacht. He's selling his yacht.
>> So gossipy. I think this is more about
Well, anyways, I I get the sense the guy
I mean this is this is the journey of
all of them. All of them were like the,
you know, captain of the chess club.
They weren't getting laid a lot. They've
worked their asses off. They're very
smart. They're very talented. They've
been working non-stop. And one day, uh,
the day of the IPO, they went into a
conference room, this, you know, nice,
fairly unattractive guy who had no
sexual currency their whole life, and
they come out and they're the sexiest
man alive.
>> I know. I've had these discussions
>> and they go apehit. And I don't, you
know, and and with with respect to
Bezos,
um, I I get the sense, you know, I get
the sense he's having a great time.
>> I don't know. I just think I think
there's a leaders and our I I'm I'm more
for the quiet if they're going to be
very wealthy. The qu there is a an
argument to be made at this moment in
time in it which is
>> keep it to yourself.
>> Keep it to yourself. So I don't think I
think this doesn't play well and I know
they don't care but they look like
ridiculous. They look like Tom and
Daisy. I'm sorry. I just they just do in
the Gatsby and and it's not a good look
right now because things are really
shifting and I don't mean they have to
pretend they're like living on the
prairie with like one shovel and a you
know in a bucket like that's not what
I'm talking about. It's just a I think
the McKenzie Scots, Lorraine Pal jobs,
the the Melinda Gates, they speak out
appropriately. They're not showing off.
I just I just I don't think it's going
to end well. Anyway, uh we'll see. I'm
coming to London, by the way. I'll be
there tomorrow morning.
>> Yeah, I know you have some dinner, a big
dinner. And
>> yes, you were invited. It's a small
dinner and you will refuse to come, but
that's okay.
>> Well, I was invited to the Met Ball. You
think I said no to the Met Ball, but I'm
coming to your dinner.
>> Yes, I do because who the cares
about the Met. What would you wear to
the Met Ball? Speaking of which,
>> you know, the idea I get anxiety just
thinking about it. I I don't I I'm That
was such an easy in in like oil and
glad. God. Jesus Christ. [laughter] I
just ate.
>> What could What would you wear?
Seriously, what would you If you had to
think of some fantastic costume.
>> I have I literally have absolutely no
idea. I don't
>> You love to dress up. You dressed up as
like at Halloween, you always dress up.
>> Oh, no. I love dressing up in something
outrageous. I love going as as as uh as
Deadpool or Starship Commander Jean Luke
Peard. Huge crowd-pleaser.
>> Okay.
>> I love I went as Luke Star.
>> Not like for a costume met costume.
Yeah, I went as Ted Lasso. Any
opportunity to put on a wig and be
someone different. I absolutely love
that. But to try and look good.
>> Well, you don't have to. Not all of them
do. Sometimes they look kind of crazy.
>> That was the easiest no in the world.
That's like the last thing at some
point. At some point, I lose all
academic credibility. And you know,
something that gets much closer to that
point is showing up the Metall.
>> I wish you would go and wear an I don't
care do you shirt like the Melania
shirt. I wish you would do that. I I
don't like that either. I think if you
get invited to something like that, you
play along and you'd be a good gracious
>> I guess. Um,
>> you know, I don't think you wear a dress
saying tax the rich. I thought that was
I agree with you. Um, I think that's
stupid. You don't go. Um, but you should
go because I need to understand it. I
need you to go in there because I would
never do such a
>> I'm in London and plus I really want
[laughter] plus I really want to hang
out with you and your friends here. Not
true.
>> You are invited. Don't say I don't
invite you. You are
>> I literally have nothing to do. I'm home
alone. I've got the boys this week.
You're off partying with your fancy
friends from the Devil Wears Prada. I'm
home alone with my dogs. That's all I
got to say.
>> You're It's a small dinner. You're
invited. If you'd like to come, it would
be great. Okay.
>> If not, I'm going to find you and see
your house in time. I'm not staying
here.
>> No, they have me at the hotel next to
the thing, but I would usually, but when
I come back, I will. If Are you staying
there now? What's the deal? Uh, I don't
know. Um,
>> oh, okay. The honest answer is a monkey
wrench has been thrown into our plans
because
>> you told me that
>> my youngest who has a habit of doing
this
>> has
>> likes where he is
>> is all of a sudden getting A's. And
>> anyways, I'm going to spend much more
time in the US. A lot of moving parts
here, but which I won't bother with.
>> Let me let me know. Anyway, I will come
by and find you somehow. I'll break into
your house. Um, anyway, let's get to the
news. This is a weird one. As we record,
GameStop and eBay stocks are responding
to real train wreck of an interview from
the GameStop CEO. What a surprise. Ryan
Cohen, who's somewhat of a
sometimes when he talks, announced the
deal of the century over the weekend, a
$55.5 billion unsolicited offer to buy
eBay at $125 a chair, pitching it as a
future rival to Amazon. But then he went
on CNBC's Squawkbox, where our good
friend Andrew Ross Sorcin, our famous
Canadian friend, pointed out the math
wasn't mathing. It was amazingly
awkward. Let's listen.
>> You have $9 billion uh on your balance
sheet. Arguably, if you're if you're
providing uh effectively all of your
stock and then and then the cash that
gets you to 20, you have this letter
from TD, that's another 20. Uh we're now
at 40. Uh but we're still off uh by call
it uh 16. and and the 20 as far as I
understand while it's considered a
highly confident letter meaning TD
saying they're highly confident uh that
they would provide the financing it's
not locked financing.
>> Yeah, we'll see what happens.
Um
I I hear you. I understand that. I'm I'm
just trying to understand where the the
rest of the money would come from.
It's half cash, half stock.
>> I I I'm I hear you. I'm just saying that
that math doesn't get you to the
to the price that you're offering.
>> It got more and more awkward after that.
Um this is just this is a meme stocks.
This guy is such a He's always
trying to get that stupid stock up, the
GameStock thing, and take advantage of
people. So, I don't know. Reminds me of
the the story about poly market and
kalshi. Only the top whatever 0.1% make
money and everyone else loses. But your
thoughts on this ridiculousness?
I love Andrew.
>> This is Well, first off, Andrew did a
great job. I I think Andrew is one of
those You're like this, too. It is very
difficult to ask really piercing hard
questions to make people look stupid
while remaining dignified and not coming
across as an And Andrew is able
to do that. You're able to do that.
Um, this is off off off Broadway
theater, not strategy. This is just so
stupid and such a waste of
oxygen. And a CEO who has I looked into
this, a compensation strategy that says
if you can get GameStop to hundred
billion, you get 35 billion in a
Musklike compensation strategy. So, he's
trying to memeify his stock again.
So, this is noise. it doesn't pass the
most basic smell test. First off,
there's a scale mismatch. eBay is a 30
to40 billion enterprise. GameStop
doesn't have the balance sheet to do
without massive dilution or leverage.
And the stock they would have to offer,
they'd have to issue so much stock that
the stock would immediately go into a
downward spiral. There's no way they can
do this. The strategic fit is then where
both commerce isn't a strategy. eBay is
a two-sided marketplace with with
decades of of liquidity and tens of
millions of customers. GameStop is still
figuring out what the it wants to
be other than trying to become a meme
stock. And then, as Andrew was pointing
out, the financing reality here is
nothing but a bad Iaska trip. Even a
even a partial bid would require issuing
a ton of equity. See above massive
decline in the stock. That's effectively
asking shareholders to fund a a a
ketamine trip. So what's left here?
There's nothing here but signaling to
retail investors. He's trying to say,
"We're bold. We're swinging. Start
taking get someone on Reddit. Get
Roaring Kitty fired up so I can get in a
rational compensation for not actually
adding any intrinsic value to
the market." What he said is, "We're a
melting ice cube." And he's also, in my
opinion, this has backfired. And by the
way, Gamestock stock as we record down
9% today
this is not only I I blame the board
here.
A board of directors are supposed to be
fiduciaries.
>> Is there one? I mean
>> that's a fair point of
>> but this should never have even been
allowed. Real acquisitions, the real
work is done behind the scenes. And if
you're going to make a hostile bid for a
company, you show up with your financing
locked and loaded and it's done. And if
you have to go hostile because they
reject your initial offer, this should
be a one-s sentence response from the
board of eBay.
>> Come on.
>> You are not a serious people. Period.
>> That's it. So, this makes a headline.
This is using financial markets and the
press as you're taking them for clowns
because you got a you got a trip to the
circus in COVID with your meme stock
adventure.
>> Well, he's trying to get it going again.
It's like that Wall Street Journal piece
about who's benefiting from these
prediction markets. And if you don't
know who the sucker in the room is, it's
probably you. It's this is not a real
thing. It is a it's it was it was
showing who makes profits and it's a
small group of people who make all the
profits. Everyone else loses. Thousands
and thousands, whoever's using it. And
so it's you know, you're a you're a
you're a a sucker. There's just it's
just like I don't know why this is
legal. This kind of nonsense. I just
>> Now it's sound 10%. You're allowed to I
don't know if it should it be illegal. I
Here's the bottom line. The market the
market is doing its job. They they say,
"Oh, remember GameStop? Okay, the CEO is
a idiot and he has no he clearly
has no fiduciary oversight and it's
taken his stock down 10%. Today, one
day,
>> right?" Except this has gone on for a
long time, this nonsense. And people
have benefited just like they are doing
over on these predictions market the
certain people who have who are a little
smarter you know supposedly like I think
Chimath was in there remember when it
was going up and up and up GameStop it
just feels like there's they're just
taking poor people's money like that it
just is so grotesque that what they're
doing here
>> I think the memeto movement I I I hated
it. I I got dragged on the internet
because I I said young men should spend
less time on their phone and trading
with this was just stupid.
>> Yeah.
>> The I do think a lot I'd be curious to
know I mean quite frankly the meme stock
movement the whole gestalt of it was
stick it to the man stick it to rich
people.
>> Yeah. But it never and then it became
about a con at
>> right and when any when when you have
the winklevi telling you to stick it to
the man it means you're about to be
impaled as a retail investor. And so I
agree with you that anyone, this is just
pure gambling. It's not speculation.
And and the reality is for for younger
people or people doing this, if you want
to have some fun, it's like Vegas. Fine,
have at it. But the thing is, you got to
steal your phone all day because
the the moves are so wild here. But this
is, in my opinion,
um I think and I don't know if there
should be regulation here. It's free
speech. But the question is, should you
be able to should you be able to have
this kind of impact on the markets,
which I don't think it has when you make
offers that are not in any way
realistic. In other words, is this
market manipulation? Is it trying to do
something,
>> right? That's what I mean. Yeah.
>> With absolutely no serious intent
[clears throat]
>> of uh of I wonder what's happened to
eBay stock price.
>> God, that's a company that
>> Let's [clears throat] just thank Andrew,
our favorite Canadian, Andrew Rossin,
for like slapping this guy. Uh he's
really polite. I'd be like I'd be like
at this point after he says have cash
stock I go you That's
would be my next line. He's like the
math doesn't work.
>> eBay stocks up 5%. That's really
interesting.
>> Well well that you know that's been a
long sort of troubled company, right? It
it seems like an opportunity for
someone. Anyway, we'll see.
>> It's a great brand. Everybody knows it.
>> I wrote one of the first stories about
it. Um I remember meeting with the
venture capitalists. They were at what's
that firm? Benchmark. It was all the
handsome benchmark men. It was just it
was me across from six tall white men.
Tall white men and they were telling me
about eBay. And I know Pierre a little
bit who I like very much who founded it.
Um anyway, uh oh, it's had it's had a
rocky it sort of missed a lot of turns.
Um in any case, um let's move on. The
Supreme Court just temporarily blocked a
lower court's ban on the abortion pill
being sent through the mail. Two
pharmaceutical companies had filed an
emergency appeal warning the lower
courts ruling could create chaos and
leave pa patients around the country in
limbo. Medication is now the method used
in nearly twothirds of abortions in the
United States. The FDA approved the drug
in 2000. Experts say it's safe and
effective. Um we're going to be talking
more about the midterms in a bit, but is
this a fight that Trump and the
Republicans want to have right now? As
Melinda French Gate said on threads,
everyone deserves health care that's
guided by science, not politics.
Melinda, Melinda for the win. FTW
thoughts? Well, I'm just going to refer
to it as Mton.
Mton is an enormous breakthrough. It's
used by millions of patients worldwide.
It's one of the most studied and safest
medications on the market. Serious
complications are very rare. The safety
profile is comparable or safer than many
common prescriptions. It's effective. It
reduces the need for more invasive
procedures. It not it expands access,
especially in underserved areas. It, you
know, earlier care, safer outcomes. It's
consistent with medical authority and
standards. Uh the legal consistency
argument doesn't hold up here. Other
medications with higher risk profiles
remain legal. Singling this one is often
just inconsistent. Well, it's because
it's working. The anti-abortion
activists, that's why.
>> But this is this is what again, this is
what is so macious and unamerican.
>> Rich people don't need government. I I
don't I I I have benefited enormously
from standing on the shoulders of other
people and taxpayers, assisted lunch,
University of California, rights, rule
of law, the SEC, all these things I've
benefited from. Now that I have wealth,
I don't need the government. I have my
own transportation. I have my own
security. I have my own schools. I have
my own healthcare. The people who need
government the most are the most
vulnerable among us. And just when the
government needs to step in and protect
a 15-year-old non-white woman in the
South from something that could
impoverish her for her lifetime,
traumatize her, put her in real uh
serious health risk. That's who they go
after. This isn't I've even said the the
anti-abortion movement is not a war on
women. It's a war on poor women. This is
who needs this? Who is this a
breakthrough for? The people who don't
have the resources or quite frankly the
sophistication to get on a plane and go
to a a a clinic to get an abortion in a
state where it's legal and they stain
them when they're b after they're born.
>> They can make this illegal.
>> Yeah.
>> You and I would have no problem getting
it.
>> None. This is government at its worst.
At its worst, this is not protecting the
people who need government and laws the
most. This is there is there is no no
medical, no moral, no in my opinion
reason to do this.
>> You get why they want no abortions
whatsoever.
>> I get that. But when you But here's the
bottom line.
They want abortions, but only on the
down low for if and when it happens to
one of their friends. You're not into
[laughter] abortion that don't have an
abortion. But I think you would find
that that the one of the reasons that
people are a lot of people, especially
wealthy anti-abortion people, have no
empathy for this is they know if
ever gets real for them or anyone in
their family, they can figure it out.
And so I find this I find efforts to do
away with this drug is a gift.
>> Yeah. Well, the Supreme Court has just
temporarily though this is just a
temporary.
>> Well, my understanding is as we were
speak just a couple hours ago, they've
temporarily halted the ban or blocked
the ban. Yeah. But this also a
>> temporary block.
>> This also goes back to
um you know what I think a lot about
young men and the number one reason
a lot of I think it's most women who
have terminate a pregnancy go on to have
children. One of the top reasons stated
by women u as to why they terminate a
pregnancy is lack of partner support
>> right or the money or the money. If
you're really serious, and by the way,
since if you're if you're really serious
about reducing the number of pregnancies
terminated, then we need economic
policies and we need more men my age to
get involved in young men's life and
instill a set of values such that we
produce more economically and
emotionally viable men.
>> This is true. But they don't like them
once they're born, Scott. They don't
like them. They don't like these people
once they're born.
>> Well, that's a different issue. What I'm
saying is
>> Well, I I get that. But we're talking
past each other right now. I'm talking
about if you were serious about reducing
the number of of of of abortions, you
would figure out a way such that there
were women who felt they had more
reliable partners. If you want more kids
and you want fewer abortions, we need to
produce a new generation of more
responsible, economically viable young
men.
>> Yeah.
>> And and you're right. Once it the same
people who are most rapidly
anti-abortion tend to be the same ones
who don't want universal child care
>> or give them money or they disdain them
or they're you know everything. It's
just it makes no sense. It's it makes no
and then they're the most for the death
penalty and you're sort of like where is
the consistency here in any way?
>> Well that joke if you want to save
someone from the death penalty just
shove her up a woman's uter uterus.
Shove them up a woman's uterus.
[laughter]
>> Oh my god. I can't believe I laughed at
that. That's kind of funny. Um, anyway,
let's look, I hope it's not it's not
just a temporary ban. I hope the Supreme
Court, you know, gets slapped since
they've had some very dicey and horrible
rulings recently around the Voting's
Rights Act, but this is something that
is just ridiculous. It's bad for
companies. It's bad for people. Um, the
abortion foes have won enough, I feel
like, but they won't. They won't.
They'll keep going. Um, okay, let's go
on a quick break. when we come back, how
AI is upending the midterms.
>> Support for the show comes from Better
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That's betterhp.com/pivot.
Scott, we're back. With six months to go
until the midterms, AI regulation has
become a hot button issue and the money
is pouring in. At AI super PACs are
taking a page out of the crypto
playbook, which worked rather well,
spending millions to influence
elections. They're backing both
Democratic and Republican candidates.
Uh, whoever is more friendly to AI and
big tech. The biggest pack leading the
future is funded in part by Andre
Horowitz and OpenAI co-founder Greg
Brockman. On the other end, there's the
public first action, a pack backed by 20
uh million donation from Anthropic and
tech billionaire Chris Larson is putting
up 3.5 million in New York to back
Democratic congressional candidate
candidate Alex Boris who supports AI
regulation. This I was texting with
Chris about this um the other day and
also Alex. Um let's take a look at the
ad that Larsson's pack just launched.
>> Oscar, what is wrong? You think you know
what they're watching, but with [music]
AI, they can land on anything. Violence,
child sexual abuse, and [music]
predators. Who would be against AI
safety laws? Open AAI, the company
behind Chachi PT. They're attacking
[music] Alex Boris for writing the
toughest AI safety law in the country.
Don't let Open AI [music] shut down
child safety. You can push back is
responsible for the content of this
advertising. It
>> It's an interesting ad. And from a
marketing perspective, it's an
interesting way to counter child safety
is the number one uh the number one uh
thing that people are all bipartisan
about and and and also AI increasingly.
Um and just for speaking of AI
legislation, the Senate Judiciary
Committee just advanced a bill that
would require AI companies to implement
age verification process. It would also
uh ban miners from using AI chatbot
companions. Um I'm not sure this will um
will pass. Um and at the same time the
Senate just unanimously passed a ban on
prediction market trading for senators
and their staffers effective immediately
smart. Calcian and poly market both
praised the Senate's move. Um the Senate
minority leader Schumer called it a
no-brainer saying must never allow
Congress to turn into a casino. Here the
White House to follow suit. Of course
the White House has already warned staff
about betting on the Iran war but I
doubt they'll go for a full ban. And
again, the White House is probably in
the way of any of this AI legis even the
safety stuff passing because they're in
the pocket of the AI industry. So
thoughts on on this effort by um Chris
who was Chris was a tech billionaire at
a company. He's really interesting. He's
been very involved in San Francisco
politics, but this was interesting for
him to sort of go against these pro- AAI
packs which are led by essentially Mark
Andrees and his gang, his mob. Um
thoughts on this?
Well, it's just it's feeling a vacuum.
It feels as if there should be federal
legislation. What what I find most
interesting is I think that the entity
or the part the touchstone or the the
visible object or the cudel, whatever
you want to call it, is going to be data
centers. And what's interesting about AI
is that your approval of AI the two
brands that have in registered the
greatest brand destruction have been the
US abroad over the last few years. We
used to be the enforcers protecting
people of the west from rogue nations.
Now we are that rogue nation. And uh AI,
the brand AI has just taken an absolute
nose dive because the only population of
the cohort where that where AI has over
50% approval is people making over
$200,000 a year. Because if you're
wealthy, you see AI as powering your
401k, an opportunity to make money. You
may use it at work. You feel pretty
secure about your job. But what a lot of
um lower-income people think is that AI,
the only visible representation of AI is
a data center that's going to send their
electricity rates up while private
companies that they don't even have
access nor the money to participate in
boom in value. I think data centers are
going to be ground zero for this battle.
>> Yeah, it's one of them. I think a lot of
it I think people just have like a a a
real antipathy towards AI at this point.
Even if it's it's a good thing in some
ways, right? I think they really, you
know, these packs, they'll work, they'll
work day and night. The same thing with
the crypto industry, you know, which had
sort of a faint distasteful
aroma to it. Um, and it really but it
still was effective with all the
millions they're spending all over. And
by the way, Musk is part of this.
They're all trying to stop it. It's
interesting that Anthropic is on the
other side or Chris Larson's on the
other side. So, there's a lot of tech
billionaires um lining up to to stop
that. And I it's it's not good for
anyone. Alex Boris is a really
interesting candidate. He's in that part
of Manhattan. I think it's uh Jack
Schlloberg, George Conway are all
there's a whole pack of people running
in that area. Um and Alex is trying to
sort of stick his head up as the Mr. AI
regulator, but it'll be uh it'll be an
interesting case of who wins here. A lot
of people think the candidates or the
party that is sort of sort of vaguely
anti-AII has a better chance in the
midterms. I don't know if you think
that's so, but there there is
legislation. It's just that this this um
administration is just not going to pass
any of these laws because they're
they're getting so much money from the
AI companies. I don't see them. That's
the only people they ever have at the
White House are AI people. Never have a
critic. Never have anybody who's against
it.
>> There was this great Hugh Grant Nicole
Kidman show called The Undoing where
they're trying to solve a murder and the
defense attorney says, "People hire me
to um create muk." And that's what's
going on here. I think that's what the
the AI guys are going to do. I think
they're just going to create a ton of
confusion around this
>> and make it difficult to pass anything.
And also, they have the money. My
understanding is they've already
>> pledged about a quarter of a billion
dollars. And just for reference, leading
up into the 22
>> midterms, pharma spent
>> 26.
>> No, this is I'm using 2022 just as a
benchmark.
>> Oh. Oh, okay. Got it.
>> But the pharma lobby spent 380 million.
Insurance spent 159. real estate spent
139. I think you're going to see far
more than that spent by the pro AI
lobby. I think it's going to be sort of
uh they'll try to couch it as we're
we're for safety and children. We need
to do this thoughtfully and the anti- AI
will be a grassroots and it'll be
focused on data centers. They're
environmentally damaging to us. they not
creating any jobs and all they're going
to do is send your already soaring
energy costs even higher,
>> right?
>> Um, so I [clears throat] it's gonna be
it's it's going to be an interesting
it's going to be an interesting proxy
for how people feel about AI and
technology.
>> I I don't know. I feel like it goes back
to the Bezos thing is they're trying
nobody likes them anymore. Like they
have become villains. They are villains
now. And so I no matter how much money
they spend, people are like I I can't
tell you how many people come Scott
really interestingly over the past week
people have come up to me and said thank
you to you and I for being at least
critical in a smart way like very you
know not just screaming about it but
explaining it. Um, I just feel like
these are villains now and they can
spend as much money as they want, but I
don't think it's going to I think people
in their heart feel very nervous about
it and very very distrustful. And I know
it doesn't correlate with how much money
like the Prada was, but the story is
about corporations you, tech
companies you. That's really
what it's about. And I think and it was
it did it in a very subtle way. Um, but
it's they've got I'm not so sure it's
going to work. And the same thing with
these the prediction markets. As much as
they're interesting, everyone's got a
little funny feeling about it. I mean,
obviously the Senate, nobody in the
Senate should should be on prediction
markets if they have information
>> trading. Well, both. You're right. Um,
the prediction market is even worse on
some level because it's like, let's bet
on the war. Let's bet on death
essentially. Um, and and it should be
the White House. It should be the the
House. It should be all of them. It's
not free speech. It's you have unique
information. You're there for the public
service. And while you're there, you're
not going to be gambling essentially,
which is what I think it is.
>> We look there's two issues here. One,
and we'll come back to this. One is how
the general public feels about AI and
how the brand has eroded dramatically.
And then there's in my view, we should
follow the Singapore model. An entry-
level minister earns the equivalent of
$800,000
and $1.7 million US for a prime
minister. The objective of our elected
representatives, the incentive should be
you are there to make Americans
wealthier, not to enrich yourself. And
what Americans see right now around AI
is the following. It's making a lot of
people a lot of money, but the only
thing I see is risk peril according to
these guys. And my electricity costs are
going to go up. So, I'm supposed to like
this. Oh, and by the way, the the the
ultimate poster child for bid tech for
tech in this age is Musk.
>> Yeah.
>> And he does not acquit himself. Well,
>> no, he does not.
>> So, it used to be it used to be Gates
was a little bit awkward. It used to be
and then went on to I think I think get
very concerned about public health and
in developing nations. Steve Jobs at a
minimum was was likable and seen as a
visionary. The new spokespeople for tech
are Musk, Altman, right? Um I don't even
think Bezos he was kind of left. No,
don't you think he's kind of left?
>> I think people think of himm I think he
looks like, you know, Daddy Warbucks
except not nice to Annie. And then
unfortunately or not fortunately or
unfortunately the other person at the
center of this that's that's identifying
or marking the age around technology
because he was so close to so many of
them is Epstein. So what do you have?
You have increasing electricity costs
wealth wealth accretion that you're not
participating in peril that supposedly
the inventors of this think is
everywhere. Oh, and let's add in a dash
of pedophilia.
Welcome to big tech. Like who are the
her who are I mean do maybe Dario Amade
who who are the heroes here that are
supposed to be
>> Cuban. Daario
>> Do you think Cuban's associated with
technology?
>> I do. I do. I'm just saying but I think
he's not he's not associating with it.
I'm just saying there are better better
heroes here. Like I would say Asatcha
Nadella could fill that role. Um Tim
Cook could have except now he looks like
somewhat of a Chad. Um,
you know, I don't I agree with you. I
think I've never seen such a thing
happen. I mean,
>> just 10% of Americans are more excited
than concerned about AI. As of March,
uh, twothirds of Americans have not have
not much or no exposure to AI at work.
Twothirds of Americans think that AI
will eliminate more jobs than it
creates. Less than a third of Americans
trust AI. And 77% of Americans think AI
poses a threat to humanity. So, okay.
Threat to humanity,
>> but my electricity costs are going up.
>> Yeah.
>> So, I'm living here.
>> I'm kills us.
>> I can barely afford gas.
>> Yeah.
>> I don't have my affordable care
subsidies,
but the but Open AI is raising money at
$850 billion to to fund something that
supposedly is a threat to humanity. What
do you know? People aren't excited about
AI. They've done th this is the worst
managed brand in a long time. I don't
know what they can do to get it back. I
really don't at this point. We'll see if
they can't, but they're just all such
every time they open their mouths. I
think they should stop talking. That's
my feeling. Anyway, we need to go on a
quick break. And when we come back,
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Scott, we're back. We have to talk about
Apple's latest earnings and what they
mean for the company's future strategy.
They just had their best March quarter
ever, beating expectations with 111
billion in revenue, up 17% from last
year. iPhone is still the engine. 57
billion in sales, up 22% in their
services business. That's iCloud, Apple
TV, and subscriptions. Just hit an
all-time record of nearly 31 billion.
But the company also announced it's
abandoning its net cash neutral target.
Some analysts say this is a signal that
Apple's about to make uh a major AI
acquisition, possibly the AI startup
Perplexity, which has struggled compared
to the others, but uh and have a range
of issues around it. um talk about
should Apple buy into the AI uh
business? Um first, what do you what do
you think about this?
>> Well, first off, this really is sort of
a a run through the tape high five, you
know,
>> nice last quarter for Tim C.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Uh best Q1 ever, revenues of
111 billion, up 17% year-on-year,
beating Wall Street estimates of 109
billion.
>> The stocks trading up 3% after hours.
They one of the things I love about
Apple is they've figured out we're a
mature company. We're not a growth
company. We're still growing, but we're
going to return um money to
shareholders. They do it through
buybacks. They just announced hundred
billion dollar share buyback. They've
raised their dividend 4% to 27 cents per
share. iPhone revenue rose 20 22% in the
quarter with Cook calling the iPhone 17
lineup, which I wasn't a fan of. I gota
I got to own that. The most popular in
our history. got that one wrong. The
revenue was constrained by supply
issues. Q3 guidance revenue growth of 14
to 17% year on year and the new CEO
joined the earnings call and was
introduced by Cook uh which was the
first time I think um first appearance
since the transition was announced. He
praised Apple's financial discipline
under Cook. And the thing I love I
respect so much about Apple is that
companies typically have a tough time
acknowledging they're no longer a
teenager and they stuff their face with
Botox and fillers and they don't want to
they don't want to act like a mature
company and be very disciplined which
goes to your question around AI. I
personally think and watch by the time
this airs they'll announce they've
acquired perplexity. I think Apple's
culture is so strong that they've
decided that they are not an inquisitive
company that they don't like acquiring.
They they've made fewer acquisitions
than any company of their size.
>> And I wonder
>> the headphone company's the last one I
remember
>> Beats, right? But in my view,
what they've decided is similar to the
search wars, let's return. Let's not
let's not engage in the I AI wars. It's
too expensive. There's too much capital
in it. Let's continue to be the arbiter,
the toll
um in custody of the billion most
attractive consumers in the world.
>> Like with maps, the way they got out of
sort of got out of maps,
>> they get and they manage and granted
there's been antitrust action against
it, but they managed to get a $20
billion licensing fee to be the default
search engine from from Alphabet. I
wonder if they're going to say, "Look,
we'll use AI to improve our targeting
and improve our Apple Music, but we're
going to at some point have an auction
and auction off Access as the default
LLM and they're going to get tens of
billions of dollars.
>> They buy something and just because this
this is sort of the heart, whatever you
think of AI, it is at the heart of your
services. You can't just like it's not
you can't vendor it like you would um
search or um or map. Search has been
pretty central.
>> Yes, but it's not that. There's a whole
bunch of things you do on an iPhone
that's not just searching. And you don't
use search internally on the phone. You
use it when you go outside. That's what
they use Google for for your for your
browser. They don't do it. They don't
power the search inside of Apple. They
have to have a AI company. They just do.
They need it to integrate the way Google
has done with Gemini. They need one. I
think they have to buy one. Um because
they're not going to be able to build
it. They keep having people leave who
running AI. It's just there's not enough
action happening there um for people to
stay.
>> So you think it'll be an aqua hire or do
you think they'll actually offer it as a
service?
>> No, I think it'll be integrated into
their services. It'll the way Gemini is.
I mean there is a Gemini separate
service, but most most of the usage of
Gemini is within the search engine,
right? Into their current product. I
don't think people necessarily like like
I go out when I want to use AI and go to
claw, right? And and sometimes I get it
in Gemini, but Gemini is not quite
specific enough and I don't want to pay
for it and I don't want more
relationship with Google and probably
one of and Claude is better for me at
least. So I think they have to have
something they integrate into their
business for lots of reasons. And then
they could also say if you want to do
something outside like with search we
have a deal with opening I think they
did have some sort of deal anyway I
think they they buy something I don't
>> to be serious in AI
>> right
>> involves this this capex you see Apple's
complexion and shareholders is Apple
shareholders have gotten their lips
wrapped around the crack cocaine of
profits you start waiting
>> I'm not talking about a customer service
a consumer service I'm talking about
integrated into their other services.
They need to have some some ability to
do that.
>> But why I guess my question is the
following. Why anthropic and open AI
both get public? One, you know, both of
them call it a trillion dollars.
Uh the new co shows up and says who
wants to be the default AI for Apple
products?
>> Yes, but for Apple products externally,
not internally, they need to have
>> they need I I agree. They need to have
AI competence,
>> right? And that's why they need to buy
something like perplexing
>> because you don't think they can recruit
the people to build that.
>> I can't. They have lost people. You go I
I don't pay attention to every turn of
the screw with all these AI people
moving around, which they do like a lot,
but they've lost quite a few people
running. It's just not it's not where
the action is. And so the they're going
to go and so they have to have a
competence by having a like a perplexity
to run the internal stuff that you don't
see necessarily. And then for a consumer
service, it's just like with search,
there's search in Apple that's not
Google, but then they go and get it for
the external stuff for customers where
it's like, why should we pay for a
really robust search service? It just
doesn't make sense. Why should we pay
for a map? I mean, they still have maps.
That's not true. But mostly it's Google
maps, right? They that's who they get a
big chunk of money from and that's who
their default is or default browser.
Here we have, you know, the Google
browser essentially. And so that kind of
stuff, it's like why bother doing that?
This is integral to their how they get
you songs. How they get you they can't
have open AI give you song information.
It just doesn't make they need to do it
themselves certain things. That's my
feeling.
>> Yeah. I I I find the product I haven't
you know I pull up I'm now running
running and doing more zone two exercise
but
>> good.
>> Yeah I know. Thank you. And then but I
do um when I bring up Spotify, they have
that AI DJ.
>> I'm trying to think you think that Apple
needs AI. How would that manifest in the
customer consumer experience?
>> You don't see it. You don't just the way
when you go to search right now with
Gemini, it's there, right? It says this
is the Gemini. You don't even have to
tell me. It's just just search. Like I
don't know why they have to.
>> When I'm on Apple phone, though, I use
Google search,
>> right? But internally as they they serve
up all manner of things to you they
they're using Apple techn they just need
to own they need to have a basic level
of competence in AI to serve much of
their stuff and then the external stuff
they can get piles of money from
whatever company I bet it'll be claude
that's my guess but they need to own
something so if only to maintain those
relationships right to under I just
don't think they can be without AI
expertise but they don't need to offer a
consumer service. They're never going to
offer a consumer service. It's not their
strength anyway. Their strength is their
ecosystem. Anyway, we need to move on.
But the Pentagon just made a slew of AI
deals. Speaking of, this is an AI week
here. Um Jeff Bezos's tuxedo and AI
dudes. Um announcing last week that it
reached agreements with Amazon,
Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and a startup
called Reflection to use their
technology for quote lawful operational
use. Uh I don't trust them at all. These
companies join XAI, OpenAI, and Google
in providing Pentagon Pentagon with AI
tools. The Pentagon says these
agreements will accelerate
transformation toward making the US
military an AI first fighting force.
Notably, Anthropic is still out of the
mix despite that recent productive
meeting at the White House. Just last
week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegath
called Anthropic CEO Daario Amodi an
ideological lunatic. Uh he's such a
um you know this they should
spread around the wealth here but and
not just rely on one company obviously
and let them fight it out but I think
nonetheless from what I understand from
everyone who works in government Claude
remains the top player here and it's
it's stupidity on the well it's kind of
saying things twice stupidity on the
behalf of Pete Hexat you have to assume
he's smart in the first place which he
isn't I think he's going to be out I I
have this feeling he's out
>> I do I don't know why I just was like,
"Oh, he's going to get rid of him. He's
too much of a He's such a like I
know he looks the part and he's like
does his chest puffy thing for Donald
Trump, which he likes, but I just think
he's I think the knives are out for this
guy cuz he's such an I just can't figure
out which one they're going to get
first. Patel or uh and by the way, SNL
did a great job on both of them this
week." Um
>> Oh my god, did you see
Patel and of course Colin Jo as Pets is
just fantastic. Um, but I think he's a
and it's fine to have all these
people come in and do this stuff. Sure,
why not? It just seems like that's a lot
of people in there in that room. I don't
think it's I feel like somehow it's
probably too chaotic to have all of them
there on some level. Maybe not.
>> It just seems to me that to a certain
extent Anthropic can declare victory and
go home and be one of the seven
companies or not.
>> Yeah.
>> The Department of Defense they black
they blacklisted Anthropic. Anthropic
feels like and Dario Mode I feel like
kind of the first person who sort of
said no to the tech bros and to Haggsath
and Trump and he's gained I think a lot
of stature from that.
>> Y
>> and but at the same time he can say that
fine I'll be one of the seven companies.
The the breakdown wasn't over
capabilities it was over guard rails.
Right. The DoD wanted uh Claude
deployable for all lawful purposes.
>> Right. Which they didn't Yes. and and
Anthropic said no to autonomous kill
decisions.
>> And so a federal judge said the
Pentagon's move looks like an attempt to
Anthropic, which is an it's just
so weird all these all these tech bros
who are all looking for the next check
and bail out in their own crypto scheme
going after Daario. I think it's I think
Dario's in a great spot right now
>> for the next era. Oh wow.
>> Yeah, he looks really solid. next. If
there's a Democratic president, he's
gonna be the poster child.
>> The most interesting argument I've
heard, and it really made me think about
this, was that all of these guys are
claiming that this is more powerful than
nuclear weapons.
>> Mhm.
>> We don't have private ventureback
companies making nuclear bombs.
>> Correct.
>> So, it's like, okay, if you really
believe that, then shouldn't shouldn't
you all by virtue of defense for for
defense reasons be governmentont
controlled and owned companies? Yes.
Yes. Yes.
>> Or highly regulated
>> because you're claiming that these
things are more powerful than any
technology ever. We don't like
>> Scott, stop making sense, please.
>> Well, it it's just so it feels to me
like they're setting themselves up. I'm
really excited about the potential for a
Democratic administration because I
think there's going to be a lot of
momentum around all right here are some
basic common sense regulations we would
apply to any technology that is a
quarter of what you claim the peril is
here. You're the ones saying it's going
to take employment over 20%. By the way,
the French Revolution and the Weimar
Republic descending into darkness
happened when they hit 20% unemployment.
Uh you're claiming this thing. You're
claiming this thing is learning so fast
that it'll be able to turn on itself.
Well, okay. So, shouldn't that mean you
are not allowed to release anything to
the broader public until we have given
you the badge of clearance on it? That
it's just I think it's just going to be
so easy for somebody to kind of step in
and say, "All right, you guys win. you
have scared us so squarely and so
rightly that we are going to we are
going to um have regulators and the
defense department and the DOJ in your
knitting folks and at the same
time they need to strike a balance such
that Chinese LLMs don't get well ahead
of us but at some point you have to
realize okay when does when does the
well-being of civilization begin to even
remotely rival the excitement of your
IPO. It's just the the tech bros have
become so used to as long as long as I'm
going to get my face on the NASDAQ
billboard, I can overrun all social
concerns and I can even brag about how
dangerous this is. As long as I
use it to extract or pull the future
forward with cheap capital. I think
these guys are really sticking their
chin out. They're sticking and then they
have you know again Emil Michael is
there all their best buddy which who is
from there you know gaming the situation
because the Pete Haggath doesn't
know anything and so they're just
they're sitting let me say when if the
Democrats do get control in a in a
strong way you need to flush all these
people down the toilet like immediately
like not even like let's all try to get
along first you take them out and then
you start over again and I think puts
Daario in the best position in that
regard. Um because he had the he had the
guts to speak back, you know, or at
least push back on just the most
illogical, moronic statements by the
defense department under this incredibly
unqualified
uh cabinet secretary. I mean, really,
it's so it's so ridiculous. Um one of
the problems, you know, sometimes
there's nefarious people who are smart,
right? And you're sort of like, oh,
we're in trouble. But this is a
Like an actual like the moronic nature
of both Cash Patel and Pete Hegsth is so
apparent. They're not sly. They're not,
you know, silly evil or evily sly or
whatever. And
>> I think Cheney is shaking his head.
>> Correct. [laughter]
I was like, uhoh. Cuz he knows, right?
He could do something. Um but I just I
you're right. Dario puts himself in a
much better position for what's next if
we make it there. Anyway, um, one more
quick break. We'll be back for wins and
fails.
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Okay, Scott, wins and fails. Why don't
you go first this week?
>> Uh, well, my fail is the board of
directors for GameStop. If you're going
to be an SEC publicly listed company,
you have a fiduciary responsibility to
not to not impose a tremendous burden on
other companies who are trying to serve
their shareholders and and serve their
consumers and their employees. And when
you make these ridiculous offers to
another company that has absolutely no
credibility, veracity, likelihood of
going through, you're just in in in some
weird attempt to like ignite another
meme craze in your stock. That's just
irresponsible and reckless. And there
needs to be generally speaking in
business within from public companies to
other public companies, there is sort of
a code. You don't like when when when
we were thinking about acquiring a
company at a public company and then we
decided internally it doesn't make
sense. We immediately
sent them a letter saying we're with
trying consideration because we don't
want to tie them up. We want we want
them to get on with their business and
their life even though you could do it
to distract them. But I was on the I was
on the board of Urban Outfitters and at
one point we were considering acquiring
Abberrombian Fitch who at the time was
>> hugely diminished.
>> Wow.
>> Oh, by the way, Cara, we missed that
one. We could have picked it up for
pennies.
>> Pennies.
>> And it's come it's come back hugely.
>> Oh, has it? I didn't.
>> Oh my gosh. Abraham, that would have
been that one got away from us. We came
very close. the Haney family that runs
and controls Urban Outfitters are very
very smart people and and but ultimately
we passed. But the moment it was like
the moment we made the decision, we
could have gotten in the way of other
competitors, American Eagle or whatever
to acquire it, kept it on the market for
longer, but it was like no, there's a
code amongst good fiduciaries where you
immediately say we're not going to be a
bidder here such that they can get on
with trying to sell it to somebody else.
And this is such
It's just irresponsible. I just I just
hate this from like a a decorum
standpoint. It's a waste of everyone's
time. He's not serious. And I love the
fact that the market has responded by
taking the stock down 11%. Anyways, it's
kind of weird.
>> Ryan Cohen's an ass clown. I mean,
sounds like the right word.
>> The the my win is um uh uh Senator and
University President Ben Sass. Did you
see a 60 Minutes interview?
>> God. Oh, it's heartbreaking. I I it it
really and of course I turn everything
back to me. I find he is such a like
he's the best
of conservative values.
>> I would agree.
>> You know, his ability to talk about his
faith, uh God, his fidelity to the
Constitution, his fidelity to his family
and couch it as as he struggles with
pancreatic cancer. It's so eloquent and
so moving. And I was um um struggling
with something that happened to me that
really upset me this weekend. And he I
watched his interview and he talked
about
um that at one point before it was he
had the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer,
he had he said hundreds of tumors around
his spine, unbeknownst to him. And he
was in such intense, crippling pain that
he was taking a dozen scalding hot
showers a day that would provide him
just minutes of relief and then he'd
have to take another hot shower. And so
I started a practice where I'm like,
"Okay, imagine you have that kind of
pain, tumors all over your spine, and
all you can do is lay down and then take
another scalding hot shower." I'm like,
what would this problem mean to me at
that point?
>> Mhm.
>> And it's a really healthy practice.
Anyways, I have my my Ben Sass tumor
practice now.
>> Oh goodness. Yeah. And
>> you know, can I point out there's a lot
of really amazing mRNA technology
happening right now about pancreatic.
It's not going to
>> Well, he's still alive because of some
of those technologies.
>> Yeah. But it's still is probably too
late. But there's so much going on. Of
course, this administration's been
cutting all these things. But he also he
was one of the first people to go
against Trump too when it wasn't
convenient.
>> He also had a really lovely statement
when they were talking about the worst
thing about his illness. He stated that
he was really sad that he wasn't going
to be with his wife for his while a
while. I mean it was just so such a
lovely testament to his his wife and the
way he framed it that he's gonna that he
believes they'll be together again but
he's upset that he's he's gonna have to
wait. I mean, this guy I it's Democrats
should a sigh of relief that he is not
running for president on the Republican
side.
>> Well, except the Republicans rejected
him because he was early he was an early
Trump opponent and then he got sort of
>> Oh, I think he could have carved out a
big lane.
>> I don't know. He he got drummed out. He
was one of the people like Liz Cheney
and so he was in that gang that got
shoved out of the whole party because
they needed to be in uh you know the
Trump Hallelujah Choir. Um, so I I
always found him to have a lot of
courage even before this.
>> I reached out to him his people over the
weekend. He's going to come on uh the
prophet pod.
>> Good.
>> Um, but anyways, my win is just the just
the perspective.
And I I think I I would I would
recommend that everyone watch that
interview. It really does remind most of
us. It's like that monk saying that the
man with good health has a thousand
problems. The man with bad health has
one problem. When you hear what this
guy's going through and you hear you
hear how just articulate he is about
government and and his views on things,
I I really found it. I thought, God,
this guy's such a great role model. I
really hope I really hope he's around
for I I love that he's getting attention
now, but I think he's adding a lot of
really wonderful value to the public
discourse right now. Anyways, my my win
is um Senator and University President
Excellent win. All right. Um Okay. And
your fail is this board. Okay. So, my um
fail. It's Well, it's kind of a win in
some ways, but um the New York Times
interview with Tucker Carlson, he's done
a lot of interviews lately because he's
trying out all his stylings to run for
president as
>> um he's trying everything. It's
fascinating to watch.
>> The interviewer did a great job.
>> Yes. Lulu Garcia Navaro, who's a friend
of mine, um did a great job pressing him
back. He denied wondering whether Trump
is the antichrist. Lulu played it
>> played the [laughter] video
>> and then he denied it again. He denied
it right after I oh it didn't come out
of my mouth. She's like it just came out
of your mouth. He goes I never said
that.
>> Yeah.
>> It was I was like
>> funny this guy looks like you saying
that. Isn't this isn't you?
>> You know she did a great job with him
but it was just in I think the more
interesting is thing is you should watch
all of them because he's preparing for a
presidential run and so his tricks and
everything else are she's super smart.
You you may not like Dr. Carlson, but
he's highly intelligent and um and I
think he's an interesting
it'll be an interesting fight over the
Republican party post Trump. And you
know, obviously Marjorie Taylor Green is
trying to prepare her way. She changed
Trump derangement syndrome into Trump
disappointment syndrome uh which I think
is probably a more accurate for for his
followers. Um anyway, just a really good
interview. Watch it. Lulu is an amazing
interviewer uh at the times and uh but
that exchange the whole thing is quite
good but that exchange uh back and forth
is really was really something. Um
obviously my win is the money that Devil
Wars product did is crazy. Sorry you
just did yours. You just did the same
one of yours that the that game that is
a lot of money. I also it's really
interesting what's doing really well.
The Michael biopic did really well.
Michael Jackson biopic is doing
incredibly well. Um, again, it was
really Here's why I think it's a win
because Hollywood always says, "Oh,
that's a black movie or that's a woman's
movie or that's a gay man and women's
movie and that's why it's doing well."
It's just they're both I haven't seen
the Michael movie and I think they left
out some of the pertinent parts of
>> the controversies around him in this
one.
>> Michael Jackson. What controversy?
>> Oh, yeah. Exactly. Or or Hail, let's
bring in a white guy. Project Hail Mary.
Um, they're just good movies. Like, stop
having to like say, "Ah, it's the women.
Ah, it's this." Like, you just make a re
What I loved about this movie and some
of the others that have been doing
really well is they show Hollywood at
their very best. Beautifully told
stories. There's not a in any of these,
there's not a stitch of AI
anywhere, right? It doesn't feel cooked.
And that's what really is working.
People are just flocking to these
movies. And by the way, the theater was
full of not women. It was everybody. It
was really interesting. It was young
men. It was It was not I was surprised
by the audience cuz you get to thinking
it's a bunch of ladies going out and
having, you know, margaritas, frozen
margaritas with their friends and then
kicking it up in their heels, but it
wasn't. That was you. That was you
Scott. [laughter]
Um, so I just I I really like
>> I'm going to start hanging out of movie
theaters.
>> Yeah, I know. NAI movies, I don't know
what else to say. It's a push. Just like
people are don't like brand AI, they
like brand people and that's done very
good. They love stories. Anyway,
>> oh, I got a show recommendation for you.
>> What? What?
>> Shores.
>> Shores.
>> It's about this. It's about this hockey
team that's sort of the pride and joy of
uh of some small town in Canada. It's
really And of course, it's all about
It's really a story about people, but
it's really adorable and well done. Oh,
and Cara, you'll love this. Uh, Shores
is directed by the same guy who directed
Heated Rivalry, Jacob Tyranny's. There's
got to be in the Locker Room
Coming, episode two.
>> I was watching Running Point. I think
that's what it's called. The one with
Kate Hudson and Justin's in it, too.
Justin's in it a lot in this movie.
>> He's very good in that, too.
>> It's good. It's adorable. I just
finished watching. Okay. Shoresy. All
right. I'll listen to it. Anyway, uh, we
want to hear from you. Send us your
questions about business, tech, or
whatever's on your mind. Go to
nymag.com/pivot
to submit a question for the show or
call 8551 pivot. and elsewhere in the
Karen Scott universe. You're going to
love this, Scott. For the latest episode
of On, I interviewed Alen Brash McKenna
and David Frankle, the writer and
director of Devil Wars Prada 2. I wanted
to focus on them. I mean, the stars have
gotten a lot of attention, but I think
these two are at the heart of why it's
so excellent and uh and they're really
incredibly good purveyors of what they
do. Let's listen to a clip of David
explaining how he approached Meyer
Street's character, Miranda Priestley.
>> Miranda is not the villain here. Miranda
is the heroine. Miranda is trying to
achieve excellence every day and the why
does she have to be nice to accomplish
that you know and there's a long list of
mostly men of course uh who are um
highly regarded for their
superb work. I mean they might be the
goats in their business but they uh and
no one really questions how how nice
they are about about accomplishing that.
>> It's a really smart interview. I really
like to show people behind the scenes
and I think they're great. Um, and
Scott, one of the parts you'll like a
lot is Miranda trying desperately to
avoid getting in trouble with HR the
whole time. It's really reminded me of
you. I don't know. [laughter]
>> Trying to avoid HR.
>> Yes. There's, you know, she says things
and her assistant goes, "No, no." And
she's like, "What? I can't say I want to
kill myself." You know, there's a whole
It goes, it's a little bit, but it works
really well. Like I every time she did
it when I saw the same time I thought,
"Oh, Scott Galloway needs someone who
sits next to him and goes but then I
realized that was me."
>> Yeah, that's who.
>> No, no, no, no, no.
>> I think you give me You realize I have
never been in anything resembling any
type of trouble like that at a
corporation. I'm Alan Alda at work.
>> I know. I know. I know. I know. Anyway,
it was good. Anyway, it's David Franle
and
>> although I do call my assistant Jiggles.
Is that wrong?
>> Oh god. There we go. [laughter] No. No,
no, no, no, no, no. We don't do that.
>> We don't say that.
>> At the Christmas party, I ask all the
hot women to sit on my lap. Is that
wrong?
>> What do you want for Christmas, little
girl?
>> Oh my god. All right, that's the show.
Thanks for listening to Pivot and be
sure to like and subscribe to our
YouTube channel. We'll be back on
Friday.
[music]
Ask follow-up questions or revisit key timestamps.
In this episode of Pivot, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss the latest news, including the Met Ball, GameStop's bizarre acquisition offer for eBay, and the shifting landscape of AI regulation and politics. They critique the behavior of tech billionaires, analyze the intersection of AI in politics, and share their wins and fails of the week, which include reflections on Senator Ben Sasse and the successful box office performance of films without AI components.
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