Robot Besties, Movie Tariffs and Tales from the Crypto
This week on Everybody’s Business, Max and Stacey explore the future of friendship. With OpenAI and Meta ramping up efforts to give chatbots personalities and emotional intelligence, the hosts ask: could an AI ever truly be your friend? And will this lead to the downfall of humanity? Reporter Sarah Frier joins the conversation. Then, Lights, Camera... Tariffs? President Trump wants to slap massive new taxes on films shot overseas, arguing it’s a national security issue. Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw stops by to explain what this could mean for the movie industry, how real the threat is, and what this might mean for the movie industry. Finally, for the underreported story of the week, Max and Stacey attempt to untangle an international crypto story. It’s a wild tale of geopolitics, digital cash, and the ever-expanding business of influence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
33:46
Elon Just Got His Very Own Town
It’s no secret that Elon Musk isn’t a big fan of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. He and his companies have been the subject of a plethora of investigations and regulatory scrutiny over the years (who can forget the infamous words “funding secured”?), and there’s currently a probe of Musk’s acquisition of Twitter shares. But only recently have Musk’s minions begun to ramp up their efforts to shrink the SEC. And while the “Department of Government Efficiency” has hugely missed the mark in terms of how much Musk claimed it would cut, hobbling the SEC could have profound consequences for Musk’s fortune. On this week’s episode of Elon, Inc., host David Papadopoulos is joined by Bloomberg Businessweek senior writer Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Elon Musk reporter Dana Hull and SEC reporter Nicola White to discuss Musk’s run-ins with the agency and what we can possibly expect from DOGE’s doings. Speaking of eyebrow raising—Musk just scored a big victory in Texas when residents of the small community near SpaceX’s rocket launch site voted to officially incorporate the area as “Starbase.” Bloomberg legal reporter Madlin Mekelburg joins the gang to discuss. To end things, Chafkin has spotted a brewing feud in Musk’s world. No, it’s not the Tesla CEO vs. the Tesla board, it’s Elon Musk vs. his neighbors—and this spat has it all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
32:22
Everybody’s Business: Trump's Days 100-104 and The Art of Horse Breeding
In the fifth (top secret) episode of Bloomberg Businessweek’s new podcast Everybody’s Business, hosts Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith look the first 104 days of the Trump administration--particularly the last 4. Businessweek editor Brad Stone joins to discuss Amazon's face-off with Trump, the GDP's downturn and the resignation of Mike Waltz. Then David Papadopoulos joins from the sidelines of the Kentucky Derby, where he explains why betting on the races is softening and why retirement is often more lucrative for horses than running (and what a retirement it is!). Finally, as the underrated story of the week, Stacey and Max discuss the rise of new media in the White House press corp, including one influencer who famously thought the moon had disappeared after she didn't see it for several days.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
30:35
Elon's First 100 Days in Office, the Future of the Robotaxi
Today marks the 100th day of the second Trump administration. It also means it’s been about 100 days since Elon Musk transformed the US Digital Service into what he and Trump contend is a government cost-cutting initiative named after Musk’s favorite crypto coin. With the Trump news cycle more intense than ever and Musk the fastest moving part of it, today’s episode of Elon, Inc. attempts to make sense of the past three-and-a-half months. What we do know is that the “Department of Government Efficiency” has only cut a fraction of the $2 trillion Musk initially promised, and that the South Africa native’s pledge of full transparency has come to nearly naught. Meanwhile, the entire effort is the subject of furious litigation over its arguably unconstitutional nature. Host David Papadopoulos gathers Max Chafkin, Dana Hull and Bloomberg technology reporter Kurt Wagner to break down Musk’s activities as his 130 days as a special government employee nears a close. What has been Musk’s biggest win? Biggest loss? What event has been the most surprising or under reported? The gang has its work cut out for them. Also, David, Dana and Max zero in on the robotaxi. Supposedly launching in Austin, Texas, in June, much of Tesla’s still-high valuation is bound up with Musk’s idea of a self-driving cab, and a lot of time was dedicated to it during last week’s Tesla earnings call. After years of promises, will the robotaxi actually see the light of day? How big of a fleet are we talking about? Will it survive an already crowded market? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
--------
31:57
Everybody’s Business: DOGE, Trump and the Rise of the Manosphere
In the fourth (top secret) episode of Bloomberg Businessweek’s new podcast Everybody’s Business, hosts Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith grapple with the rise of the Man-o-sphere. Elon Musk is backing away from Doge, but his legacy will linger, and Max reveals the man behind Doge (hint: it’s not Elon) Then Sarah Frier joins the show to talk about the former talent agent who introduced President Trump to the Manosphere and how he politicized the space. And how one clip of President Trump talking to a podcast host about cocaine won the hearts and minds of the manosphere and put them squarely on team Trump. Finally, as the underrated story of the week, Stacey and Max discuss an AI tool invention that got a Columbia student suspended and then won him millions in venture capitalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Elon Musk’s sprawling business empire has granted the billionaire a degree of power and global influence that transcends the industries he’s reshaped. He is the leader of no fewer than six hugely influential companies, spanning electric vehicles to wartime communications, and their innovations could shape the fates of nations.
Musk is polarizing, confounding and inescapable. And he is the biggest business story of our time.
Each week, listen in as host David Papadopoulos convenes a panel of Bloomberg Businessweek journalists who are tracking Musk’s companies and the surprising ways they intersect. They break down the business mogul's latest moves and analyze what they could mean for us all.
España