E102: Elon closes Twitter deal, $META uncertainty, Zuck's historic bet, big tech decline & more

Former Twitter CEO, who one of the hosts believes deserves credit for shareholder value creation due to the acquisition price of Twitter.

Current CIA director, whose writings are cited as expert warnings about NATO expansion leading to conflict.

U.S. President, criticized for the administration's foreign policy regarding Ukraine and China, specifically for not engaging in diplomacy with Russia earlier and escalating tensions with China.

Dave Rubin mentioned giving ratings to Megan Kelly. She apparently called one of the hosts a 'prick'.

Discussed as 'Yay', in the context of his anti-Semitic comments while in a manic episode, and how content moderation should handle such situations.

CEO of Meta, who is the focus of Brad Gerstner's activist letter and widely discussed for Meta's large investments in Reality Labs despite financial struggles.

His interview with Kanye West is discussed, where Lex pushed back on anti-Semitic comments despite a friendship with Kanye.

An activist investor who wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, suggesting Meta should reduce capital expenditures and consider layoffs to become profitable.

Investor who advised Apple to buy back shares in 2016, which resulted in a significant increase in stock price. His advice is contrasted with Brad Gerstner's 'above the line' suggestions for Meta.

Suggested as a potential CEO for Facebook Corporation if Mark Zuckerberg were to focus solely on Meta, allowing her to run the profitable core business.

An IR scholar cited as an expert who warned about the consequences of NATO expansion towards Russia's border.

One of the hosts did a 45-minute segment with Dave Rubin on Ukraine.

American diplomat and historian, famous for his 'Long Telegram' and advocacy of containment doctrine during the Cold War. His interviews are cited as expert warnings about NATO expansion.

Discussed in relation to whether he should be allowed back on Twitter after his ban, and the reasoning behind such decisions.

Mentioned as the person in the Elvis movie who offers Elvis the best advice: 'If you don't do the business, the business will do you.'

CEO of Apple, mentioned in a historical context regarding a dinner with Carl Icahn where stock buybacks were discussed, leading to Apple's improved stock performance.

Co-founder of Google, whose 2004 IPO Founders Letter emphasized long-term focus over quarterly market expectations, influencing Silicon Valley founders.

Representative who stood by the Progressive Caucus letter advocating for diplomacy with Russia, publicly asking why diplomacy has become a dirty word.

The Russian President, whose actions in Ukraine are a central topic, with debate over whether he is bluffing about nuclear weapons and the need for diplomatic engagement.

Financier who supported one of the host's views on foreign policy, despite previous disagreements on other issues.

His acquisition of Twitter is discussed, along with his previous successes with SpaceX and Tesla, and his plans for Twitter's future including verification and payments.

China's President, discussed in the context of escalating tensions with China, the need for de-escalation, and his increased control within China.

U.S. Secretary of State, criticized along with President Biden for the administration's foreign policy approach to Ukraine and China.

Leader of the House Progressive Caucus, who reportedly 'threw her own staff under the bus' after the backlash to the diplomacy letter.

His portrayal in The New Republic illustration is described as looking like he's 'rolling on Molly', and having stubble that he doesn't actually have.

An International Development Economist cited as an expert who warned about the consequences of NATO expansion towards Russia's border.

Former CEO of Reddit, who received controversy for cleaning up bullying and harassment on the platform by implementing moderation systems.

Elvis Presley's business manager, described as a Dutch con man, not Jewish, to counter Kanye's narrative about Jewish people in the music industry.

CFO of Apple, mentioned in a historical context regarding a dinner with Carl Icahn where stock buybacks were discussed.

Co-founder of Google, whose 2004 IPO Founders Letter emphasized long-term focus over quarterly market expectations, influencing Silicon Valley founders.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, cited as an expert who warned about the consequences of NATO expansion towards Russia's border.

Actor mentioned because Elon Musk's portrayal in The New Republic illustration was said to resemble him.

Elon Musk's company, whose mission was to get to Mars and made life multi-planetary, leading to the profitable launch and satellite businesses.

The original name of Elon Musk's payment company, which he still owns the domain for, suggesting a potential future for payments on Twitter.

Elon Musk's company, founded with the mission to move the world to sustainable energy, creating what one host believes is the best car in the world.

Reported Q3 earnings with overall revenue up but net income down, and gave slower guidance, contributing to the broader decline in big tech stocks.

Mentioned in comparison to Twitter's value per monthly active user. Its financial struggles, investment in Reality Labs, and overall business strategy are heavily debated.

Discussed as a platform that faced challenges with bullying and harassment, leading to the implementation of moderation policies under CEO Ellen Pao.

Mentioned as a company that spent $32 billion in cumulative spend, used as a benchmark to contextualize Meta's Reality Labs investment.

Mentioned as a company that Mark Zuckerberg could approach to acquire Epic Games for $50 billion as an alternative strategy to Reality Labs.

Investment bank chosen by Google for its IPO process, using a Dutch auction, which was a vector of iteration for how IPOs were done.

The company was acquired by Elon Musk for $44 billion, after trading sideways for a decade. Discussions revolve around its potential for growth, bot problem, verification, and payment features.

The company that makes advanced chips, and Taiwan being the primary location for these, which raises geopolitical concerns about China's incentives to take Taiwan.

Discussed as an example of a platform that started open but evolved to include moderation and copyright guidelines.

Elon Musk's plan for a content moderation council is compared to Facebook's existing council, which Zuckerberg tried to set up.

Mentioned as an acquisition target for Meta, having recently raised money at a $31 billion valuation, offering a platform (Fortnite) with a deep immersive experience and engaged user base.

Facebook's acquisition that started to work with e-commerce, but lacked focus on product development according to the hosts.

Mentioned in the context of David Sax being CEO with Elon Musk, Roloff, and Peter Thiel 20 years ago, highlighting their experience with payments.

Investment bank that pitched Google on a dual-class voting control structure during its IPO, setting a trend in Silicon Valley IPOs.

An app added to Facebook that was a huge hit, demonstrating a successful foray into building a 'super app'.

Mentioned as one of the big tech companies whose stock performance was historically a proxy for the S&P 500, and recently reported 'crappy earnings'.

Compared to Twitter regarding content moderation, Google initially had an open platform but eventually implemented censorship for certain markets like China and for specific content types like porn.

Compared to Meta's spending habits. Apple's stock performance improved significantly after Carl Icahn's "below the line" suggestion to buy back stock. They developed the iPhone incrementally, funding each generation from previous profits.

A debilitating inflammatory disease affecting two million Americans, with new research suggesting its origin in the gut biome due to protein mimicry.

A Google 'other bet' that struggled to find ways to display value, involving balloons for internet connectivity.

A technology that, combined with AlphaFold technology, allows for the identification of organisms in the gut biome and prediction of protein structures to understand autoimmune reactions.

Discussed as one of many alternative snacks available, with a lighthearted comment about their distribution.

SpaceX's satellite business, which is described as a phenomenal business with significant opportunity as a backup internet solution.

Apple's flagship product, cited as an example of incremental product development and funding from previous generation profits. The first iPhone cost $3.6 billion in today's dollars to create.

Meta's VR headsets; acknowledged as a very cool and magical product, but its use cases beyond initial trials are questioned in relation to Meta's massive investment.

Criticized for containing 'horrendous amounts of chemicals' like Xylitol, which can cause stomach issues.

A 1942 Supreme Court decision defining 'fighting words' as unprotected speech tending to incite immediate breach of peace through abusive language.

U.S. legislation aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing, discussed for its implications on China's technological and military expansion.

Meta's division for VR/AR, criticized for its enormous and sustained investment (projected $250 billion over 12-13 years) with insufficient demonstrable progress for investors.

An AI image generation software, jokingly suggested as being used to create the unflattering illustration in The New Republic.

An AI technology used to predict the 3D structure of proteins, crucial for identifying protein mimicry in the gut biome related to autoimmune diseases.

Epic Games' platform, highlighted for its hundreds of millions of active users, profitability, and evolving immersive two-dimensional experience, as a contrast to Meta's struggling VR/AR strategy.

A group of Progressive members in the U.S. House of Representatives who drafted a letter suggesting diplomatic talks with Russia regarding the Ukraine war, leading to a strong backlash.

News channel where Representative Ro Khanna gave an interview defending his stance on diplomacy.

News channel where Representative Ro Khanna gave an interview defending his stance on diplomacy.

Referenced for its historical decisions on speech categories not protected due to danger, providing inspiration for content moderation policies.

Criticized for being 'pedal to the metal' on interest rate increases, which could lead to a 'huge recession next year'.

Mentioned for their argument that exposing bad opinions to sunlight helps fight them, rather than banning them to the dark web.

A scientific journal where a paper was published identifying a gut bacteria that can trigger rheumatoid arthritis.

A chemical found in keto snacks that can cause gas and stomach upset.

Mentioned in the context of improving the area, possibly near the Twitter building.

Discussed in the context of the Ukraine war, diplomacy, and the potential for escalation, including nuclear war.