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Hey there weekday warriors,
Here’s what’s on tap today… this is not a drill: Elon actually followed through on the SpaceX-xAI merger, Disney has a front-runner to replace Bob Iger, and Michael Saylor needs a new… Strategy.
Enjoy the next 3 minutes and 42 seconds of blue-chip news and commentary.
Keep on snapping necks and cashing checks,
Merger secured
“You crazy son of a b*tch, you did it.” - everyone who doubted Elon would actually follow through on his ambitious tie-up between SpaceX and xAI (guilty as charged)
Elon is consolidating his empire. You might recall that last week rumors began swirling that SpaceX was considering merging with xAI and/or Tesla (sucks to suck, Boring Company).
Welp, Elon has made his choice. In a blog post on SpaceX’s website (despite overpaying for a microblogging site), Elon said the rocket company was acquiring xAI.
Together they’ll “form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform.”
The combined company (SpacexAI?) will be valued at an estimated $1.25T. That’s $1T for SpaceX and $250M for xAI. The companies were last valued at $800B and $230B, respectively.
Why though?
Per Elon: “This cost-efficiency alone will enable innovative companies to forge ahead in training their AI models and processing data at unprecedented speeds and scales, accelerating breakthroughs in our understanding of physics and invention of technologies to benefit humanity.”
Translation? Data centers… in space.
Oh, and the deal will help cuck those betas over at Saudi Aramco and secure the biggest IPO of all time. According to Bloomberg, the combined companies will take their talents public later this year.
200+ AI Side Hustles to Start Right Now
While you were debating if AI would take your job, other people started using it to print money. Seriously.
That's not hyperbole. People are literally using ChatGPT to write Etsy descriptions that convert 3x better. Claude to build entire SaaS products without coding. Midjourney to create designs clients pay thousands for.
The Hustle found 200+ ways regular humans are turning AI into income. Subscribe to The Hustle for the full guide and unlock daily business intel that's actually interesting.
+ “Buckle up, f*ckleheads.” - Tom Wambsgans Josh D’amaro
Disney $DIS ( ▲ 3.55% ) CEO Bob Iger is a quitter (again). Bobby is expected to step down this year, and the House of Mouse has been scrambling to anoint an heir.
Real-life Tom Wambsgans, Disney Parks director Josh D’Amaro appears to be in the lead to replace Iger, per anonymous sources…
In case you’re asking, “Who?” it’s worth noting that JD has been successfully crushing it as head of Parks since 2020. And I’ve got receipts: his unit reported over $10B in quarterly revenue for the first time ever yesterday.
Speaking of earnings…
DIS reported a healthy beat on the top and bottom lines yesterday, with a cool $25.9B revenue and $1.63 EPS.
+ Go check in on your friend who’s short PLTR…
Palantir $PLTR ( ▲ 4.53% ) just did what it does best: beat on the top and bottom lines thanks to the strength of AI products sold to the US government. That includes tools like [redacted], which is used to [redacted].
Meanwhile, CEO Alex Karp always be closing…
During a post-earnings interview, Al pitched anti-ICE protesters: “If you are critical of ICE, you should be out there protesting for more Palantir. Our product actually, in its core, requires people to conform with Fourth Amendment data protections.” I’ll save you the ChatGPT search… the 4th is the amendment barring the government from “unreasonable searches and seizures.”
+ Define: “store of value”…
#47 is moving forward with his plan to build a $12B stockpile of critical minerals. “Project Vault” is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. A big a** mineral stockpile of things like gallium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth minerals, with the goals of stabilizing prices and decreasing dependence on China.
Rare earth miner shares popped yesterday on news of the Vault (think: NioCorp $NB ( ▲ 3.92% ), USA Rare Earth $USAR ( ▲ 6.02% ), and Critical Metals Corp $CRML ( ▲ 3.42% )).
Yes, I know I used this meme yesterday, but it belongs here now…
The artist formerly known as MicroStrategy took a big hit yesterday. Shares of Michael Saylor’s HODLing Co. tumbled after Bitcoin dipped below Strategy’s $MSTR ( ▲ 26.12% ) average purchase price per token. In other words… the company went underwater briefly.
+ Donny Tariffs and India PM Narendra Modi just reached a deal to lower tariffs. #47 bragged about the deal via Truth Social (which, duh) immediately, including a claim that the PM committed to buy over $500B of US products. Oh, and apparently committed to stop buying oil from Russia and start buying from the US and Venezuela...
Reciprocal tariffs on India will drop to 18%, and India will reportedly reduce its US tariffs to “ZERO.” Yuge if true.
GTFO (Get The F*ck Out of Office)
If you're looking for miles that can go towards escaping your sh*tty job for a few days your dream vacation, you need to take a look at this travel rewards card.
It’s offering a $250 Travel Credit + 75k Bonus Miles (that’s $1,000 towards travel)… which is probably why credit card experts are obsessed with it.
Spoiler: TWC might be compensated if you click on the links above. Hint, hint.
> New York AG issues warning around prediction markets ahead of Super Bowl (CNBC) // She sounds like fun at a Super Bowl party…
> Air India grounds a Boeing Dreamliner due to possible fuel control switch defect (NY Post) // Boeing $BA ( ▲ 2.57% ) shareholders be like…
> Friday’s jobs report will be delayed because of the partial government shutdown (CNBC) // They can’t keep getting away with this…
> It’s literally taxis…
Yesterday, I asked, “Regardless of what Ryan Cohen does, what company would be the best for Ryan Cohen/GME to acquire? (and why?)”
27.9% of you said, “AMC.”
Here’s what some of you guys had to say…
AMC: “Probably could achieve some synergies by merging the two companies/incorporating gaming into the theatrical experience.”
eBay: “Someone needs to buy that relic... Might as well be the company with a thriving secondary market?”
Other: “Monster Beverage Corporation... corner the market on nerds”
Strategy: “Bitcoin is down bad, maybe he can ride a recovery. Or not.”
AMC: “AMC so GME can turn every video game into a movie like Iron Lung.”
Here’s today’s question(s)…
About to make Disney adults' heads explode. You have to get rid of every part of the Disney ecosystem EXCEPT for ONE. Which are you keeping around?
+ US stocks “ended Monday's trading session on a positive note, shaking off AI trade worries as earnings flooded in and Federal Reserve uncertainty swirled.” (Yahoo! Finance)
+ The 10-year yield “moved higher on Monday as investors digested the latest economic data and continued to weigh the impact of President Donald Trump’s Federal Reserve chair pick.” (CNBC)
+ Oil “fell more than $3 per barrel on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was "seriously talking" with Washington, signaling a de-escalation of tensions with the OPEC member, while a stronger dollar and milder weather forecasts also pressured prices.” (Reuters)
+ Bitcoin “halted a sharp sell-off from over the weekend that pushed prices down to around $75,000, as heavy liquidations in leveraged positions and growing macro uncertainty weighed on sentiment.” (Investing.com)
+ The “smart” money (prediction markets) thinks there’s only a 26% chance that anyone gets charged from the Epstein disclosures. (Polymarket)
⏪ Yesterday…
+ Disney reported before the opening bell
+ Palantir, Teradyne, NXP Semiconductors, and Simon Property Group dropped earnings after hours
⏩ Today we’re keeping an eye on…
+ PayPal, Pfizer, Merck & Company, Fubotv, Eaton, Archer-Daniels-Midland, Galaxy Digital, and Enterprise Products Partners report before the bell
+ Advanced Micro Devices, Super Micro Computer, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Enphase Energy, Take-Two, Electronic Arts, Amgen, Mondelez, Powell Industries, Lumen Technologies, Chubb, Lumentum Holdings, and Emerson Electric report after hours
Oh, and one more thing…
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