Industry veterans, degenerate gamblers & besties Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks & David Friedberg cover all things economic, tech, political, social & poker.
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This episode features Tucker Carlson delving into significant topics, from the intense media battle between Paramount and Netflix over Warner Bros. Discovery to the complex factors behind Nick Fuentes' popularity and the perceived threats of identity politics. The conversation also explores the rising anti-AI sentiment on the right, examining job displacement concerns and the Orwellian risks of government control through technology. Finally, Tucker shares his "hottest takes" on a range of global and domestic issues including Venezuela, NATO, Israel, and the future of Europe.
The besties delve into OpenAI's internal "Code Red" as competitors like Google, Anthropic, and XAI rapidly gain market share, challenging Sam Altman's leadership and deal-making. They then fiercely defend David Sacks against a New York Times article alleging self-benefit, arguing it's an attempt to deter experienced experts from government service. Finally, the discussion pivots to a viral claim about the US poverty line, examining rising costs like childcare and housing, and warning about the "spiral of socialism" due to government spending and high taxes.
(0:00) Molly Bloom joins the besties live in Las Vegas! (1:48) Did Jason actually play in "Molly's Game"? (3:23) Molly's background, starting the game, getting strong-armed by a famous actor, getting stiffed for $250K and losing the game (16:54) Moving the game to NYC, mob involvement, legal troubles, writing her memoir and making the movie (31:10) Best celebrity poker players, high-stakes poker archetypes, and more (34:31) Sales coaching advice Thanks to Oracle! Join Oracle AI Experience to dis...
(0:00) Bestie intros LIVE from The Venetian Las Vegas (1:13) Epstein Files breakdown (10:06) Biggest Epstein questions: where did his money come from? (14:44) Tether's booming business (23:50) Michael Burry vs. Friedberg, Nvidia's blowout quarter and risks for 2026 (35:25) Google's Gemini 3 and TPU breakthrough (42:51) Investing your own money vs. LP capital, why Friedberg returned as a CEO (48:57) Alan Keating joins the show to talk poker strategy, thriving in chaos, risk psychology Special tha...
The Besties delve into Michael Burry's controversial AI short and Palantir's high valuation, debating the legitimacy of depreciation accounting practices and the ethics of short selling. They also tackle the US home affordability crisis, critiquing government intervention and proposing solutions for housing and student debt. The discussion extends to the H-1B visa program's abuses and potential reforms, a significant solar storm event and its risks, and the phenomenon of "great confiscation" leading to global migration trends among the wealthy.
The besties discuss OpenAI's PR challenges, including Sam Altman's candid remarks and a CFO's misstatement about seeking a federal "backstop," and the broader implications for AI infrastructure and regulation. They explore the intensifying AI race between the US and China, emphasizing the need for a unified federal framework. The conversation shifts to a "risk-off" market environment, consumer financial strain, and how these economic pressures are fueling the rise of socialist policies, as seen in recent local elections, prompting debate on legislative reforms and the filibuster.
(0:00) Introducing Ari Emanuel (1:03) Ari's background in the content business and Hollywood (4:14) How infinite distribution is changing Hollywood, the future of podcasting, creators owning advertising products (9:21) AI's impact: anticipating the 3-day workweek (12:13) Splitting time between TKO and WME, YouTube vs Netflix for creators, modern IP ownership (18:20) How he got a fighter's reputation, relationship with Michael Ovitz, how he built on Ovitz's vision (22:12) Future of sports enterta...
Tareq Amin, CEO of Humane, details Saudi Arabia's rapid transformation into a digital hub, driven by Vision 2030 and abundant resources. He explains how Humane is building critical AI infrastructure and proprietary Arabic-first models, alongside an enterprise AI operating system. The discussion also covers the nation's strategic energy advantage, its strong talent pool of Western-educated Saudis, and its crucial US-aligned approach to global AI technology.
(0:00) Introducing Paul "Triple H" Levesque (0:56) The skills needed to be an effective professional wrestler, understanding the characteristics of President Trump and The Rock (5:41) The rise of the antihero / heel persona, and why modern wrestling is more morally grey (8:43) WWE vs UFC: Why they are opposites, star building (11:21) Physicality of the WWE and how they support wrestlers (14:13) The business of the WWE: using streaming and social as a funnel for live events, the magic of live WWE...
Elon Musk discusses X's content algorithm improvements, the ambitious launch of Grokopedia as an AI-powered, truth-seeking alternative to Wikipedia, and X's three-year legacy of restoring free speech. He also delves into Tesla's advancements in AI and robotaxis, the immense potential of solar energy, and his pragmatic outlook on AI's societal impact and global energy challenges. The conversation touches on corporate governance and the ironic transformation of OpenAI.
(0:00) Chamath and Jason welcome Pete Buttigieg (1:31) Why the Democrats lost tech (6:40) Taxes: Federal wealth tax, wealth disparity, billionaires, the role of government in the free market (23:17) Government efficiency: Democratic DOGE, breaking ranks on debt, his plan to control spending (33:01) Culture Wars: The costly role of democratic identity politics, navigating a primary with moderate views, the two Democratic Parties (40:07) Immigration: Trump shutting the border, Biden's failure (47:...
(0:00) Friedberg introduces 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Winner María Corina Machado (4:27) Venezuela before and after Chavez (15:25) Why María got involved in politics and why she was expelled (24:33) Why Maduro was chosen and Chavez's successor, China relationship, why people are fleeing (31:27) Intimidation tactics by the Maduro regime, response to claims of her being a "Western puppet" (39:30) Presidential run, election fraud, how different US regimes have viewed Venezuela (54:23) The rise of soci...
(0:00) David Friedberg intros John Martinis, the 2025 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics (0:43) John's history, how he got into physics (4:54) Explainer on quantum mechanics (22:57) Quantum tunneling and the 1985 paper that led to this Nobel Prize (30:37) Understanding qubits, the state of quantum computing, and the impact of AI (40:56) US vs China in quantum, reactions to winning the Nobel Prize Learn more about the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/202...
Senator Joe Manchin discusses his new book, 'Dead Center in Defense of Common Sense,' detailing his political journey and key legislative battles. He recounts his opposition to the Build Back Better bill, his defense of the filibuster amid intense pressure and death threats, and his views on presidential leadership and the rise of entitlement culture. Manchin advocates for term limits, bipartisan cooperation, and significant reforms to address issues like healthcare, immigration, and the national debt, emphasizing the need for political courage over party loyalty.
(0:00) Introducing Jan Sramek (0:51) How California Forever is building America's next great city Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applications. Connect with investors, crypto founders, and entrepreneurs at Solana's global flagship event during Abu Dhabi Finance Week & F1: https://solana.com/breakpoint OKX - The new way to build your crypto portfolio and use it in daily life....
(0:00) Bestie intros! Dreamforce and another interesting conference take the Bay Area (3:35) State of crime in SF, do they need the National Guard? (20:48) US to impose price floors after China puts export controls on rare earths, can America on-shore a full-stack rare earth industry? (36:15) State of US-China ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting, how we got here, China's elite mercantilism and strong economic history (52:59) AI PR crisis: Recent datacenters get denied Follow the besties: https://x.com...
(0:00) Chamath and Friedberg welcome Andrew Ross Sorkin to discuss his new book, "1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation" (0:38) Why he chose this time period (3:22) The setup: what led to the 1929 crash (19:24) The characters: major players in the 1929 crash; what kind of bubble are we experiencing in 2025? (26:21) Role of journalist vs market participant; characters of the 2025 market (30:10) AI's potential 1929-like impact on unemployment (35:16)...
(0:00) Introducing Orlando Bravo (1:53) Orlando's history, Puerto Rico origins, how he got into private equity (7:10) How he runs Thoma Bravo: small team, outward facing, mentorship, patience in fundraising (9:01) Role of PE in the American economy, public perception, underwriting AI risks (15:23) Deal pricing philosophy, acquiring Boeing's avionics business (19:24) Thoma Bravo's operating playbook after acquiring a company (26:16) Thoughts on taking Thoma Bravo public Thanks to our partners for...
(0:00) Introducing Bryan Johnson (0:46) Bryan takes the audience through a quick biological age test (5:53) The single best longevity hack from all of his research Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applications. Connect with investors, crypto founders, and entrepreneurs at Solana's global flagship event during Abu Dhabi Finance Week & F1: https://solana.com/breakpoint OKX - Th...
(0:00) Introducing Cathie Wood (0:47) Cathie Wood on AI's once in a lifetime opportunity: doubling GDP, deflation, and more (9:23) Cathie's bull case for Bitcoin $1M (11:38) Opening up access to innovation for retail (14:32) Cathie explains Ark's strategies for bull and bear markets (16:01) Thoughts on Elon's trillion-dollar pay package Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applicatio...
(0:00) Bestie intros: Welcome back Brad Gerstner! (2:48) Israel-Hamas ceasefire, how Trump and his team got the deal done (13:27) National Guard sent to Chicago to protect ICE Agents (44:02) OpenAI's deal with AMD, state of the "AI Bubble" (1:05:45) Circular AI deals: cause for concern or no big deal? (1:15:00) What's behind the Gold rally? (1:20:38) Polymarket receives $2B investment from NYSE owner ICE, future of prediction markets Follow Brad: https://x.com/altcap Follow the besties: https://...
(0:00) Introducing Roelof Botha (1:08) Sequoia's Scout program and its best-performing funds ever (3:38) State of Venture Capital: Why it's broken, too much capital, not enough great companies (9:01) Why Sequoia separated from its China business, how they adapt to changing macro landscapes (13:05) Sequoia's culture, picking partners, investment decision-making, The Sequoia Capital Fund and holding winners (20:18) What makes a great founder, what Roelof learned from Doug Leone and Michael Moritz ...
(0:00) Introducing YouTube CEO Neal Mohan (1:08) YouTube's revenue split with creators (7:30) How Neal thinks about enabling monoculture and connective threads at YouTube (11:23) Censorship on YouTube, demonetization decisions, dealing with different regimes and laws globally (19:58) YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, and channel subscriptions (24:00) Generative AI on YouTube: labeling AI, likeness concerns, possibilities Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high perfo...
(0:00) Introducing Joe Tsai (0:49) Owning the Nets and Liberty, Caitlin Clark's impact on the WNBA, does the NBA need fixing? (6:07) Alibaba origins, China's pullback on capitalism (10:10) US vs China rivalry: the AI race, are we destined for conflict, and what can the US learn from China? (19:46) AI application in large businesses (21:52) Managing corporate culture at Alibaba's scale, Nets predictions (23:17) AI adoption, job anxiety, and AGI views in China Thanks to our partners for making thi...
The Besties discuss the $55B acquisition of EA, highlighting the Saudi PIF's strategic bet on AI-enhanced gaming and the growing pains of private equity. They delve into the dysfunctional IPO market and the future of SPACs, including Chamath's new model. The conversation shifts to the impact of AI on traditional industries, the rise of open-source AI from China, and the escalating energy demands of AI data centers. Finally, the group critically examines the frenzy of state-level AI regulations, like Colorado's algorithmic discrimination law, advocating for federal preemption to foster a coherent national AI strategy.
(0:00) Chamath and Jason welcome Rep. Ro Khanna! (1:10) H-1Bs and immigration (8:40) Giving Trump credit as a Progressive Democrat, why bipartisanship is broken, future Democratic leaders (15:08) Tech industry: Can Democrats win back tech?; Economic patriotism, protection vs proliferation of AI (24:25) Government shutdown, what actually happens? (30:25) Extreme rhetoric: Importance of dialing this down (36:29) Censorship and lawfare on both sides (40:32) Crime issues in major cities, why Democra...
(0:00) Introducing Kyle Samani (1:07) History of modern capital markets (3:25) What a redesigned capital market structure would look like in 2025 (8:22) Examples of the future of internet capital markets Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applications. Connect with investors, crypto founders, and entrepreneurs at Solana's global flagship event during Abu Dhabi Finance Week & F1...
(0:00) Introducing Rick Caruso (1:03) Reflecting on the disastrous LA Wildfires: Karen Bass failure, saving the Palisades Village, failure to rebuild (11:20) California's incompetence, running for CA Governor vs LA Mayor (14:21) Attention to detail (17:04) State of California: What it should be, homelessness, National Guard, policing Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana is the high performance network powering internet capital markets, payments, and crypto applications....
(0:00) Introducing Arm CEO Rene Haas (1:08) Lessons from working with Jensen Huang (3:20) Arm's history, understanding Nvidia's dominance in AI, training vs inference, physical AI market size (10:01) China's AI ecosystem, the US-Intel deal, rare earths, creating a US "national champion" (15:35) Manufacturing in America: how to create a culture of excellence? (18:34) US export controls, building in the UK (23:42) US-China AI arms race Thanks to our partners for making this happen! Solana - Solana...
