CASEY'S GENERAL STORES, INC. At last year’s annual meeting in August, shareholders were asked YES or NO on CEO Darren Robelez’s pay plan. To help them make a decision on the pay practices they had information like the ratio of the annual total compensation of Casey’s General Stores CEO to that of its median employee for the 2024 fiscal year, commonly known as the CEO Pay Ratio. Let’s begin the quiz there: According to the company’s SEC filing, at what point in the fiscal year 2024 did CEO Darren...
Aug 19, 2025•50 min
Story of the Week (DR): Is MAGA going Marxist and Maoist? Trump’s assault on free-market capitalism MM Trump’s risky role as the would-be CEO of America Trump blasts Goldman over tariff forecasts, tells David Solomon to 'focus on being a DJ' Trump Calls on Goldman to Replace Economist Over Tariff Stance Intel stock climbs 7% on report Trump administration is considering stake in chipmaker Trump says Intel CEO has an ' amazing story ' days after calling for his resignation ‘We negotiated a little...
Aug 15, 2025•1 hr
E Chemical pollution a threat comparable to climate change, scientists warn Two companies are arguably the largest PFAs and chemical manufacturers of human pollutants, and both are publicly traded with boards you can vote out: 3M and Chemours Texas prepares for war as invasion of flesh-eating flies appears imminent Sid Miller, the Texas Ag Commissioner who once called Hillary Clinton a “cunt” on social media, will protect you from flesh eating flies. Heatwaves will bring temperatures of 50C to P...
Aug 12, 2025•49 min
Story of the Week (DR): Trump Demands Intel CEO’s Resignation , Says He’s ‘Highly CONFLICTED’ AND Eric and Donald Trump Jr. to Own Millions of Shares in New U.S. Manufacturing SPAC MM ESG Analyst Tom Cotton: Trump's attack, posted on Truth Social Thursday, came two days after GOP Sen. Tom Cotton flagged Tan's prior investments in Chinese companies and his previous leadership at Cadence Design Systems, which recently pleaded guilty to unlawfully selling its tech to a blacklisted military universi...
Aug 08, 2025•59 min
DAMION1 In our 'Treaty Talks Begin With Bold New Commitment to Avoid Commitment: Delegates agree to form a task force to consider considering action and then unite to Say 'Plastic Is Bad'—Then Go Back to Their Plastic-Filled Hotels' headline of the week. Here’s what to watch for at this month’s global plastics treaty talks Negotiators from more than 170 countries are arriving in Geneva, Switzerland, this week to resume discussions over the United Nations plastics treaty, eight months after they ...
Aug 05, 2025•42 min
Story of the Week (DR): Mark Zuckerberg just shared his vision for ' personal superintelligence . "But perhaps even more important is that superintelligence has the potential to begin a new era of personal empowerment where people will have greater agency to improve the world in the directions they choose,"' Mark Zuckerberg is pouring billions of dollars into AI ‘superintelligence’— so why does his Instagram pitch feel so underwhelming? Mark Zuckerberg Looks Like He's Been Taken Hostage as He ...
Aug 01, 2025•58 min
Traditional Glass Lewis, ISS sue Texas over law restricting use of ESG in proxy-voting advice Italian court allows climate lawsuit against energy giant to proceed Italy’s highest court has given the green light to a lawsuit against the oil giant Eni for its role in warming the planet, rejecting the company’s motion to dismiss the case. The environmental groups Greenpeace Italy and ReCommon, along with 12 Italian citizens filed suit in 2023 against the state-controlled oil producer for “past and ...
Jul 29, 2025•42 min
Story of the Week (DR): Astronomer HR chief Kristin Cabot resigns following Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ incident MM Astronomer’s human resources chief Kristin Cabot has resigned from the company following an affair that was caught on camera at a Coldplay concert. The intimate moment between Cabot and CEO Andy Byron went viral on the internet after the two hid when Coldplay’s lead singer called them out during the concert. Both Byron and Chabot have now resigned from Astronomer and have been removed from...
Jul 25, 2025•58 min
Your thoughts on the kiss-cam episode Andrew Ross Sorkin’s note yesterday about Andy Byron, the C.E.O. of a tech start-up caught on camera with a colleague from H.R. at a Coldplay concert, struck a nerve with DealBook readers, who have flooded our inbox with responses: “The moment seems to encapsulate the pervasive schadenfreude within our culture, especially our office culture, and a deep-seated animosity toward bosses and colleagues,” Andrew wrote. “It highlights a zero-sum mentality in which ...
Jul 22, 2025•55 min
Story of the Week (DR): NEO turnover week MM Apple CFO and COO resign , raising questions about CEO Tim Cook's future Apple CEO succession plan blown open as most obvious candidate to step down Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Williams, 62, will retire at the end of this year. Following the retirement of former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Luca Maestri, 61, last year, the departure of these 'key figures in growth' seems to signal a significant generational shift within Apple. Meet Apple’s nex...
Jul 11, 2025•58 min
DAMION The next phase of Starbucks ’ turnaround plan is offering executives up to $6 million in stock grants, as baristas scrap to get annual raises above 2% Starbucks will reward company executives with up to $6 million in stock grants should they effectively fulfill cost-saving and timely rollout goals of the company’s “Back to Starbucks” turnaround strategy. Starbucks Workers United representatives dubbed the move “ridiculous and irresponsible” amid contract negotiations over barista wages. W...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr
Story of the Week (DR): ‘Merica: Elon Musk says he'll form the ' America Party ' if Trump's 'insane' spending bill passes Trump says he'll 'look' at deporting Musk as feud reignites Buffett donates $6B in Berkshire stock to 5 foundations: Lifetime giving tops $60B MM 9.43 million shares to the Gates Foundation 943,384 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation; 660,366 shares to each of three charities led respectively by his children Howard, Susie, and Peter: the Howard G. Buffett Foundati...
Jul 03, 2025•50 min
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE. Elon Musk vows to defeat politicians who back Trump's megabill 'if it is the last thing I do' and Elon Musk says he'll form the ' America Party ' if Trump's 'insane' spending bill passes “ Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campai...
Jul 01, 2025•54 min
Story of the Week (DR): Warner Bros. Discovery Reworks CEO Pay, Reducing David Zaslav’s Massive Compensation DR David Zaslav will take a pay cut after Warner Bros. Discovery splits up— with a big hit to his bonus David Zaslav Is Getting a Pay Cut Warner Bros to significantly slash CEO David Zaslav’s pay package Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav Pay to Drop After Company Split David Zaslav’s Pay To Be “Substantially” Lowered Ahead Of Split, WBD Says, But CEO Will Still Reap Rewards If Zaslav...
Jun 20, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Traditional Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products by end of 2027 SEC Drops Proposed Anti-Greenwashing Fund Disclosure Rules Initially launched by the SEC in 2022, the proposed “Enhanced Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Investment Companies About Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Practices” rule was designed by the Commission to address the lack of clear rules communicating the ESG attributes of an increasing number of funds marketing themselves usi...
Jun 17, 2025•43 min
Story of the Week (DR): Boeing Crash in India Is First Fatal Incident Involving a 787 Jet: Tragedy threatens to throw plane maker’s fragile recovery into question MM Boeing stock slides after Air India 787 Dreamliner crashes AI Overviews hallucinates that Airbus, not Boeing, involved in fatal Air India crash One of the Dreamliners That Gave a Boeing Manager Nightmares Just Crashed Whistleblowers always warned that passengers would pay a price for Boeing’s tyrannical corner-cutting, especially wi...
Jun 13, 2025•52 min
DAMION1 In our 'Glass Lewis complained that the gum-based equity should vest after being stuck to the bottom of his chair in 5 years and not 3 while ISS said, "shit, it just feels like it might be a lot of money probably"' headline of the week. Warner Discovery Shareholders Vote Against CEO David Zaslav’s Pay In our 'When 52% is way too wimpy and 54% is a step too far' headline of the week. Cement Industry Pledges 53% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050 In our 'Immature college dropout...
Jun 10, 2025•28 min
Story of the Week (DR): The Baby Billionaire Bromance is Over: Savannah Guthrie Says Elon Musk and Donald Trump Are ' Giving 7th Grade Girl ' as President Says Tesla CEO 'Has Lost His Mind' "It's so confusing isn't it? So much going wrong, so much to say, and all of it happening so quickly. The pace of oppression outstrips our ability to understand it. And that is the real trick of the Imperial thought machine.” BlackRock removed from Texas boycott list after quitting climate groups In a notable...
Jun 06, 2025•59 min
Securities body considers rollback of DEI and ESG goals International Securities Services Association debates changes as political climate shifts under Trump 2.0. In the UK, both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority have scrapped mandatory DEI rules in the financial sector, citing costs and the additional regulatory burden. F.T.C. Investigates Ad Groups and Watchdogs, Alleging Boycott Collusion The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether roughly a doz...
Jun 03, 2025•36 min
Story of the Week (DR): Boeing strikes $1.1 billion deal with Justice Department over deadly 737 Max crashes—and must pay $445 million to victims’ families Boeing will avoid a felony conviction by agreeing to pay over $1.1 billion, which includes a $243.6 million fine, $444.5 million to victims' families, and more than $455 million to enhance compliance, safety, and quality systems. The families were informed nearly a week after the DOJ said it had struck a tentative deal with Boeing that allows...
May 30, 2025•54 min
DAMION Let’s start with a softball: Tesla's Europe sales plunge 49% on brand damage, rising competition. Who Do You Blame? Elon Liberals Who Hate Elon Trump 2.0 The Tesla board (I’m looking at you Robyn and Kimbal) Apathetic Tesla investors Nobody. Share price is king. MM ISS backs Dynavax directors in board fight with Deep Track Capital Deep Track Capital, which is Dynavax's second largest shareholder with a nearly 15% stake, is pushing on with a proxy fight and wants new directors to prioritiz...
May 27, 2025•58 min
Story of the Week (DR): Right wing faux populism: Josh Hawley blasts Allstate CEO for making $26M last year — while company can’t ‘afford’ to pay out claims Trump Attacks Walmart , Tells Retailer to ‘Eat the Tariffs’ Instead of Raising Prices Tesla CFO earns staggering $139M compensation package Vaibhav Taneja: Approximately 80% of Mr. Taneja’s equity award was granted as stock options and 20% of the award was granted as restricted stock units. Robyn Denholm member of Pay Committee In 2024, Tesl...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 5 min
The 5:5:5 Good Game of Stupid Edition: Normal/Trump/Funny (to me) Normal 93% of U.S. Executives Desire Board Member Replacements In a recent survey conducted by PwC and The Conference Board, a substantial majority of senior executives in the U.S. expressed a desire for changes within their company's board of directors. The study revealed that 93% of the 520 top managers surveyed want at least one board member replaced, marking a record high in the survey's five-year history. The findings highlig...
May 20, 2025•49 min
Story of the Week (DR): UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down for 'personal reasons' MM DR UnitedHealth Under Investigation: UnitedHealth Group is facing a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice for potential Medicare fraud related to its Medicare Advantage program. The company is also dealing with a civil fraud investigation and has suspended its 2025 financial forecast amid rising medical costs. CEO Andrew Witty resigned unexpectedly this week. Steve will receive a golden he...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 2 min
DAMION1 In our 'That's cute, Sam, because I don't want my son to grow up in a world where college dropouts slowly replace human brain function with profit-driven AI' headline of the week. Sam Altman doesn't want his son to grow up with an AI best friend In our 'In other news, Ikea will call its forthcoming store in Boston simply 'Ikea,' sources say' headline of the week. ESPN will call its forthcoming flagship streaming app simply 'ESPN,' sources say In our 'Ex-CBS Director O.J. Simpson not name...
May 13, 2025•22 min
Story of the Week (DR): Berkshire board names Greg Abel as CEO, Buffett to remain chair Warren Buffett says he'll propose Greg Abel take over as Berkshire Hathaway CEO at year-end Warren Buffett makes surprise announcement: He's stepping down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO OpenAI backs off push to become for-profit company In a nutshell, with help from its chatbot: “OpenAI has restructured into a hybrid model with a nonprofit parent company, OpenAI Inc., and a for-profit subsidiary now called a Publi...
May 09, 2025•55 min
DAMION1 Kohl’s CEO Fired for Funneling Business to Romantic Partner 10 Kohl’s boss Ashley Buchanan tried to funnel business to a romantic partner and lost his job. It wasn’t the first time their personal and professional lives had crossed. Kohl’s fired Buchanan on Thursday after it discovered he had instructed the retailer to enter into a “highly unusual” business deal involving a woman with whom he has a romantic relationship, according to people familiar with the situation. The pair currently ...
May 06, 2025•58 min
DAMION1 White House blasts Amazon over tariff cost report: ‘Hostile and political act’ The White House on Tuesday slammed Amazon for reportedly planning to display the cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs next to the total price of products on its site. “This is hostile and political act by Amazon,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked. The Trump a...
Apr 29, 2025•45 min
Story of the Week (DR): CEOs to the rescue? Trio Of Top CEOs Warn Trump Tariffs Will Empty Store Shelves During a private meeting in the Oval Office on Monday, the CEOs of Walmart, Target and Home Depot reportedly told the president that supply chains could freeze and prompt stores’ shelves to go barren if he doesn’t rein in his sharp tariff plans, and meddles with the Federal Reserve. Target CEO Brian Cornell (25%): Mr. The Gay Pride Display Is Too Expensive Because THere are Too Many Colors (7...
Apr 25, 2025•51 min
Tech Bro Nonsense Former Google CEO Tells Congress That 99 Percent of All Electricity Will Be Used to Power Superintelligent AI billionaire tech tycoon and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt comments to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: "What we need from you is we need the energy in all forms, renewable, non-renewable, whatever. It needs to be there, and it needs to be there quickly." "Many people project demand for our industry will go from 3 percent to 99 percent of total generation... ...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 13 min
