Benzinga

🌍💸 Bill Gates: Climate change advocate with a very high carbon footprint? 🛩️ The tech mogul owns 4 private jets, worth a staggering $194M, and flies more than once a day on average. Despite his mission to fund carbon-cutting technologies and invest in companies like Climeworks to offset his emissions, Gates admits that his personal flying habits contribute to a massive carbon footprint. 🌱 Gates defends his actions by saying he offsets his emissions, funds climate innovations, and drives an electric car. But critics argue that while his investments in green tech are impressive, frequent jet use sends a mixed message, especially when billionaires are scrutinized for their environmental impact. Should he lead by example and cut back on private flying to truly walk the talk? 🤔

Elon Musk’s robotaxi dreams just got bigger! At a recent event, Tesla’s chief designer Franz von Holzhausen teased the possibility of new robotaxi models for 2025. 👀 What’s new? - Tesla may expand beyond the two-seat Cybercab to accommodate larger passenger groups. - Von Holzhausen called the Cybercab a “future version” of NYC’s iconic yellow cab—now with a sleek gold makeover. Why It matters: Tesla is in talks to test autonomous vehicles on Austin roads by 2025, potentially unlocking massive growth. Analysts even predict a $2 trillion market cap if these plans succeed. The big question: Could Tesla dominate the ride-hailing market with its futuristic fleet?

Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star, has had his fair share of financial setbacks. Despite investing nearly $20 million in various startups, he admitted that he hasn't made a profit from his Shark Tank investments, calling his biggest failure the Breathometer smartphone Breathalyzer. 😯 Cuban backed the company, but poor management and the founder’s focus on lavish trips rather than the product led to its downfall. By 2017, the company was forced to issue refunds after the FTC found their product’s blood alcohol readings to be inaccurate. 💸 Despite the financial losses, Cuban’s time on Shark Tank was never just about the money. He says the show has always been about inspiring future entrepreneurs and showing that the American dream is still alive. "If we can inspire young entrepreneurs to do something, that's huge," Cuban shared. As he wraps up his final season on Shark Tank to spend more time with his family, Cuban reflects on his successes, like Dude Wipes, and missed opportunities, like Spikeball. His advice? "You only need to be right once." ☝

🤖🔥 Sam Altman vs. Elon Musk OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Elon Musk a “legendary entrepreneur” but also didn’t hold back, labeling him a bully. 😳 “Elon loves a fight,” Altman said, adding, “Now it’s me. Before, it was Bezos, Gates, Zuckerberg… you name it.” Meanwhile, Musk has been busy throwing legal punches at OpenAI, claiming they’ve strayed from their nonprofit roots and prioritized profits. Fun twist? Emails show Musk once backed a for-profit model for OpenAI! 🧐 Altman’s focus? Building AGI to benefit humanity, not Twitter spats with Musk. Whose side are you on in this tech tug-of-war? Or is this just billionaire drama?

Nike's new CEO, Elliott Hill, is ready to turn things around after a disappointing performance. While Q2 earnings beat estimates, Hill blamed excessive promotions and a shift in focus for the brand's declining profits. 📉 Nike’s revenue dropped 8% year-over-year, with struggles in North America, China, and Europe. Hill admitted they “lost their obsession with sport” and is refocusing on athletes and building brand stories during key moments. The company plans to dial back on promotions and clear out excess inventory while restoring trust with wholesalers. Despite challenges, analysts remain optimistic, with a "Buy" rating and a 17.81% upside potential. 👟 Do you think Nike can bounce back and reclaim its dominance in sports? 

🚨 New York's comeback is REAL, and Jerry Seinfeld was right! Remember when people thought New York was "dead" during the pandemic? 🧐 Well, Jerry Seinfeld hit back with his famous article, “So You Think New York Is ‘Dead’ (It’s not)”—and he was spot on! As of today, the city’s commercial real estate is booming, and the office space shortage is REAL. 🏙️ 📊 The Stats: - 79% of new commercial space (2.4M sq. ft.) is already pre-leased. - WeWork and Amazon are securing massive deals across the city. - Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Bloomberg are expanding in the heart of NYC. - Return-to-office mandates are fueling the surge in office leases, bringing life back to businesses citywide. Even small businesses in Manhattan are thriving, with over 400 new startups creating thousands of jobs! 💼 Looks like the Big Apple’s alive and kicking—and it’s only getting hotter! What’s your take on NYC’s comeback? Is it the best time to invest or too crowded already?

At the Benzinga Future of Digital Assets conference, Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, dropped some powerful insights: 📈 Emerging markets lead the way: Stablecoins are revolutionizing cross-border payments and remittances, with transaction volumes nearing double Visa's size! Yet, in the U.S., they’re still flying under the radar. ⏳ Outdated banking systems beware: Imagine a world where money moves even on holidays. Van Eck predicts this outdated system will be history in 3-5 years. ⚖️ Regulation & resistance: Regulators are a hurdle, but Van Eck isn’t holding back: "Banking regulators love control. Jamie Dimon loves control." The fight for crypto-friendly rules is on. 📊 Advisors, take note: Financial advisors need to get ahead—clients will want stablecoins integrated into their portfolios. 💡 The future is stablecoins: Faster, cheaper, and globally inclusive, stablecoins are becoming the backbone of a new financial system. What’s your take? Are stablecoins the game-changer the world needs, or is there more to the story? 

⬇️ Big moves, big reactions! Trump Media & Technology Group $DJT saw its stock dip 5.31% in pre-market trading Friday following a game-changing decision by Donald Trump. What happened? Trump transferred his entire 53% stake (114.75M shares worth ~$4B) to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. No cash changed hands, and Trump remains the sole beneficiary, per SEC filings. DJT stock has been a high-flyer this year, more than doubling in value. But Trump’s transfer raises eyebrows: Is it asset management or part of a bigger strategy? Just last month, he slammed Nasdaq and hinted at moving to NYSE. Does this signal more growth ahead or uncertainty for the Truth Social parent company? 

Rich Dad, Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki doesn’t just embrace debt—he thrives on it. In 2023, he revealed he’s $1.2 billion in debt. Scary? Not for him. He calls it leverage, not a burden. 💰 But here’s the kicker: while he uses debt to grow wealth, he’s sounding the alarm on America’s $36 trillion debt. In his words: "A trillion seconds was 31,688 years ago. America goes a trillion dollars in debt every 100 days." 😱 Kiyosaki’s solution? Protect your wealth with gold, silver, and Bitcoin: ✨ Gold: History’s safe haven. It soared in crises, up 74% in five years. ⚡ Silver: A hedge with industrial demand. Up 71% in five years. 💻 Bitcoin: The digital wild card, thriving on scarcity and adoption. Kiyosaki isn’t anti-debt—he’s anti-mismanaged debt. His advice: don’t wait for the dollar to crumble. Diversify now. Do you agree with his strategy?

The Fed’s key inflation measure for November came in softer than expected, bringing a sigh of relief to markets after a week of hawkish warnings. Here's the breakdown: 📊 PCE inflation Annual: Up 2.4% (below 2.5% forecast) Monthly: +0.1% (slower than October’s 0.2%) 📉 Core PCE (ex food & energy) Annual: 2.8% (vs. 2.9% expected) Monthly: +0.1% (down from 0.3%) 🤑 Personal income & spending Income: +0.3% (cooling from October’s +0.5%) Spending: +0.4% (steady holiday spirit!) Market moves 💵 Dollar dips 🪙 Bitcoin stabilizes 📈 Gold jumps 🚀 Futures trim losses What does it mean? Markets may breathe easier today, but the Fed isn’t backing down on inflation concerns for 2025 and beyond. Is this a turning point or just a brief market pause?