Transcript
Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh my God, live. From a boardroom full of CEOs being forced to talk while being held hostage, oh no, what's happening in America. It's an all new Wacky. Wednesday edition of business finance joined by analysts Hall at mascardi. On today's long list of curated sadness, called January 28th. 2026. A very special CEO blowhard index, bad game. A lot of words. What's Workshop. That name did we? It wasn't. Okay, we're late on this because of unforeseen, technical difficulties circumstances. But I and I, I want to before we get into this I want to say that I wasn't. Planning on doing this show. but we had a Call out a positive call out. From someone we met. The Roosevelt Roosevelt Giles, what was that called? Stakeholder impact. Know what was that? Yeah. Found stickers or impact Foundation cohort? Something like that cohort. I know it was a cohort. Who sent? I think both of us. The memo that the that came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, that the CEOs in Minnesota, their response to everything going on with ice in Minneapolis in the country. So, I decided fine, I will pivot. Let's talk about it. I want to talk about and these CEOs. So I dedicated a whole show around it and I turned it into a game because what we do here, we take depressing things, and we turned him, and we in depressing games. No, come on the game. This is the most fun game ever. So I'm gonna have you do Virtual give you a little background. I just tried to gather every CEO response I could kind of find. And I'm just gonna have these slap a score on it. Maybe I'll let you take it, any direction you want, how so, how bad it is? How sincere it is, how much you care? I don't know. What do you think? What's my scoring skills? Like, five, Globe, 09 unicorns, is it always I think one to 10? Yeah. 0 to 10. So 0 is bad and ten is good. Okay, fine, let me give you a little bit. I'm asking, I don't know you're gay. Well, first of all, our show today is being sponsored by free flow analytics and freefall analyst.com. The only platform for measuring board car connections performance for free. Uh, we're we're a lot of the Cities, all of the CEOs, we talked about today can be found on that platform. Okay, before, let's just get a little quickly, get the background out of the way. I don't know who wouldn't who in America and probably Western Europe is not paying attention. To the story of what's going on in America with the ice. Who are you? Who is Ice? Like untrained goons. Untrained police goons, who are they? I get bone. They get big bonuses. They're like, cfo's they get a good a golden. Hello. I think one year ago, they were sort of like they were they were like Basically, you know inattentive father's playing Call of Duty online. I thought that was January 6th, Insurrection. We don't even I think that's, I mean there was a Daily Show bit on the advertisements that they were using to recruit and it was basically do you want to shoot someone come out for ice? And to be fair this is not a new, this is not a new thing in America. We've always had these types of police enforcement going around finding people who are here quote unquote illegally and trying to get rid of them. This is not a new thing, it's never been done with such like fear tactics Gusto, you know, by casual disregard for Humanity. Yeah, purely targeting people of color. I mean, is Pierre. In fact I you know, most a lot of us who live in these cities. I'm I live in a small City where ice is currently doing their operations and the first, the very first thing you noticed is He where whenever you look around, you only see white people because only white people are comfortable leaving their homes at this point. But people of color are they're not going to work, they're not going to school. They're not doing their daily activities. That you just don't see them as much. They're hiding. I mean, I understandably. So so this is a much different atmosphere than there's ever been in America. And let me put a quick time on this because this began in 2025, this is not a new thing. in fact, we've all been talking about the deaths of Alex pretty and Rebecca good. Right? Do I have those names right? Yeah, yeah, Renee good Renee. Good. There were 32 people killed by ice in 2025. There's already nine killed in 2026, including those two people but those, those two are, you know, they are notably white, right? So, but what they are is not immigrants and they were just protesting, well, in filming ice tactics, but but the other 40, roughly 40 that happened killed by ice. Not all of them were here, illegally, not all of them were violent criminal, of course, right? Just so we clear. So I'm trying to set the immediate context here, which is that this has been going on for a while. Ice announced their enforcement surge in Minneapolis in December. um, And it's January 6th. It really started in Earnest saying sending 2000 agents, January 7th is when Renee good was killed. That was that's three weeks ago. There have been massive protests in Minneapolis and January, 13th already more than two weeks ago. There was so many stories about anger at Target. What's Target gonna do target employees, arrested target employees, skipping work. There, there was a protest and strike on January, 23rd in Minneapolis called the Statewide day of Truth, and freedom. And then four days ago, Alex pretty was killed and then the date they did. And then finally day after that, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, released this well known letter. Now, on behalf of more than 60, CEOs of Minnesota based companies today. So, I just wanted to set the brief context here that there's been so much going on. That they waited that these CEOs, waited, and waited and waited and stayed silent before they came up with this idea for this letter and I'm not, I'm not here to crop on the letter. I'm hoping that I'll do that. Okay, you can do that. You know, I'm hoping that that maybe this is The Rebirth of People talking maybe maybe the CEOs are gonna get their spine again. Maybe some kind of a stakeholder movement will be recreated. I don't know optimistic, I know but I'm just hoping look it it had to happen, we would have been waiting for them to speak so I'll take something, I'll take, even like the smallest of Victories. But let's start with that letter and we'll start the game. And I know you can't read State. I know, I and I I will highlight a few things here. There's no way I'm going to read this statement. I mean, it's too paragraphs. It's not a very most. It's not a very letter I've ever reading statement, but it starts up the business Community Minnesota, Prides itself and providing leadership. And solving problems tour, a strong and vibrant State. The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life. Okay, again Uh ice announced its presence in December. This has been going 2000, agent sent the very beginning of January already people have been Renee, good shot, three weeks ago in a horrific horrific murder caught on tape Mass protests people not going to work. I mean, you know, again the timing of this is just so crazy. It's amazing. How long they waited on several of our shows, we've been calling out Target specifically. Where is the new CEO Michael fiddelke? Where is the current CEO soon to be the executive chair? Brian Cornell. It looks like you want to say something? Yeah, but listen to The Fluffy. Yeah, I'm gonna do that challenges facing our state. Yeah, the recent challenge challenges ice well, that's the problem. So here's the other problem, we're not even naming what the challenge is. We're just fluffing over it because we're afraid that has a business Community. What happens if we piss off our Supreme Lord? And that's like a man and a lot of people have criticized a letter because of that. So they're saying that they want you to know that they've been working every day behind the scenes. With federal state and local officials. Including close communication with the governor the White House. Okay. First of all, we know the governor's is Tim Waltz, The White House. I don't even know who that would be. Are we assuming they said, they mean the president because they don't say the president, they just say the White House and then they say the vice president who we know is JD Vance and local Mayors. So they're too afraid to even say Trump's name, they're afraid to say the president. They say the White House. You know, how many people different people operate out of the White House. So this is a spineless call out they say. And then they say with yes, yesterday's tragic news and I guess they're referring. To the killing of a white male nurse already. Yes. Who showed up with a firearm? I don't have to go into that story. I think that's what they're saying. You yesterday's tragic news is because They're overlooking the whole month of just the fear alone, just to fear that immigrants. People of color have had in that city is horrible, a terrifying. But they're saying that they're calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for State local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions. But they don't tell us what the solutions are but just they want real solutions again. I mean I'm trying and I'm trying to be optimistic here but I know it was really hard. This was weak but forget the content of the letter. The timing of the letter is the is the thing that you keep pointing at. That's interesting. The letter only comes out after there is I mean, widespread Universal decrying of what's Happening. Three weeks after Renee good was shot murdered in her car, right? Like so it doesn't happen. Then it happens after Alex Peretti gets shot and and it happens after the Trump Administration goes out immediately. Says he was a domestic terrorist and then 2000 video angles. Come out the show that nothing that they said was true and that they know in that City it's going to be riots just riots because that's what it's come to like. You basically have an internal militia that's taken over the city and the people of the city are starting to fight back. They're fighting back with video cameras, they're not fighting back with weapons. They're fighting back with video cameras and the reality here is these Executives. Do not write this letter when they have to go out on any sort of political limb. They write this letter, the minute, it is patently obvious in universally reviled. What is happening in that City? And there is no political Fallout and then they're so petrified to say anything even then that they don't name anybody, they don't say ice, they don't say Trump, there's still two fucking, you're giving them a lot of credit. How are you saying they wrote the letter? I don't even know, like, I'm not even sure who wrote the letter. I, I think what would have been better off, so I there were over 60 CEOs. I, I highlighted the 26 companies that are publicly traded company. There's a little publicly traded companies. In that area, there are 26, including big ones, like Best, Buy Target us Bancorp. There's a lot of them. Here's a few things that I focus on. First of all, none of them could come out with their own. Individual statements, which is crazy. To me in fact Target we've been talking about a lot Michael fiddelke, he still hasn't, I still look at the website and checking it every day. All we have is reports of him talking to his some of his employees like on a video. I guess, but he did a video, for example. He's where the hell is there letter? Where's their statement? I mean really, they're hiding behind this week, Chamber of Commerce. Letter is crazy to me, but just looking at the, the list, the normal things stand out to me that they always do about these companies. And that's at the 26 companies, we highlight, I counted five, this is actually more than I would have thought. One, two, three, four, women, Out of the 26 or CEOs. That's what is that? That's roughly a little over 10%. Right. And then I counted Three people of color. So there you go. Alright, so, There are there, the wrong people here, they're not even representing the constituents of their state and city. Anyway. I mean, it's like, this is part of the long problem of corporate leadership. But anyway, I think we've talked enough about that letter. Give me a score. For the letter for the whole experience. I start with the context of when it came out the content, the letter who signed it zero all the way around like like the way. No but you're saying is 0, this is a bad game so you want to give it a 10. So oh no this is why I wanted to know scoring in the beginning. I'm so confused. So how should we play this horrible? It's the worst what it is. You give me a 10? I'm giving it a 10 for Badness and if you get I would give it an a because they did something you get free flows Zayn yeah just came out yesterday. in the scene, they had there was analysis of The people who signed this letter that sit on each other's boards, so many did this makes it, you realize that nobody half of the city, sit on one, another just makes it so much worse to me. It means that these people like, you know, you can make the assumption that oh, well Best Buy, yo, Quarry Barre. Must be friends with, like, who I don't know, Sleep Numbers, CEO, Linda Findley. And but, you know, he said well, how do you know their friend? But they sit, I need each other's boards that how would they not been talking about this? How have they not picked up the phone to some of their friends and been like Jesus? Like what are we gonna do or, or they just been silent, like, it is crazy. I mean, this is a closed network of people here. I mean, one of the signatories Phillips Saran. Yeah. Who is the CEO of what you're one of these Dopey companies that I can't stand. You find the company. Um, but Philip Saran, I believe he's on the board of both Piper Sandler and SPS Commerce, both of whom signed it. So if one guy who's on two of the boards right there, two other boards. You have like Jeff harmening the CEO of General Mills. He's on the board of the Toro company. Rick Olson, who's the CEO of the Toro companies on the board of The Donaldson Company. Like, it's a fucking circle jerk. Yeah. And where is these people did? This isn't solidarity for a bunch of Minnesota types. None of these people say anything. Unless first of all, the letter said nothing. It said, please, let's de-escalate, but I'm not saying who needs to DS? There's no, I'm not even saying where the Challenge. I know it's not even a proper name used. They don't they don't honor the victims, they don't honor the immigrants who are living. If they don't even talk, they don't call out anyone. They don't see what they learned. Yeah. This it, what's interesting about the letter is the lesson that they learned from in 2020, when like it was black lives matter. And, you know, every CEO is coming out talking about, you know, Brianna Taylor and like every black person that ever got shot, they were like, trying to name them and like be very performative about it and they turns out that they weren't most of these companies did nothing. Like they put a Dei person in charge like that too. Yeah, they felt like they had to when they had to say something the lesson they took away from that is effectively, we should probably shouldn't say something if we don't really care, but we have to say something, so make it as banal as possible. So really what I'm seeing, what my read on this letter is that none of them actually really okay, but this okay but this has very little respect on them. Okay, personal. I can agree with you but but they represent entire corporations that Represent stakeholder networks, they are not. If they thought that happening is not General Mills, he's just the CEO, he's not even the board confirm. The Cheryl's can vote him out. He has customers, they think, I think most of these places that we have, like we have a major job is managing the balance sheet and and shareholders, my job is not to play Kate. All my employees. This is a major work for the amount of money. They're making is special the amount more than they make from their median employee. This is a this is a significant problem. We covered the fact that in Davos, you have like Jamie dimon saying like AI could you know really hurt employees and meanwhile firing employees using AI? Well Larry Fink said is a massive let's stick to the story. Get lost like these guys say and then do the Arts. So let's keep doing it. Let's keep playing. This is 0. So worst the 10, you mean how dare you screw up? And this is no particular order but I I hustle and found all the comments I could make not just CEOs, but people who are high up just look I'll just looking for public statements. They're not easy to find. Keith rabois managing director of khosla Ventures. This is another one of these. I mean, really? This, you could when history looks back. The blame for our societal disruption of big Tech, Big Data, AI could be put on the, in the laps of, of VC, a VC investors really. These These are could be the architects of the demise of our society. So it is important to shine a light on them, this guy's a managing director of coastal Adventures. He said no law enforcement has shot an innocent person illegals or committing violent crimes every day. Zag on this? No. I'm going to say this is fabulous because he's on, let's say this fabulous because the content of what he said is the worst thing you could possibly say. It's it's just Gaslight lying. Like no law enforcement is shot in innocent person. None. Yeah. This is just clearly he's angry and emotional you know right? Like no that's never happened. You can you can say that definitively because what you're a VC bro and everything you say is truth. Like that is well, I will say this, the impossibly fall I went to the closest website and they're tagline is we prefer brutal honesty to hypocritical politeness. So these are real men. And by the way, the manager is, it is five dudes. And they all they went to either stand for their Harvard. I mean, these are, these are the real men running America, right? I mean, these are powerful honest men. So, how you can score this? So, so I'm gonna give it a zero because now you're just you're already you're already messing with the intent of the game. yeah, because Everybody who looks for funding. Like anybody looking for funding any invest Institutional Investor who's got assets? Coastal Ventures is not your place, wait, so you're telling me that so you're crediting out itself. So, you're saying, it's not bad because it's honest. Is that what you're saying? I'm saying, it's not bad because you now know, okay? Before you might not have known where this one everyone's about. Like, but now, like I was saying this makes this, you know, what makes this better than the fluffy letter? Yeah. Is that this says a thing, that's true. However, you know, he is now we know and we know his fucking name is true to go. I know idea who Keith robot is like now I know Coastal Adventures. At least one of their their their bro. Dude, Partners has absolutely no idea what it is to be a human being called Society. How do you how do you and I want to move on because we have a lot of these but then how do you respond to the follow up to this which is at the founder, vinod called close la. He had a so he came out along with another guy who was at the company, Ethan, Choi, they both spoke out against their co-worker, Keith rebar. They haven't, he hasn't been fired or anything. Of course, the founder said, he was a lot using a lot more strong language. But again, he had, he had to respond to his employee to one of his fellow manager's embarrassing. His firm, I guess his company, he couldn't come out with the statement on his own, but he responded by saying Macho ice Vigilantes running amok empowered by a conscience list, less Administration. So he used some strong words there, but again, he we had to wait for him. He's counteracting the opinion of his fellow managing director. So what do you think about his response? A vinod khosla, is it like Indian. He was born in India and literally, the guy said, what did you say? Vicious illegal illegal to committing violent crimes. Every day, violent crimes every day. While his boss is an immigrant like and like, I don't know anything about his immigration status when he came to the country. He's not like, but, you know, he's not like threatening Keith bars job. He just he, and he didn't even, he didn't even reply. Makes him a lot of money and he didn't even call him out. He just, he just put his own anyway. A little move on from that. That's what's going on. Yes. So Matt's Point closer Adventures. We now know who you are. So great, thanks. All right, targets. Incoming CEO, Michael fiddelke. And again, this is not to the public. This is in a video message, sent to employees this occurred on January 26th. so, this would actually be a day after The letter, the seat, the the Minnesota letter, this the CEO, 66 CEOs, he said, right now with someone who was raising a family here in the Twin Cities, and as a leader of this Hometown company, I want to acknowledge where we are the violence and loss of life in our communities, incredibly painful. Blah blah, blah, blah. Report part is the blah blah. I mean but really like I I don't know. And again, this is an internal message although we all these messages get leaked now. So if he would have said something like say like after Renee good was shot we would have heard it. The best part of this to me is a company spokesman declined to comment and there's still nothing official on our website. So how do you write this one? How do you rate? So he's finally this is the first thing we've heard and he's not yet to see. Oh, remember he's four day a few days away, February 1st. But this is the first quasi statement. We've even heard from this guy. Michael Fadi think he did. What he did. He give me a score. I mean, isn't he just cosplaying as Brian Cornell? Brian Cornell said, we have been role models that drive change in our voices important. That was we got to make sure that was no no. That was that was in 2020. Right? Like but like as a Target this is what Brian Cornell said. As a Target team, Brianna still the CEO didn't sign. This incoming CEO Michael. Fidelity. She didn't sign the the CEO letter which is a bit odd. Didn't also didn't like the executive chair wasn't involved in the video message to employees it. Despite the fact that he's gonna be running the company for making an executive salary, Brian Cornell said in 2020 as a Target team, we've huddled. We've consulted, we've witnessed horrific scenes. Similar to what's playing out now, and what Fidelity says is I like the violence and life in our community is incredibly painful. I know it's weighing heavily on many. You across the country as it is with me was happening effects us, not just as a company but it's people neighbors, friends and family, so what, yeah, they wrote, they wrote the same fucking letter, you know is not a strong actually, a Fidelis is weaker. It's not saying I don't see horrific weaker because nobody who actually wants to say a thing. Not I don't know what he scored the company that you are quote, unquote inherited. They, they arrested target employees in a Target, who were there legally, and then dumped, and then, just dump them somewhere else and Minneapolis. They didn't even bring the Bible. No charge. I mean, that alone, probably, that's the moment that Michael fiddelke, because, again, I I as part of the contacts that I got happened, she's Three weeks. As part of the contacts I gave at the top of the show, there is a The New York Times on January 17th. This is the New York Times on January 17th. The headline is National anger. National anger spills into Target stores again and then five days later Target store staff or skipping work over Isis? Crackdown Minnesota. I mean, that was 10 days ago. Michael Fidelity. What are you doing? That's a New York Times calling you out. I mean, it's Brian Cornell. What are you doing? Oh, and I should let me add to that. From the guardian January 13th, four days before the New York Times article Madness 2 US citizens violently detained and nice in Minnesota. That's the one you're talking about target employees forced the grass. So, So Michael fiddelke has sat on this for for what reason? Brian Cornell and Michael? I don't know. So give me a score in this statement on this video message. That's, that's all right, let's move on. First again, is the word we have a lot. Let's move on the next one. Actually will some Lloyd, most of the rest Lloyd, Vogel CEO, garage, ground gear. This is a company in Minneapolis set on LinkedIn. My primary rationale, Said he felt compelled to condemn, the shootings, my primary rationale was to show solidarity with my community. So just bad for business when people are to leave their homes, there it is. Yeah. That's it. You. That's, that's it. That's the whole thing. He said, there's so much fear in Minnesota right now, it would just be cowardice to not have a perspective on this. That to me is the most important part of this is that forget everything else to but you're the Target CEO or the incoming CEO. forget this, if you're like a Republican or Democrat, you must notice The just the amount of Hysteria and fear and protest and shooting, right? Like you have to have something to say, right? I mean, you have to have a perspective you could come right down on the middle if you want. But to have no perspective, I mean, you must Target must be one of the major employee employers on there. What he said is, I like so this is like a one store placement, right? Like small just he's a CEO of a small garage grown gear. It's like you look at maybe it's it's like tents and shoes and there's like it's cold. There's like 20 people, right? Like it's it's small that's kind of the point. What what? He says two things that I feel like some of everything. The second, the second thing is the one that you like it would just be cowardice not to have a perspective on this correct. Well, you hear the letter Beyond cowardice. It's like I this is the problem I have in the first place. You're not doing your job. I mean, you represent so many stakeholders in that state city. You're not doing your job if you don't have a perspective or study also summed up why no one has perspective because it's just bad for business. He said, when people are afraid to leave their absolutely, he's a small retail shop but the reality is, if you are Steven Helmsley at United Health Group or you are like Michael fiddelke, you are less worried about people afraid to leave your their homes and it's bad for business to say something that angers are Lord in master man baby Trump that's that's it we just don't want to piss off. I don't want Steven Miller saying we're woke. I don't want Christy noem saying, we're domestic terrorists. I don't want man baby Trump to notice because when man baby notices his thumb start going and and all the sudden he says that's always threatened by 10% of your company or something like 10% company, close you down. Tariffs on just Your supply chain somehow like that is what and I get that you are trying to thread a needle but that needle has been read for you. Every time you bend that yourself, you say that because Costco has been standing out and speaking out their parking lot is still really full Are you kid like the tacos, fabulous. But I'm just saying, but it's not the fact that business, the fact is like, while you're busy like, with cowardice, contorting yourself. So that you don't get noticed, your people's gonna stop coming to work and people are gonna look at you and say, what a feckless bunch of fucking sycophants. What's their score? Like, investor should you should be looking at them and say like do you think the people who have the spine to like make hard mergers, and acquisition decisions and make hard choices about pivoting, the business model to something for the future growth? Do you think those are the same people who have no spine? When it comes to? It's not cool that like ice Agents come into my store, arrest my employees and they do it illegally like, well, you have you, if you blow hards, they're able to go out and talk about fed policy all day long. Have a perspective on your own employees and your future. These people don't have spines, this guy has at least a modicum Of one, good for him. At a minimum, I'm looking at the board of Target. There are several directors have been there for over 10 years. Douglas Baker, Robert Edwards. Monica Lozano Donald neous. Brian Cornell at a minimum, these long-term directors who didn't have the backbone to do anything about it? I would vote you out. I mean, you're gone. I mean, this is a gone. You're like everyone don't understand. You're just you're not, you're not, you're not doing your job, you're ignoring State holders, you're making Target flop, a more of a joke, I mean, this is just your you're not you oversaw the flip-flop on Dei on a Target case, I'm on multiple companies so darker right son we got a little company you score for Dimitri Stockton. Multiple companies like give me a score for Lori. You get a zero as in. This is great. This is bad. Not bad. Glad you said something January 22nd. This is like last week JP Morgan. Chase CEO and chair. Jamie dimon said at Davos all mind you I should say a good. But it was a little people but it was before the letter, right? Because this is these CEOs are getting a lot of credit here for for finally speaking out. They're getting a lot of credit but Jamie dimon said, four days before. I don't like what I'm seeing five grown men beating up a little old lady, so I think we should calm down a little bit on the internal anger bite immigration. We need these people. They work in our hospitals, and hotels and restaurants, and Agriculture and they're good people. They should be treated that way. I mean, look, I know you like to dunk on Jamie dimon but this seems actually like kind of bold compared to that Chamber of Commerce letter. And again, this is this pretty was murdered. This is before, it depends what our bar is. Hey, I'm gonna give credit. Where credit is due. Tell me what's at least Jamie Diamond said something before. Everybody else, he spouts his mouth about everything like at this point. Everything and finally spotted his mouth about something that like, I can tell him, like, okay fine. That has another stakeholder that you're carrying about. Well, this is about hearing. Your own voice. So here, I'm gonna give him a four. Here's the thing though, what she's the first one to even start to talk about is is the key phrase here is that we need these people. I mean, I mean, in my state I will tell you what the what the the largely African population, Being targeted. And I think they're here for the same reason why they're in Minneapolis is that we have a very big Somalian population. But what these people do here? What are they do? They work in health care. They're nurses. They work in these and these in like, retirement homes where people were the people. The main white people who are angry at the immigrants are won't do the job. They work in service Industries. I mean, to me, it's it's ludicrous. You're targeting our nurses, like, like this is where you're targeting, so at least Jamie Diamond, like actually set a thing that was important. They work in our hospitals are hotels or restaurant, right? I mean anyway I'm glad he put a face on these people instead of just kind of talking around the issue. I'll give him. I'll give him for it. I'll give him. How about this? God, this I don't even know how to like, talk about this one. I mean, the state of our country now. So this was on Saturday, which would be January 24th, so this would be the night. That Alex pretti was murdered. Yeah, it's a very night. This is what's going on the White House. They were there's a screening a black tie event, a screening for a documentary produced by Jeff Bezos and Amazon about of all things, Melania, Trump, oh, I don't know what Melania Trump has achieved in her life, but whatever, the screening of a documentary called Melania a black tie event where they get, they were given monogram buckets of popcorn framed, screening tickets, a limited edition of Milani's book and who who was at this event. Are you ready for this? This is why Minnesota is like burning to the ground. I, that's a bit hyperbolic I realized, but still Andy jassy, CEO of Amazon, Tim Cook CEO of Apple. Lisa, Sue CEO of chip-maker. AMD are Eric Yuan CEO of Zoom Lynn. Martin president of the New York Stock Exchange General Electric CEO, Larry Culp. This is the only these are the names I could get my hands on. I was scraping a lot of Articles, so they're on that only there are more. But can you believe where they are on the, on that night? They are Tim Cook. Who's who's company is in California and Menlo Park California. Apple, he's in Washington DC to attend a documentary. I mean, and none of these people had statements, none of these people had in the say, And again, this this was a documentary produced by Amazon of all companies. I mean, what a joke. So how do you rate? This is on the bad game, scale to 10. I mean, I mean like, I'm really shocked this, this is unprecedented. We this one is not shocking really. We didn't have this level of nonsense in past administrations. I mean, this is pure graph. Okay, but this is like, this is ugly. I mean, they did have it, like, but they waited until after they were like out of office, like, Obama got a okay, after, all right? For like Millions, hundreds of millions and then, but why thing? And just kept the money, while one of the more significant, like, Anti-Federalists movements going on and one of our states. None of this is shocking. They all have Supply chains because how bad is there? They don't live in Minnesota. I'm giving this a five. I mean, it's like, all right, so run in the middle now, so then here. So then here we go. Let's get to, let's get to Apple CEO, Tim Cook. So several days after that movie, and after the CEOs of Minnesota released a statement, Apple CEO cook jumped into the into the fire again. This is well, after a few days after up, this is the headline Apple CEO. Tim Cook says, it's time for DSL in Minneapolis. What that word? I don't know his hand. The only word they know is CNBC had line apples Cooks, as he is heartbroken by many apples of events and with Trump. Now, Here's what he said. He said I believe America is strongest and we live up to our highest ideals. When we treat everyone with dignity, respect, no matter who they are, where they're from, he said he had a good conversation with the president this week where I shared my views and I appreciate his openness to engaging on issues that matter to us all Tim Cook has completely lost his mind. I I don't even know why he is about ready to leave apple. He is, made over a billion dollars at Apple right without we already know about still hold shares. Why does he need to be doing this now, like what is he up? I don't mind that he's has a statement. I just think his statement stupid. What is he up to? He's he's appreciates the openness that Trump hasn't had a good conversation with Trump. Doing murder of a citizen by a legal. Like so what is the Heartbreak? What exactly is the heart broken about like, which part of it, like that people protesting is that the heartbreaking part like, Which part is he mad about? I don't even understand. America is strongest. When we live up to our highest deals is that include going to an event where, you know, a text CEO, basically, bribes, the president, by doing a documentary on his wife, like, Tim Cook. That's America's Brian Cornell. You guys who are you? You're fuking all over the place. This is like, you're it's just all bad. It's all bad. What do you bad is as Keith rewa or whatever? It's gonna close. I kind of I kind of with you at least at least Keith. Like look, I'm not like that. I said a real, I can't I'm not here to tell you, whether you should be on the right or the left of the political Spectrum. Keith is just viewing his honest. Like I don't like what Keith said, what is Tim Cook saying? What does he say? What are any of them? Say like what? I give it an eight. Okay, it's an eight. He's heartbroken. I don't even know what he's heartbroken about. Is he heartbroken that people are Are noticing the ISIS killing. I don't even know what his heart. Oh, let's move on. Oh, here, here's my favorite. By far. This guy is just become my. He's like, he almost sugars me more than Elon Musk now, because Elon Musk is like a cartoon character of hate and and racism misogyny, but this guy is just such a joker. Open AI, CEO Samuel Altman. So, this is the, this is January. You have something to say January 27th. This is yesterday, again, this is after the letter came out, this is three days after Alex, pretty was killed. So, he had a little bit of cover, you know, once the, once the Minneapolis Minnesota, CEO said a thing, some of the other CEOs felt a little bit more, like, they could have the courage to say something. He is just Mr. Gobbly gook, which I guess it's not surprising. Maybe maybe AI wrote this letter for him. He comes out with just nonsense. His statement starts with, I love the US and its values of democracy and freedom and we'll be supportive of the country. However, I can. Open AI will too. I'm already creeped out by by this statement because first of all, you don't speak for you, shouldn't speak for the company. I mean really it's fine. Okay CEOs. Okay, that's fine. And then it's just a bunch of blah blah blah, blah blah. But but the thing to highlight here is President Trump is a very strong leader. And I hope he will rise to the moment and unite the country. Really like the It. I mean really. We're here. We're here. This is where we're at. He's a stitch that we're. This is where he holds mode. He hopes. He we have three more years of asking. I know, Sam Altman. I pray. You're listening and I think you are. I know you're a College Dropout. So, maybe I'm speaking too quickly or maybe my addiction is too dense for you. But what have you seen? And the political record of this very strong leader, president Trump, that makes you think that he is gonna unite the country. Like, like no. But really like like who? And again, I know you're a Dropout. So you just, you don't have critical. You have no ability to critical critically analyze, you have. You have no ability to like consider and raise money, right? Right. So I really want to know and reach out to me personally, because we talk to me on LinkedIn. A I would really like to know how you think that he's in the unite the country at this point. I really know, really president Trump Sam Altman. How do you think that President Trump is gonna unite the country? I really like to see. No, actually I want the first part of the sentence. I want to know how you measure, very strong leader. There's literally a trade called the taco trade, which is Trump always chickens out because he postures and he walks around. He beats his chest and he acts all manly and tough. And then he's a man, baby. He's just like grabbing it money for himself of this. Like estimates are that he made 1.4 billion dollars in his first year, his presidency. I love this part two. It's a company. We aim to stick to our convictions and not get blown around by changing fashion too much. We didn't become super woke when that was popular. Oh, and again like he has no understanding of what I means to be woke. But let's just forget about all that and he ends with this this beauty, but we are going to continue to try to figure out how to actually do the right thing as best we can. What does that even mean? That's like, third grade level of what you're going to try to figure out to do the best. By the way, Sam, I don't trust your ability to articulate. What is a good and bad anymore. So I actually would prefer that. You don't try. I really like if you could do us a favor, fold up the company and stop just stop. Here's what, here's what I Simultaneously. He was his public really gets me this guy. Yeah, that was his public statement but this morning it broke. Oh, another one that he actually he sent Altman sent an internal slack message to all of his employees at openai. And he said, quote what's happening with ice is going too far which said, which part I the protesters like, or does you know what he said? He said there's a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what's happening. Now, we need to get the distinction, right? All I know is that he is the one person who said ice, what about our domestic violent criminal giving you? I'm gonna give him. I like, go ahead, Nothing. Gonna Republic statement and saying Trump is very strong is fucking hate stupid and heinous, but saying, go ahead ice. Give me is now the most courageous thing you can do anymore as a CEO. So I'm gonna give him a five. Let's try to speed up a little here. Let's just speed James diet, Global business, open AI, so we're saying in opening I write James diet Global business and openai. He says, quote, there is far more outright. I love this one. There is far more outrage from Tech leaders over a wealth tax. Then masked ice agents, terrorizing communities, and executing civilians. In the streets tells you what you need to know about the values of our industry. James diet. I mean, yeah. Is there. But I mean, that's right. There you go. That's, that's a car. How hard was that? I wasn't very hard with that and James. Thank you for actually putting your name on it and and putting your right like he spoke on his troll on Reddit or whatever. But why can't the CEO do this? Why is it going to be the head of global business? Angel investor? And again, I'm just trying to collect everything I could angel investor Jason Keller. Kenneth once again, I remind everyone that our leaders are failing us. True leadership would be to calm the situation down by telling these non-peaceful protesters to stay home over calling these inadequately trained agent simultaneously. The protesters he both sides did it. So that's a 10. Get the fuck out with your both sides? Okay, Jeff Dean chief chief scientist, Google deepmind, and Google research, Gemini lead. So this is a big deal. This is not a, this is not a little. Yeah, I got a lot to tell you about Gemini. Okay. But okay, that is side. Again, this is a big player at alphabet. He says, quote, this is absolutely shameful agents of a federal agency unnecessarily escalating. And then, executing executing defense appears to be using his cell phone camera. Every person, regardless of political affiliation should be denouncing this 0 fabulous. Jeff Dean I applaud you. That's a strong statement Jeffrey sonnenfeld he is a great friend to our show, he's another one. That tweaks me all the time he is he is, he works at Yale. he's like the self-proclaimed expert and everything when it comes to corporations because I guess you know, working at an ivy makes you like a leading expert somehow he says CEOs are feeling the community pressure. He said that reactions that convey sorrow and don't mention Trump or ice are likely to perceive as an unwelcomed challenge to the White House's immigration agenda. That is not what the Trump Administration wanted. I don't know what the hell he's talking. What are you saying? I don't really know that what that he said. Yeah, you basically said that CEOs, are you upset at CEOs and CEOs shouldn't say Trump or ice? They shouldn't say anything because it'll upset Trump, what you mean? They're making 20 million dollars and and so much more in shares should have been like, what is that if you gonna have a perspective, have a perspective, if you're saying nothing swear, I swear every time and I'm a proud New Englander and I'm a very proud supporter of Education, higher education. But I swear every time Jeffery son fell of Yale speaks, I feel like it denigrates a great Institution. I'm talking to you yell Business Roundtable, CEO Joshua Bolten. Now we're talking asked to comment on the chaos in Minneapolis replied with a statement. This is a good one replied with a statement, endorsing the Minnesota Chambers, call for cooperation, between State, Lakeland state state, local and federal authorities to immediately de-escalate the situation. Wow. So he like pointed to the to the other state really stuck until the CEO of the Business Roundtable, like the strongest network of CEOs on the globe, Joshua Bolten, he just pointed to a memo. He's like, yeah, I agree with those shmucks. That's a leader. Right? What a leader. You know what it is? It's so dumb. It's funny. I'm giving it a two, it's not bad. It's what a real man. Robert pace and CEO of toy company. A Radio Flyer. Don't they make the like wagons the red wagons 100 years ago? Yeah, I am deeply concerned about the current state of our democracy and the continued actions we are seeing from president Trump and his administration that are intended to undermine Democratic institutions, of rule of law in the Norms, that hold our country together. Let's just seems like a normal like that, seems like whatever adults, right. Yeah. Just like stop blaming and he's not mentioned. I didn't mention like, he's just. Yeah. That that was your that's your 2020 State and he makes red wagons. To give that. I'm gonna give that to the guy, who's smart enough to make red wagons can come up with that. Dario Misty said Trump Dario Modi CEO of anthropic called the events in Minnesota, a horror on Monday. And anthropic spokeswoman said, the company did not have contract with ice. I mean, I I guess that's a good day with that one. Nothing yet score. I give it a five Iced Out dot Tech. You heard about this is a statement. This is from January 24th, it's a day. The Alex party was murdered. This is a group of tech workers. I don't know. I checked this list yesterday. So this list might have grown, they're coming out saying that they condemned the killing of Preddy. The violence of federal agents, The Wonton brutality we've seen from Ice, so they had some strong words. If you they're really Tech professionals, they could do more than have strong words. I agree. I agree on with your fucking CEO and I want, you know, what you think about this list? And again, this list might have grown since yesterday. I I counted it 811 people on the list 500 and a actually named themselves, the full name and their title and their company 19 with only their first name, their title, and then 2804 were too afraid to put their name on the list. So almost a full third were too afraid to put their full name down so but what do you think about the tactic of this kind of This kind of a list Iced Out dot txt statement. This is the one that predated the the one that came out of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. This is like the first known kind of list of a statement against these people. What do you think? Look when you eyeball the list it's like half of them are Amazon and of course, like alphabet. Like they're major companies. Yeah. Okay. You know, that your executives. Are out there fucking licking Trump's behind right now. Either leave the company or say something to your own CEO said this this I think this is actually the sort of a crisis of our modern American generation like these younger Generations is is their willingness to go and work directly at these type of companies, they working for VC, working for crypto work, you know, working for blockchain, whatever nonsense they're doing. It's always, it's just enrich themselves, all these people. Yeah. If you can't affect the leadership of your companies, and I know you can't because most of them are dictatorships because of, like, things like dual-class shares, why don't you leave the company, bring your services to places that really need them to meet, you know, places that help the community schools, Library, whatever, but don't stay at these. Don't stay at Amazon. Don't say it meta. Like that's the part that really troubles me look, it's not that I it's not that I disapprove of the statement that Like do you have, do you have a real authentic view of this? Your intelligence on other places, honestly? Because I what I want in that statement is we have contacted the CEOs of all the companies we worked with and said it is like unequivocally, we should not and cannot in a bet ice or whatever like something else, it's fine, it's five. All right, two more. And we'll wrap up this really depressing bad game covering all the CEO and corporate statement about what's going on with ice in America and specifically what's going on in the state of Minnesota. This one through me because I don't this was just this morning, I tagged the story because I don't know where he's been. Correct me if I'm wrong. We, we try our best to track all the statements of this kind. In fact, this is why we talk about Costco a lot because it really blew our minds when Costco, in January, came out and supported Dei. And then, they, they spoke very loudly against the tariffs, right recently calling up the Trump Administration but read Hoffman Who was the the dude behind LinkedIn? So you can think him if LinkedIn is driving. You crazy. Read Hoffman says Business Leaders are wrong to stay silent about the Trump Administration. Uh, where Hoffman is a have I missed this? I know he supports the Democratic party. He's a super long time. Okay, support. I'm not seeing any statements out of LinkedIn out of Reed. Hoffman over the lot. I mean, not, maybe I've missed them, he's a board member long gone, forgive me if I'm wrong. I'm not actually seeing a loud voice at a reed Hoffman. In fact, his platform is devolved into just like a bunch of trolls and a bunch of nonsense, so I don't. But anyway, that's what Reed Hoffman said, he said that the theory that if you just keep your mouth shut, the storm will blow over and won't be a problem. You should be disabused of that theory. Now, I agree with him but I want to know how he's using his position and platform to do this. I just I'm not writing checks to Democrats. That's what he's doing, okay, that's not enough in 2026. It's not enough. I, you know what, like, I I'm not gonna shit on Hoffman. I'm not shooting on him. I'm just saying, like, it's And now it's convenient to do it. Now, like after he's an AI first bunch of CEOs are spoken. Yeah, he's one of the guys who's like a, like a massive AI Advocate and I disagree with them there but for this I'm gonna give it a two. It's fine. I like this is Hoffman being Hoffman and honestly, if somebody's gonna say it or Reed Hoffman you'd expect to and to say it strongly, you have a lot of power doing this. A lot of wealth. You have you have a platform do more and join us help us get our word out. Yeah, I'd love to work trying to cover read. I think you'd enjoy what we're up to. We're trying to cover the meritocracy of corporate America. We're trying to find it. We're trying to highlight the the the lack of diversity and Leadership. So join us and help us and make a difference finally. For this terrible, bad game of January, 28th, 2026 palantir. One of our favorite companies, Alex carpal, and tear Defense work with ice to staff. This is the only company that's taking the other point of view. Defending its work with ice to staff allowing killing about Alex. Preddy leadership. Defendants work as an art improving Isis operational effectiveness. So this is they're taking the other. So do you, are you proud of palantir for being honest? Is this bad improving Isis operational? Effectiveness is not what they're doing, okay? But I'm just saying like, how do you know what I was doing now? Yeah. And, and there there's not direct evidence of this, but there is basically some sort of anecdotal and rumor based evidence of this. We know that ice is collecting license plates and pictures of protesters. We know, because ice agents themselves who have covered their face, only in this fucking version of America, do we think it's okay that law enforcement cover their face and hide their identity? Every other is every other you don't go to your local police station and they're all fucking wearing, like, hockey masks. So you can't see who they are. These thugs are wearing masks, but these thugs are taking pictures of your face. If you show up at a protest and taking your license plates down and they've told protesters that they are putting them in a database as a domestic terrorist. Now, Department of Homeland, Security said there is no such database, well, they don't have. A database actually but you know who has a massive database that they're using to do exactly this sort of thing. Palantir that's literally their their business model they get every piece of information and data they can they scrape the internet? They scrape your pictures. They're looking at everything to have a profile. It's basically like Minority Report and right now their biggest client is the US government and like, and people like Ice so that use other police forces in ice can use it to Target people. Otherwise, how do they know to go into a Target and arrest to employees? That weren't protesting? They're not illegal immigrants, just documented, other than just, you know, just focusing on Race alone. Just looking at you like some brown people walking around. But that, that you'd you'd be arresting so many people like walking into Target that it would be like, they targeted those people and they made a show out of it. They get that information from something and that's where the palantir of the world. Come, you know, come in Isis, operational. Effectiveness, you are ice you fucker. Like, and the things that you're saying, he's the one who came out on stage and didn't he say like he said things about, like war is good for business and like he was saying all sorts of crazy shit. The last three months, like he's literally unhinged about, oh, he's the things that they're doing, he's lost it. Listen, the only way to rule is with power and and and violent. He said something about ruling with violence, is the way it's been done and on this, I'll end on this. You mentioned the federal, you know, ice agents are being told. They're telling people that they're collecting personal data. About the protesters. There is reporting on the new Republic yesterday. Leaked memo exposes how DHS is building a database on protesters so it's not just a rumors. Yeah, it's not a rumor, right? But but palantir is involvement, is the part? That's a rumor but palantir's business model is doing that. So if volunteers not involved, who is they? They're the ones with the ice cream, because ice contracts like in the country, give me a score. It is the 10th. Like what? Like everything that guy says is a trigger to me? Like, he's such a fucking like I just everything about him. And, and he's got like a dual class board. He shits on, you know, like people who go to college and it's bored as stacked with Stanford Stanford, one guy from duke. It's a woman. It's a woman doing how dare you one do? Yeah. All right, so let's wrap it up your score. The bad game is a 4.75. So what does that mean? What are we, where are we? And that's where the inverse, right? It's the inverse. What's the, what is a 4.7 is a 5.3? So what are, what are good games? So, is it good or bad? Nothing. Give me a quick prediction before we get out of here. Are we're gonna get a lot more CEO statements or you think they're gonna start shutting up immediately again. Like, is it? We opened the floodgates or it all depends on what Trump does. If Trump reacts to some statement, they all shut up immediately, right? Well minute, if he doesn't react, and they backtrack then every CEO is going to come out and say what's happening. He's really terrible. We're happy. We have an audience with the truck to tell him. It's all bulshit, that's not rawlas. Damian, do his friends, I'm your house Curry. We are free floats. That was a depressing long bad show, but they'll be better shows. Coming soon. I don't think we're doing a proxy countdown. This week, are we, are we doing them maybe tomorrow, maybe Friday, who knows? We don't know. But we will do a Friday show and there was a shareholder Primacy that dropped today, Mike Levin, and Aunt, Lipton, talking about Warner Brothers Discovery, they went deep and every time and talks, I feel like, like I took a class, she talks really 30 seconds about our favorite movie and I feel like it's too bad. Samuel McCann understand her. Know he doesn't read lifted. Apparently. That's all. We got till then good. Bye.