Pivot
Elon's Tesla Board Drama, Microsoft and Meta Earnings, and Bezos Bends the Knee
Fri, 02 May 2025
Kara and Scott discuss a report that Tesla’s board considered replacing Musk as CEO, President Trump’s contentious ABC interview, and Apple’s violation of an order in the Epic Games antitrust case. Then, Microsoft and Meta earnings are in, and Trump is blaming former President Biden for the economy. Plus, Jeff Bezos bends the knee to the Trump administration. Send us your predictions! Calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or visit nymag.com/pivot. Follow us on Instagram and Threads at @pivotpodcastofficial. Follow us on Bluesky at @pivotpod.bsky.social. Follow us on TikTok at @pivotpodcast. Help us plan for the future of Pivot by filling out a brief survey: voxmedia.com/survey. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How are Microsoft and Meta performing in the latest earnings reports?
You know, somebody said, oh, the shelves are going to be open. Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know? And maybe the $2 will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.
Oh, my God. It's true. Whoever said that. This idea that, I mean, look, that may be true. I agree. I have too many fucking toys in my house, and I wish I had, like, many less. But it's none of his business if people want $30. Americans are used to products on the shelves and open, whatever open means empty is the word he's looking for.
Toy manufacturers are already warning about a Christmas toy shortage. Factories in China produce nearly 80% of all toys and 90% of Christmas goods sold in the US. He's making a point, yes, we shouldn't consume as much. The man who consumes more than anybody, who's just like a giant maw of consumption, is lecturing people. His whole administration is doing this. They're very on message.
Well, you don't need that stuff. You don't need it. And that may be But how do you think it's going to hit with people, especially if there are empty shelves, not open shelves, but empty shelves?
From a guy that golfs every third day and banks porn stars, he's talking to us about consumption.
I know, and then shows off his gold in that Terry Moran interview, by the way, he showed off.
Americans, we are the most conspicuous consumers in history. America is sort of, you'd argue, an insurance company with a military, but really what it is, it's a platform for prosperity where people get material and hopefully emotional benefits. you know, gains from an incredible operating system.
And you could argue that Biden was kicked out of office because the price of eggs went too high, but he doesn't think people are going to notice. 90% of America is on a fixed budget. And if toys go up in price, 30, 40, 50%, that means a third to a half fewer toys. You don't think that's going to hit home emotionally? When the kids start noticing, wait, you know, that just really hits you hard.
It hits on an emotion where... When you feel like you're not providing for your kids on key moments, it really rips at your soul. And people are going to get angry. Just the notion that, oh, Americans, that these people, that him with his tacky, retrofitted 757... that somehow Americans don't need all this stuff. Well, okay, folks, Americans love their stuff. America is the land of stuff.
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