Squawk Pod NEC Director Kevin Hassett & Changes at Berkshire Hathaway 12/8/25
Dec 8, 2025
Kevin Hassett, former chair of the White House National Economic Council, shares insights on monetary policy, discussing the impact of data on potential Fed cuts and real wage growth. Michael Wolff, former MTV president, delves into Netflix's strategic acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery assets, emphasizing its importance in competing with YouTube and live sports. The conversation also touches on Berkshire Hathaway's leadership transitions and Elon Musk's reaction to a hefty EU fine against X.
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Berkshire's Pre-Transition Reshuffle
- Berkshire Hathaway announced multiple leadership changes ahead of Warren Buffett's handover to Greg Abel.
- Moves include NetJets' Adam Johnson expanding duties and Todd Combs leaving to run a $10B strategic investment at J.P. Morgan.
Data-Driven Fed Leadership
- Kevin Hassett says Fed policy should be driven by data and cautious, not by preset cut counts.
- He praises Jerome Powell for unifying dissident committee views while watching incoming economic data.
Let Data Dictate Rate Plans
- Watch incoming economic data before committing to a sequence of rate cuts or hikes.
- Avoid promising a fixed number of cuts and adjust policy prudently as new indicators arrive.