Squawk Pod A $6.5B Gift for Kid Accounts & OpenAI’s ‘Code Red’ 12/2/25
Dec 2, 2025
In this discussion, Brad Gerstner, Founder and CEO of Altimeter Capital and child investment account advocate, explores the $6.5 billion gift from Michael and Susan Dell to fund the Invest America initiative. He shares insights on financial literacy and ownership for kids. Meanwhile, Max Shapira, Executive Chairman of Heaven Hill, delves into the bourbon industry's evolution and how his distillery has adapted to changing consumer tastes and post-COVID habits. The conversation touches on marketing strategies and the impacts of tariffs on the industry.
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OpenAI Declares "Code Red"
- OpenAI declared a "code red" after competitors like Google's Gemini 3 pressured ChatGPT's lead.
- The company reprioritized product work to keep ChatGPT competitive in capabilities.
Seeding Ownership To Teach Capitalism
- Michael and Susan Dell's $6.25B gift will seed Invest America accounts for 25 million children to build ownership early.
- Brad Gerstner argues visibility of ownership will boost financial literacy and pro-capitalist sentiment among youth.
Make Accounts A Classroom Tool
- Teach financial literacy by having students see and interact with their Invest America accounts on their phones.
- Use classroom moments to explain compounding and small monthly contributions to grow long-term wealth.