Fourth annual Bestie Awards recapping the best and worst of 2023, including biggest political winners, losers, and surprises. Discussion of biggest business winners, losers, and surprises. Favorite memes of the year and critique of mainstream media. Best new tech of the year. Controversial actions and influence of Ivy League schools.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Taylor Swift generated $4 billion in revenue from her tour and merchandise.
Citadel returned $7 billion to investors, generating steady 15% returns.
Novo Nordisk transitioned from low growth to become a leader in GLP-1 medications.
CRISPR received FDA approval as a potential cure for sickle cell anemia.
Fox News faced controversies, spreading fake news and firing Tucker Carlson.
SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried) gained attention for negative reasons, despite initial hype as a wonderkid.
Deep dives
Best CEO
Taylor Swift, $4 billion in revenue from the tour and the merchandise and the movie and everything. Each tour stop generates $90 million for the city she lands in.
Best Investor
Citadel, returned $7 billion to their investors in 2023, generating 15% steady returns.
Best Turnaround
Novo Nordisk, went from low growth to becoming a leader in GLP-1 medications for conditions like diabetes.
Best Science Breakthrough
CRISPR FDA approved treatment for sickle cell anemia, providing a potential cure for a debilitating disease.
Worst Company of the Year
Fox News, spreading fake news, firing Tucker Carlson, and facing lawsuits for misleading the public.
Best Meme
The Boston cop going down the slide meme, symbolizing anything going off track or going wrong.
Biggest Flash in the Pan
SBF (Sam Bankman-Fried), hyped as a wonderkid, but turned out to be a grifter and gracing the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Best Turnaround
Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, taking the struggling company and making it profitable, securing regulatory approval, and resolving major issues.
Best Investor
Ken Griffin of Citadel, delivering impressive returns and generating significant profit for investors.
Worst Company of the Year
Mu Yuan Food Stuff, the largest pig slaughter and farming company, known for cruel treatment of pigs and large-scale environmental impacts.
Best Meme
The G.F.Y. Iran meme, in response to Bob Iger's attempt to blackmail the country.
Best CEO
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, leading the company to significant stock market gains and securing a strong position in the AI industry.
Best Science Breakthrough
The brain decoder technology, enabling the decoding of thoughts and brain activity, potentially leading to breakthroughs in communication.
Biggest Turnaround
Bill Ackman, successfully timing the bond market and making significant profits with the right predictions.
Worst Company of the Year
Pfizer, facing declining demand for COVID-related products and a credibility crisis.
Best Meme
The "I'm the captain now" meme featuring Sam Altman, symbolizing his rise to power and influence.
Biggest Flash in the Pan
Solana cryptocurrency, experiencing a massive increase in value and investor interest before a significant market decline.
Best Turnaround
Sam Altman, turning a challenging situation into an opportunity for himself and his company, OpenAI.
Best Investor
Bill Ackman, for making timely and profitable moves in the bond market.
Worst Company of the Year
Pfizer, for its declining market value and lack of transparency.
Best Meme
The Boston cop going down the slide meme, representing situations going haywire or off track.
The importance of embracing the enlightenment over the dark ages
As the year comes to an end, the hosts discuss the importance of embracing the enlightenment over the dark ages. They believe that progress and innovation are crucial for human civilization and should be nurtured. They criticize the extreme ideologies taught in Ivy League institutions and emphasize the need for independent thinking and freedom of speech. They anticipate a reallocation of brand equity from the IVs to other schools that prioritize first principles thinking and respect diverse perspectives.
Recognition of concerning trends and issues
The hosts also reflect on concerning trends and issues experienced in 2023. They highlight the struggle of young people, evidenced by increased death rates and declining marriage rates in certain age cohorts. Mental health issues and a rise in suicide rates are recognized as critical concerns. Additionally, they express worries about the national debt, the normalization of excessive spending, and the negative impact of divisive ideologies. The podcast episode concludes with a discussion on favorite media and upcoming predictions for 2024.
