What I wrote last week
My summary of Microsoft’s latest earnings, a giant with growth momentum
Bezos is stepping down (not really a shock), but Amazon is in a great shape
Business
I don’t always agree with all Ben’s takes, but his presentation here is pretty well-done
The NYTimes looked at the current infrastructure for electric vehicles which are becoming a force in the near future
It seems that Amazon’s struggles with its Game Studio come from the top
Apple in 2020: The Six Colors report card
The Facebook Oversight Board’s First Decisions: Ambitious, and Perhaps Impractical. A pretty good writeup on the first 5 decisions by the FOB. I think it’s great that the FOB came out swinging to prove at least up to now it’s not for show and it’s for business. It’s also great that it doesn’t put too much weight on the operationability of its decisions. That way, the decisions seem more dialogic and as a guide instead of being contaminated by expenses and profits.
Forbes’ writeup on Chegg, a subscription company that lets you solve your homework with the help of an army of experts from India. Every business needs to make money. That I can understand. But if somebody comes out and says that it encourages cheating, they also have a point.
A story on the implosion of Ample Hills, which was once Brooklyn’s hottest ice cream brand
The latest investment letter from RGA
What I found interesting
Have a look at an interesting mushroom farm in Vietnam
An interesting piece on Arthur Hayes, the founder of BitMEX
Interesting stats
Another horrifying story about the US healthcare. I can’t believe what I read. A new parent had to deal with their newly born child being sick and the insurance company relied on red tape and the flaws of the system to exploit their customers. Imagine the horror of receiving a $270,000 bill.
US Distilleries made $31 billion in revenue in 2020, due to Covid-19. Premium liquor rose in popularity among consumers
In 2020, nearly 1 million Gen-Zers opened a trading account at Apex Clearing, most likely through a broker, with the average age of 19.
App downloads in January 2021 from Bank of America
Someone compiled data on customers for Fintech firms
Zelle processed more than $300 billion in 2020
Minh Quang Duong 