Elon Musk is a trillionaire now. Is that bad for the economy?

Elon Musk is a trillionaire now. Is that bad for the economy?

Elon Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire thanks to his company SpaceX, which now has the biggest IPO of all time. Public trading in the company has put it's valuation at over $2tn. The eye-watering sums of money pouring into AI are also boosting other tech titans, including OpenAI and Anthropic. Both companies are expected to go public this year with nearly trillion-dollar valuations. The Guardian’s US tech editor Blake Montgomery [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/blake-montgomery] tells Kai Wright [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/kai-wright] that with these IPOs, all our financial futures are forever tied to AI’s success, and more worryingly, its possible failure ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Trump is changing the World Cup

When the US, Mexico and Canada submitted their winning World Cup bid, they predicted that Donald Trump would not be president in 2026. That prediction didn't exactly pan out – and now, as the tournament begins, Guardian soccer correspondent Jeff Rueter [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jeff-rueter] explains how Trump's America is rewriting the rules of the World Cup. Jeff also previews fun teams to watch, while Kai and Carter reveal who they’re rooting for. (Hint: it's not the US.) ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How fighting Amazon made Chris Smalls a celebrity: 'My life changed'

In 2022, Amazon workers at a fulfillment center in Staten Island made history by voting to form a union. Their leader was fired Amazon worker Chris Smalls, who became something of a celebrity within the labor movement. Smalls left the union amid internal tensions, and has gone on to become a freelance activist since. He speaks with Kai Wright about being arrested while protesting the Jeff Bezos-funded Met Gala, and why courting attention is an effective form of activism. Smalls’ new book When the Revolution Comes [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724036/when-the-revolution-comes-by-chris-smalls/] is out now. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Knicks v Spurs: the NBA finals a billionaire can’t ruin

After winning Game 1 of the NBA finals, the New York Knicks are one step closer to winning a championship that has eluded them for 53 years. New Yorkers are feeling elated, but the Knicks are going to have to get through 7ft4in Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who just might be the next face of the league. Kai Wright speaks with the Guardian’s Andrew Lawrence [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/andrew-lawrence] about who exactly these teams are, and why despite all the money flowing through the sport, this is a series for the people. * Read Andrew Lawrence on Knicks billionaire donor James Dolan [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/28/james-dolan-new-york-knicks-nba-finals]. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Robert Reich on how Trump's slush fund loss is an opportunity for Democrats

This week the bipartisan furor over Donald Trump’s $1.8bn slush fund escalated to the point that the administration balked, saying they are no longer moving forward with it. But Robert Reich [https://www.theguardian.com/profile/robert-reich], a Guardian columnist and former US secretary of labor, says the fund, and specifically, the additional detail of the settlement giving Trump and his family immunity from future IRS audits, are the essence of corruption – and if Democrats can successfully connect that corruption to the affordability crisis, they might just have a winning message on their hands. * Robert Reich: 'The language of the American presidency doesn’t apply to Trump' [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/25/american-presidency-trump] * Read Reich’s newsletter on how Democrats could tie the affordability crisis to Trump administration corruption [https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-corruptonomics] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.