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☆ Ron Baron expects SpaceX's Starlink to go public around 2027
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire investor Ron Baron told CNBC on Friday that he expects SpaceX to IPO its Starlink satellite internet service "in 2027 or so." "We think that by the time they go public with SpaceX, with Starlink … in 2027 or so, four years, the company will be worth $250 billion to $300 billion," Baron said, speaking to CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin. Earlier this month, Baron told MarketWatch his eponymous firm's ownership of SpaceX stock was currently valued at about $1.7 billion. Last year, Musk told employees that taking the business public wasn't likely until 2025 or later. SpaceX's valuation has soared to about $150 billion, with Starlink seen as a key economic driver of the company's goals.

Persons: Ron Baron, Starlink …, Baron, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, SpaceX didn't, Musk, Starlink Organizations: CNBC, SpaceX Locations: Elon

Stock futures this morning are pointing to another weak open. The subdued jobs report released last week led many on Wall Street to predict that the Fed would stop increasing borrowing costs. Not so fast, the central bank’s chief suggested at an event hosted by the International Monetary Fund in Washington. He called out the “head fakes” posed by fluctuating inflation data, and reiterated that the door remained open for further interest rate increases. (Speaking of doors: Powell appeared to lose his cool when climate change protesters disrupted his speech, issuing a profanity as they were escorted off the stage.)

Persons: Jay Powell, —, Powell hasn’t, ”, Powell Organizations: Stock, International Monetary Fund Locations: Ukraine, Washington

Hollywood is poised to get back to workAfter months of strikes that shut down most of Hollywood, the end appears in sight. The SAG-AFTRA union that represents some 160,000 members tentatively agreed to a new contract with media giants that, if approved, will reinvigorate the $134 billion American movie and television business. Union members are hopeful that the deal will bring significant financial concessions that made SAG-AFTRA’s longest-ever strike worth it. But the changing economics of Hollywood may temper some gains, echoing the dilemma facing resurgent unions elsewhere in the country. Led by the actress Fran Drescher, of “The Nanny” fame, SAG-AFTRA took a maximalist negotiating approach that involved accusing studios of plutocracy and belittling their bosses.

Persons: Fran Drescher, ”, AFTRA Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Hollywood, plutocracy

Investors await news on deals, cuts and moreOn Wednesday, Bob Iger will deliver one of the most consequential earnings reports for Disney since returning as C.E.O. He has had to confront many problems, including a slumping share price, strikes that have crippled much of Hollywood, the wrenching transformations wrought by streaming and renewed pressure from the activist investor Nelson Peltz. Progress on potential deals and asset sales: Since Iger opened the door to selling Disney’s declining but profitable traditional TV business and bringing in an investor for ESPN, investors have eagerly awaited what’s next. (Disney, which last month began breaking out financial results for ESPN, has concluded that any deal should be with a sports league or leagues.) Cost cuts: Months of Hollywood strikes — talks between studios and the actors’ on Wednesday will resume on Wednesday — may have saved Disney money on production costs.

Persons: Bob Iger, Nelson Peltz, Iger, what’s, —, ’ Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Hulu Locations: Hollywood

Biden’s troubles stem in large part from negative perceptions about the economy, even as several indications show that it is performing strongly. Here’s a deeper look at what “Bidenomics” has, and hasn’t, accomplished. Since Biden took office, employers have created 14 million jobs, and the unemployment rate has been hovering around a 50-year-low for months. “Bidenomics is just another way of saying the American dream,” he said in a speech. The economy grew last quarter at nearly 5 percent, belying a global slowdown.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump —, ”, Bidenomics, It’s Organizations: Infrastructure Investment, Jobs Locations: America

(That’s despite Trump being nearly as unpopular and fighting multiple legal battles; he is taking the stand on Monday in one of them. And, on PredictIt, which is watched by political experts, Biden holds a six-point lead on Trump.) Just 2 percent of voters said the economy was excellent, the poll found. Worryingly for Biden, that discontent is being reflected in demographics crucial to his re-election: 48 percent of Black voters in the Times/Siena poll rated the economy as poor, as did 59 percent of voters under 30. Zero respondents in that age group in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin rated the economy as excellent.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Worryingly Organizations: Trump, White, Biden, Times Locations: Siena, PredictIt, Arizona , Nevada, Wisconsin

☆ Starbursts, smuggled coffee and Martin Shkreli: How CNBC reported the Sam Bankman-Fried trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Artist: Elizabeth WilliamsJust before 8 p.m. on Thursday, 12 jurors found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of all seven counts against him. (CNBC put out a note requesting access ahead of the trial — an email which was ultimately ignored.) Every exit to file a report included another breakneck trip through security, in a sort of run, rinse, repeat cycle — security, courtroom, exit, photographer's car to file, back up through security, over and over again. CNBC correspondent MacKenzie Sigalos reporting on the Sam Bankman-Fried trial from outside the SDNY courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan. Around 8:02 p.m., Bankman-Fried, speechless, began to walk to a room just adjacent to the main court.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Elizabeth Williams, Fried, MacKenzie Sigalos, Dan Mangan, Martin Shkreli, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Michael Lewis, Lewis, Indiana Jones, Ben McKenzie, McKenzie, Damian Williams, They'd, Danielle Sassoon, Jane Rosenberg, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Joseph Bankman, Brendan Mcdermid, gaunt, Kaplan, Bankman, Mark Cohen, Judge Kaplan, blankly, Christian Everdell, Cohen Organizations: Alameda Research, Southern, of, CNBC, Auburn University totebag, Capitalism, U.S, Federal Court Locations: of New York, San Francisco, Vegas, Georgia, Manhattan, Indiana, New York City, U.S

☆ Three hours to guilty: How the government nailed Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

David Dee Delgado | ReutersIn Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, prosecutors won quickly by keeping it simple. "While the cryptocurrency industry might be new and the players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new, this kind of corruption is as old as time," Williams said. Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, seated to the left, react to the verdict. "Sam Bankman-Fried will be remembered as one of the biggest fraudsters of our lifetimes," Mariotti said. WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all seven counts

Persons: Sam Bankman, David Dee Delgado, CNBC they'd, Yesha Yadav, Fried, Nicolas Roos, Danielle Sassoon, Crypto, Roos, Sassoon, Marc, Antoine Julliard, Renato Mariotti, who's, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Damian Williams, Williams, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Sorkin, that's, It's, SBF, Mariotti, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Tuchmann, Elizabeth Williams, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Ellison, James Koutoulas, Koutoulas, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, FTX coder Adam Yedidia, FTX's, Sun, Kevin J, O'Brien, Mark Cohen Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, Reuters, CNBC, Vanderbilt University ., U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, Southern, of, Prosecutors, Stanford, Alameda Research, New York Times DealBook, Washington , D.C, U.S, Justice Department, Trading Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: New York City, London, Chicago, U.S, of New York, Alameda, Washington ,, Bankman, New York

From crypto wunderkind to felonIt took jurors just four-and-a-half hours yesterday to reach a verdict in the monthlong fraud trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the fallen cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The result was unanimous: guilty on all counts. Bankman-Fried has now completed a narrative arc from whiz-kid founder of a crypto empire to fraudster who stole billions in customer funds. Prosecutors moved to paint the FTX founder — who appeared on magazine covers and hobnobbed with former world leaders — as a scammer who repeatedly lied about his business and profited from illegal use of investor and customer funds. “This was a fraud that occurred on a massive scale,” Nicolas Roos, a prosecutor, said in closing arguments.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, fraudster, —, ” Nicolas Roos Organizations: Stanford, Prosecutors

☆ Starbucks beats on the top and bottom line as customers buy up pricier drinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailStarbucks beats on the top and bottom line as customers buy up pricier drinksCNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reports on the company's quarterly earnings results.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin

Elite law firms send a messageWith universities across the United States grappling with a rise in antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, elite law firms are putting schools on notice. In a letter to some of the nation’s top law schools obtained by DealBook, about two dozen major Wall Street firms warned that what happens on campus could have corporate consequences. The letter follows a series of recent antisemitic episodes at universities. Kathy Hochul of New York sought this week to reassure Jewish students at Cornell after online posts threatening violence against them. Students at other schools have said they feel increasingly unsafe amid rallies and other acts that, in some instances, have become violent.

Persons: Moore Debevoise, Plimpton Kirkland, Ellis Paul, Weiss, Garrison Simpson Thacher, Bartlett Skadden Wachtell, Lipton, Davis Polk, Israel, Kathy Hochul Organizations: DealBook, Rosen, Katz, Wardwell, Gov, New York, Cornell Locations: United States, Israel, Rifkind, Wharton, New

Waiting on the Fed and TreasuryThe Fed hasn’t budged on interest rates since July, and it’s expected to stand pat again today. Still, an anxious Wall Street will be closely watching for any change in the central bank’s higher-for-longer strategy on rates, including the possibility of a new increase as soon as next month. Before Jay Powell, the Fed chair, speaks this afternoon, the Treasury Department will take center stage. But this Treasury update comes against a backdrop of big tensions in the bond market. Yields on 10-year Treasury notes jumped to a 16-year high last month as investors dumped bond holdings, sending borrowing costs higher for consumers and businesses.

Persons: Wall, Jay Powell Organizations: Fed, Treasury, Treasury Department

The biggest involved Alameda Research, the sister hedge fund he controlled that’s at the heart of a collapse that has cost investors, business partners and customers billions. Under questioning, he conceded that he played a larger role at Alameda before it imploded. His decision to testify was long seen as risky, and that became clearer yesterday. The 31-year-old, who faces nearly a lifetime in prison on fraud and money-laundering charges, delivered curt “yep,” “no” and several “I’m not sure” responses, the latter drawing rebukes from the judge. The lead prosecutor used Bankman-Fried’s own words against him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, curt “ yep, I’m, Danielle Sassoon, Antonin Scalia, Bankman Organizations: Alameda Research, Supreme, Twitter Locations: Alameda

rules in governments’ sightsPresident Biden is set to issue an executive order on artificial intelligence on Monday, in his first effort to regulate how U.S. companies develop it and how regulators oversee the technology. The order will create standards for American companies and public agencies. Biden will invoke the Defense Production Act, which lets the president mobilize U.S. industry to support national defense. The order will require companies developing A.I. that “poses a serious risk to national security, national economic security, or national public health and safety” to notify the government when training their systems.

Persons: Biden

In reaching a tentative contract with the U.A.W., Ford has moved to make peace with restive employees, one of the most costly problems it has faced in recent years. With that in mind, investors are weighing how much this week’s preliminary deal might weigh on the automaker as it deals with a different major issue: slower-than-expected demand for electric vehicles. The new contract could cost Ford up to $2 billion annually over four years, according to Barclays analysts, or about 1 percent of sales. Employees were jubilant about the preliminary deal, which includes a 25 percent pay increase over the life of the contract and improvements on job security, pensions and more. “This is the best contract I have seen in my 30 years with Ford,” one worker, Robert Carter, told The Times.

Persons: Ford, Robert Carter Organizations: Ford, Barclays, Employees, Times

☆ 'AI exposure' is the new buzz term to soften talk about job losses. Here's what it means
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Natalie Rose Goldberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has raised many concerns, prominent among these AI job displacement and mass layoffs throughout the economy. No round of layoffs of knowledge workers goes by without a mention of the threat of AI. In May of this year alone, the U.S. economy lost 4,000 jobs as a result of AI, according to data from employment outsourcing firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. According to Factset, mentions of generative AI on corporate earnings calls increased from five in December 2022 to 390 in June 2023. The more recent milestone, according to Rand: by 2020, "nearly all occupations are exposed to AI technology patent."

Persons: Alan Guarino, Korn, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, Guarino, Factset, Rand Organizations: LinkedIn, CNBC, Korn Ferry, Rand Corporation Locations: India, U.S, United States

Wall Street’s real-life “Succession” has endedOne of Wall Street’s most closely watched succession races is over as Ted Pick prepares to become Morgan Stanley’s next chief executive. The path laid out by Gorman has made Morgan Stanley the envy of the financial world and helped it outpace its longtime rival, Goldman Sachs. Morgan Stanley’s board selected him over Andy Saperstein, who leads wealth management, and Dan Simkowitz, who oversees asset management. But Pick, a Morgan Stanley lifer who oversees investment banking and trading, is familiar with the most complex parts of the firm, making him in some ways the safest option. (Morgan Stanley is seeking to keep Saperstein and Simkowitz, making both co-presidents and giving them expanded portfolios.)

Persons: ”, Ted Pick, Morgan Stanley’s, James Gorman, Gorman, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Pick, Andy Saperstein, Dan Simkowitz, Morgan Stanley lifer Organizations: HBO

☆ As ‘Billions’ Ends, Its Creators Discuss the Changing Face of the Ultrarich
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sean T. Collins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As the Showtime financial thriller “Billions” prepares to air its final episode this weekend, it’s worth considering how far we’ve come. The show started as the story of the crusading U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the hard-charging hedge funder Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). Exclusive restaurants, elaborate schemes and a host of cameos by real-world power players provided the backdrop for their battle. In a video chat earlier this month they discussed the state of play and the fates of the major players in the series, without revealing who (if anyone) wins the final “Billions” battle. According to an otherwise cagey Koppelman, “The end of this show is really for ‘Billions’ fans.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Persons: Chuck Rhoades, Paul Giamatti, Bobby Axelrod, Damian Lewis, Lewis, Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Mike Prince, Corey Stoll, Chuck, Prince, —, Wendy, Maggie Siff Organizations: Showtime, U.S, New York Times, CNBC Locations: Miami

A cloudy forecast for Big Tech and A.I. The verdict so far, based on quarterly earnings reports released on Tuesday: Only one of them is showing early progress. The company reported $56.3 billion in sales, largely on the strength of its Azure cloud business. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s C.E.O., told analysts that more than 18,000 organizations were using Azure OpenAI, including new customers. (The Information reported on Tuesday that some early OpenAI customers were switching to cheaper alternatives … including Microsoft.)

Persons: Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s Organizations: Big Tech, Microsoft

Meanwhile, Meta has struggled with applying its content policies fairly across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, according to The Wall Street Journal. Experts say companies often find themselves out of their depth in talking about the knotty topic and that sometimes there’s little benefit to rushing out a statement. Some companies, especially those without operations in the Middle East, have chosen not to speak. In related news: How diplomats from the U.S., Qatar and elsewhere helped free two Americans taken hostage by Hamas. The two were far apart earlier this month on issues including streaming payouts and the use of artificial intelligence.

Persons: Dave Chappelle sparred, driller, Hess Organizations: U.S, Social, Israel, Meta, Facebook, Wall Street, ” Employers, Corporate, Web, Creative Artists Agency, Hamas, Exxon Mobil’s, Natural Resources, Republicans, SAG, . Tax, Big Tech Four, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Nasdaq Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, Qatar, Ukraine, Chevron’s, Guyana, Texas, New Mexico

Worries are growing about how much the turmoil could cost the global economy. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, hit a three-week high this on Fridayfears that a military escalation could disrupt already tight supplies. In a speech largely focused on inflation, interest rates and economic growth, Jay Powell, the central bank’s chair, warned on Thursday that “geopolitical tensions are highly elevated and pose important risks to global economic activity.”The Middle East is becoming a wild card for the global economy. That would probably sap growth but might also slow the economy enough to negate the need for an additional interest-rate increase. The measures were announced days after the U.S. imposed tighter restrictions on sales of more advanced semiconductors to China.

Persons: Biden, —, Brent, Jay Powell, Powell, ” Powell, Kamala Harris, Jay Monahan, David Zaslav, Jim Jordan, Patrick McHenry, Jordan, there’s, Fran Drescher, George Clooney, ” Drescher, Sidney Powell, Donald Trump’s Organizations: Gaza, Israel, U.S . Navy, Intel, Siemens, European Commission, Digital Services, PGA, Warner Bros, Hollywood, SAG, Trump Locations: Mideast, Israel, Ukraine, Lebanon, U.S, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lisbon, Ohio, Trump . China, Beijing, China

Investors turn to the Fed amid Israel-Hamas turmoilThe Middle East crisis has put markets on edge, pushing up oil prices and driving demand for safe havens, like gold. A key update comes Thursday at noon Eastern, with Jay Powell, the Fed chair, set to speak at the Economic Club of New York. In recent months, inflation has begun to ease, but the path has been bumpy as hiring remains robust and consumers continue to spend. That’s fueled fears in the bond markets that Fed policymakers will keep their prime lending rate at around 5 percent well into next year. The conviction has prompted a mammoth sell-off in Treasuries in recent weeks, pushing the yield on the 10-year T-bill to a 16-year high.

Persons: Jay Powell Organizations: Economic, of New Locations: Israel, of New York, Treasuries

Biden’s diplomatic task gets harderPresident Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday for a high-wire diplomatic mission that is facing new challenges by the minute. All that threatens to become what investors have feared: a rapid escalation of violence that could roil markets, upsetting a fragile global economy. Before departing for Israel, Biden said he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by the blast at Ahli Arab Hospital. Palestinians blamed an Israeli airstrike, and Israelis cited an errant rocket fired by an armed Palestinian faction. Israeli forces are clashing with Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces based in southern Lebanon.

Persons: Biden, Jordan, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Organizations: of Islamic Cooperation, Israel, Arab Hospital Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Palestinian, Lebanon

Some executives are worried about the optics, pointing to an initial statement from Riyadh about the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that appeared to blame Israel. The diplomatic normalization talks with Israel appear to be on hold, and the crown prince has reportedly begun talks with the Iranian government about preventing the conflict from metastasizing. Meanwhile, Riyadh has been cool to U.S. efforts to restore calm and preserve progress made in the Saudi-Israeli talks. Prince Mohammed reportedly made Secretary of State Antony Blinken wait hours before meeting, and then called for a halt in the “current escalation” of the conflict. Some have suggested that attending would help encourage Saudi Arabia in its modernization push.

Persons: Israel, Prince Mohammed, Antony Blinken, ” Ayham Kamel, DealBook, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed’s Organizations: Reuters Locations: Riyadh, U.S, Saudi, Eurasia, East, North Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia

☆ Work-from-home rate tumbles, hits post-pandemic low
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWork-from-home rate tumbles, hits post-pandemic lowCNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin reports on the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: U.S . Census Locations: U.S

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