☕ Most consequential

Your choice for the Person of the Year... December 26, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Cariuma]( Good morning. While you spend the next couple of days trying to hype yourself up to put away the holiday decorations, we’re here to provide a distraction through a series of special end-of-year newsletters. Starting today, we’ll be hosting the second annual Golden Mug Awards, which explore 2022’s most important people, events, and trends from the news as selected by you, the readers. This will unfold the only way awards shows know how: painfully slowly (it’ll last through Thursday). In this edition, we’ll be handing out awards for the Most Consequential Person of the Year and Cringiest Brand Moment. Feel free to play them off the stage if their speeches are taking too long. —Sam Klebanov, Jamie Wilde, Neal Freyman PEOPLE [Most Consequential Person: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky]( [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky]( Morning Brew Being the voice of Paddington Bear and serving as a wartime head of state are typically roles for different people, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has both on his resume. He’s had the world’s attention since 2019, when he parlayed his popularity as a comedy actor into a hugely successful presidential campaign. But after Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, Zelensky’s international prominence rose to a new level. As the face of the war effort, Zelensky is widely perceived as the embodiment of Ukraine’s resoluteness in the fight for its independence and the democratic values it shares with its Western allies. Ukraine’s army is smaller and less powerful than that of its enemy, so garnering the support of sympathetic countries has been instrumental to its ability to sustain a prolonged defensive campaign. Zelensky’s ability to generate positive PR for his country’s cause and secure much-needed aid and military equipment have been key contributors to Ukraine’s military successes. The sketch comedian-turned-supreme commander in chief seemingly possesses an endless supply of swagger and media savvy—traits that have helped him rally the troops at home and win critical support abroad. From his olive green attire to his stubble, everything about Zelensky’s wartime appearance conveys one message: He is fighting alongside his people. “The president is here” At the onset of the war, US officials reportedly offered to help Zelensky evacuate from the country. He didn’t take them up on it, and is said to have responded with the now-iconic motto, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” He secured the ammo, as well as the admiration of Ukraine supporters worldwide. Starting on the second day of the war, when Zelensky declared “the president is here” in a [selfie video]( recorded on a street in Kyiv’s government district, his regular addresses to the nation remain a powerful rallying cry. He’s also used speeches to lawmakers in allied nations to set the agenda on international support for the war effort and hasn’t shied away from leveraging social media to speak directly to Russian citizens. Zelensky’s popularity beyond Ukraine’s borders is such a potent force that some world leaders have been accused of [copying]( Zelensky’s style and exploiting visits to Kyiv as [photo ops]( to boost their own popularity at home. Place in history: Zelensky’s public persona as a courageous statesman leading his country through its darkest hour has drawn comparisons to Winston Churchill. But as with Churchill’s tenure, Zelensky’s presidency is not devoid of [controversy](. Both his war and peacetime governing will ultimately play a part in shaping his legacy. ----- Runner-up: Elon Musk Most newsrooms have long established an Elon Musk beat, but the former world’s richest person really outdid himself in newsworthiness in the past twelve months. The habitually provocative entrepreneur apparently figured that stirring the pot on Twitter wasn’t enough, so this year he decided to buy it. His tumultuous acquisition of the bird app in the name of turning it into his own free-speech utopia, as well as the subsequent mass layoffs and fraught policy changes at the company, were nothing short of a variety show (except with real people). In case anyone got bored, there were also scandalous [attempts]( to find a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, which prompted a not-so-diplomatic response from the country’s foreign ministry. Musk’s purchase of Twitter has caused troubles at his other companies: Tesla stock has lost a significant chunk of its value since the acquisition. His controversial decisions made even some of the biggest Musk loyalists question his judgment, and led to a wider recognition that perhaps our tech billionaires don’t have brilliant solutions to all of life’s problems. Runner-up: SCOTUS In June, months after a draft opinion leaked, a majority of the Supreme Court’s justices ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in a decision that upended decades of reproductive health policy in the US and had a profound impact on the fall’s midterm elections. More landmark decisions are coming next year and this time they’ll affect generations of current and former college students: SCOTUS will rule on the legality of POTUS’s student debt forgiveness plan and affirmative action in college admissions.—SK �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Most%20Consequential%20Person%3A%20Ukrainian%20President%20Volodymyr%20Zelensky%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmorningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F12%2F22%2Fmost-consequential-person-of-2022-ukrainian-president-volodymyr-zelensky%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A TOGETHER WITH CARIUMA [Make your feet famous]( [Cariuma]( The celeb-fave OCA Low in Canvas by [Cariuma]( is finally BACK IN STOCK. These kicks are coming off a ’round-the-block 77k waiting list—and while we can’t promise you’ll have the paparazzi flashing cameras in your face, your feet just might make the front page. With the OCA Low in Canvas, A-list season is year-round. They’re the perfect [stylish sneaks]( that’ll always keep you comfortable, whether you’re rockin’ your favorite tee or sportin’ board shorts on the way to the beach. The OCA Lows are hittin’ high notes to match your fit with gorgeous, neutral colors such as Off-White, Rose, Sand, and Grey. And JSYK: These cult favorites never go on sale, but [Brew readers get a special offer here](. TECH [Cringiest Brand Moment: Meta’s low-res metaverse]( [Mark Zuckerberg's virtual selfie]( Morning Brew In August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a [virtual selfie]( on Facebook to celebrate the launch of the company’s Horizon Worlds metaverse platform in France and Spain. It looked like it came straight out of GoldenEye 007 on N64, and he was promptly roasted to a crisp by the internet hordes. Some [choice commentary](: - “Love how they perfectly captured the cold, soulless, and empty Zuckerborg corporate approved feeling”—Twitter user lukebju19951 - “In fortnite you can be Goku with a shotgun”—Twitter user lordbeef After Zuckerberg endured plenty of cyberbullying, he posted a new, higher-res virtual self-portrait that featured much more detailed background imagery on Instagram. He admitted via caption, “I know the photo I posted earlier this week was pretty basic…the graphics in Horizon are capable of much more.” However, the new images—like Horizon World’s similarly unimpressive legless avatars—still looked more like an old Pixar movie than the latest Halo. And that caused the internet to question…what exactly is Meta spending billions of dollars on? Bottom line: Meta has gone all-in on its metaverse and its augmented- and virtual reality technologies, but the effort is bleeding money. And, at least so far, it’s not earning the company many likes from the public. ----- Runner-up: BalenciagaGate Balenciaga’s holiday campaign featured child models holding teddy bear-shaped bags decked out in BDSM-style gear. The luxury brand quickly apologized, but internet sleuths discovered legal documents concerning child pornography in photos for another campaign that further stoked the fire—and prompted a second apology the same day. Even longtime Balenciaga supporter Kim Kardashian [publicly denounced]( the brand. Runner-up: An Applebee’s commercial during a CNN news segment on the Ukraine war Applebee’s was metaphorically pelted with awesome blossoms after an advertisement for “$1 boneless wings” aired split screen-style next to the news outlet’s [live coverage]( of Russia invading Kyiv. Applebee’s served dad energy in its apology, saying it was “disappointed” in CNN for running the ad. After the incident, the fast-casual restaurant suspended all its advertising on the network.—JW �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Cringiest%20Brand%20Moment%3A%20Meta%E2%80%99s%20low-res%20metaverse%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fmorningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2022%2F12%2F21%2Fcringiest-brand-moment-of-2022-meta%3Futm_campaign%3Dmb%26utm_medium%3Dnewsletter%26utm_source%3Dmorning_brew%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A VIDS [Morning Brew's top videos](#) While we consider ourselves the funniest, most brilliant, and most gorgeous team at the company, the Brew’s video team is clearly coming for the throne with the truly hilarious content they produced over the past year. Here are some of the most popular Brew videos from 2022. The best of TikTok: - Worth it? A breakdown of [HBO Max’s House of the Dragon]( - 60-Second Startup: A chat with the CEO trying to revolutionize [the future of allergy treatment]( - An explainer: [Why doesn’t Taylor Swift own her own music](? The best of YouTube Shorts: - Our most viewed video ever: [Employee Social Experiment]( - Asking the big questions: [How much to rent this in NYC](? - Technically in compliance: How [salary transparency in NYC]( is working out - IYKYK: Signs your employees are watching the [World Cup in the office]( The best of YouTube: - Fresh energy: What it’s like to have a [Gen Z coworker]( - Unique challenges: [Training a CEO to be human]( The best of Instagram: - How much for a house? [Money with Katie argues with her dad]( - Top tip from Excel Dictionary: [How to remove an image background]( TOGETHER WITH THE GIVING BLOCK [The Giving Block]( Crypto for good. Feeling generous this holiday season? [The Giving Block]( makes it easy to donate your crypto, stocks, and more to vetted, worthy causes—nonprofits, charities, universities, and other mission-based organizations. Reducing tax burdens and giving back? Now that’s a very merry holiday season. [Donate now](. BREW'S BETS This week, we’re resurfacing the most-clicked “Brew’s Bets” from the entire year. Dive back into the week: - Shallow dive: The ancient [Turkish art]( of marbling, called Ebru. - Medium dive: Dozens of [useful fitness tips](. - Deep dive: Learn [this trick]( to never forget the difference between i.e. and e.g. again. - Cannonball: 100 ways to [slightly improve your life]( without really trying. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Turntable: It’s the final Turntable of the year . If you haven’t tried our find-the-word game at all in 2022, well…December 26 seems like the perfect time to start. [Play it here](. 2022 markets trivia It’s been a mostly terrible year for assets worldwide due to central banks jacking up interest rates to tame soaring inflation. In today’s quiz, we’ll see just how closely you’ve been following our Markets section all year. In the first section you’ll find a selection of assets, and you have to pair them with their year-to-date performance in the second section. Section 1 Bitcoin, WTI crude oil, S&P 500, Campbell Soup, Tesla, Amazon, Exxon Mobil Section 2 +71% +31% +4.3% –19.8% –50% –64.9% –69% *Performance as of market close on Friday, December 23. AROUND THE BREW Love a good sale? Don’t miss the last few days of the holiday discount for our Leadership Accelerator program. [Apply today]( and use code HOLIDAY200 for $200 off. Get corporate finance insights and updates on industry trends 2x a week with CFO Brew. [Sign up here](. 2023 is around the corner and it’s time to start setting goals for the new year. Let Money with Katie help you achieve those financial goals with her [free newsletter](. SHARE THE BREW [Share Morning Brew]( with your friends, acquire free Brew swag, and then acquire more friends as a result of your fresh Brew swag. We’re saying we’ll give you free stuff and more friends if you share a link. One link. Your referral count: 0 [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( ANSWER +71% (Exxon Mobil) +31% (Campbell Soup) +4.3% (Oil) –19.8% (S&P) –50% (Amazon) –64.9% (bitcoin) –69% (Tesla) � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman](, Sam Klebanov, and [Jamie Wilde]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. 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