☕️ Post-Oprah era

OpenAI and Jeff Bezos invest in humanoid robots... March 01, 2024 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( PRESENTED BY [Cuts]( Good morning. Tonight kicks off the Global Day of Unplugging, an annual event that encourages people to put down their screens and take part in real-life gatherings or a “meaningful conversation.” Yeah…here’s how that might go: Hours 1–3: Chill 4–7: Getting shaky 8–12: Asking strangers for updates on Kate Middleton 13–15: Talking to yourself in a mirror and pretending it’s a Zoom meeting 16–19: Shouting tweets from your fire escape 20–22: Pressing buttons on your microwave to fill the silence 23: Acceptance Good luck! —Matty Merritt, Molly Liebergall, Cassandra Cassidy, Adam Epstein, Neal Freyman MARKETS Nasdaq 16,091.92 +0.90% S&P 5,096.27 +0.52% Dow 38,996.39 +0.12% 10-Year 4.252% -2.2 bps Bitcoin $60,848.50 -2.64% Snowflake $188.28 -18.14% *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 11:00pm ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: Stocks rose yesterday, pushing the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to [all-time highs]( after key inflation data came in about as expected. And, in a real-life approximation of the “There he is, that’s dad” scene from HBO’s Succession, Snowflake’s stock plummeted after the surprise retirement announcement of CEO Frank Slootman.  BUSINESS [WeightWatchers enters its post-Oprah era]( [Oprah Winfrey]( Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images Oprah Winfrey [announced]( yesterday that she’s leaving the board of WW International (formerly known as WeightWatchers), which she’s served on since 2015 as one of the company’s largest shareholders. WW’s share price responded by dropping nearly 20%, or about 70 cents, which in WW terms translates to roughly five almonds. The longtime face of the company, Oprah said she will not be seeking reelection at the May shareholder meeting. In a statement, WW assured users that there was no drama behind her departure and that she’d stick around to advise the company in some capacity. But Oprah’s statement appeared to undermine the program. She revealed she’s donating her shares (worth about $18 million before her exit) to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to “eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications.” Oprah revealed last year that she takes a weight loss drug. She didn’t specify which one, but drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have left WeightWatchers with an uncertain future. Can WW and Ozempic coexist? Technically, they are supposed to. Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar drugs have warnings that tell users they should be paired with diet and exercise. WW and other dieting apps like Noom have also invested in prescription drug services to add to their offerings. But the companies are struggling to keep up. - WW’s revenue dropped nearly 15% ($112 million) in 2023 vs. the prior year. - In 2021, WW’s share price was just under $40. But, despite a 70% bump last year when WW [announced]( it would buy telehealth company Sequence, the price had plummeted to around $3 yesterday. It’s hard losing your billionaire media mogul: Cloud software company Snowflake also saw shares [crater]( yesterday when its billionaire CEO Frank Slootman announced he was retiring. The two stock slides underscored just how much one person can be worth to a company.—MM   PRESENTED BY CUTS [The new business casual]( [Cuts]( Ready to upgrade your wardrobe? Say hello to the new business casual by Cuts. It blends comfort with style, designed to effortlessly elevate your everyday look. Right now, Cuts is having a [25% off sitewide giveback sale]( on everything from shirts and polos to joggers. They’re also on a mission to inspire folks to compete and succeed in business—and that includes those in need. With every purchase made, Cuts will donate a tee to Working Wardrobes, a nonprofit that provides impoverished Americans with the professional apparel they need to gain meaningful employment. Take advantage of this opportunity to boost your style and give back at the same time. Shop [Cuts women’s]( and [men’s workleisure attire](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Texas panhandle wildfire 2024]Anadolu/Getty Images The deadly Texas wildfire is now the largest in the state’s history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which has [scorched 1 million acres]( in the Texas Panhandle and another 31.5k in Oklahoma, is also the second-largest in US history. At least one person died, several homes and ranches were destroyed, and many others were left without power. As of Thursday, the fire was only 3% contained, CNN reported. Experts warned that the combination of dry air and turbulent wind expected this weekend could make the situation worse. One state official said that thousands of cattle will die. A horrifying incident in Gaza could complicate cease-fire talks. More than 100 civilians were reportedly [killed]( yesterday after Israeli troops opened fire at an aid site and humanitarian trucks barreled through a crowd of thousands of Palestinians. The Israeli military acknowledged that it opened fire but claimed it did so only on people deemed a threat, and that the majority of deaths were due to the convoy of trucks running over civilians. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry blamed Israel for the deaths, calling it a “massacre.” An eyewitness told the BBC that most of the casualties were not caused by Israeli gunfire but by the trucks. Hamas reportedly paused cease-fire talks because of the incident, the Wall Street Journal reported. Putin threatened the West with nuclear war over Ukraine intervention. In his annual speech on Thursday, the Russian leader warned that if NATO countries send their own troops to help Ukraine fend off Russia’s invasion, it could lead to a [nuclear conflict](. “All this truly threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization,” Putin warned. “We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory. Do they not understand this?” His warning appeared to be in response to French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week saying that the possibility of NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out. AI [OpenAI might’ve found a body for ChatGPT’s soul]( [Silver Figure AI humanoid robot]( Figure AI The silver dude above is the new humanoid on the block, and pretty much everyone in AI wants a piece. Figure, a less-than-two-year-old robotics company that doesn’t have a commercial product yet but wants to put billions of C-3PO types in workplaces and homes worldwide, announced yesterday that it [raised]( $675 million. - Investors include Microsoft; Nvidia; the funding divisions of OpenAI, Intel, and Amazon; the personal investment firm of Jeff Bezos; and others. - The belle of the cyborg ball, valued at $2.6 billion, also snagged the deal that every little robotics startup dreams of: OpenAI will [build]( specialized AI systems to help Figure humanoids see, speak normally with people, and do physical tasks. Before OpenAI became synonymous with the word chatbot, it struggled to build robotics hardware, so the company dropped that venture in 2021 and went all-in on developing the brains first (aka ChatGPT) and worrying about the body later. But OpenAI “always planned to come back to robotics,” VP Peter Welinder said. The house of Sam Altman has also invested in one of Figure’s competitors, the Norwegian company 1X, so it could be keeping its options open. Zoom out: Despite a tight startup funding environment, VC firms are bullish on bots and have been [rapidly investing]( in humanoid robotics companies.—ML   TOGETHER WITH ORACLE NETSUITE [Oracle NetSuite]( Hope, by the numbers. Last fall, 36% of finance chiefs predicted a recession was on its way. But in 2024, that number dropped to just 8%. Fresh from Oracle NetSuite, check out these 24 ideas that’ll help you plan for success…and a bright economic future. [Read the full list](. CULTURE [Davos has nothing on this party]( [Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani with his family]( Sujit Jaiswal/Getty Images Looking to chat with billionaire CEOs and celebs but can’t make it to Davos for the World Economic Forum annual meeting? Try heading to Jamnagar, a city in western India, for the wedding event heard ’round the world. The party of the year kicks off today: a [three-day pre-wedding extravaganza]( with chartered jets, a nine-page dress code, and a performance by Rihanna—to celebrate the nuptials of the youngest son of India’s wealthiest family to his childhood sweetheart. The actual wedding isn’t until July. The richest man in Asia: Mukesh Ambani is the chair of Reliance Industries, a Fortune 500 company with interests in telecommunications and energy, among other businesses. He has an estimated net worth of $113 billion—so it’s no wonder that his son’s pre-wedding weekend is shaping up to look like a cross between the NYT DealBook Summit and a Filmfare Awards after-party: - Reportedly on the guest list: Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, and Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. - Plenty of [tech CEOs]( are also expected to make an appearance, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, and Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, which this week unveiled an $8.5 billion merger between its Indian business and Reliance. Zoom out: Though most Indian weddings don’t feature a Grammy-winning artist, they are known for their extravagance. Indian couples spend up to 20% of their lifetime [earnings]( on a wedding, according to Business Insider.—CC   GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Graphic of a ghost hand taking a job application]Francis Scialabba, Photos: Getty Images Stat: Someone call Murray, Aykroyd, and Rambis, because ghosts are taking over the job market. Instances of job seekers and employers abruptly ceasing communication with the other party—aka ghosting—are rising. Per a poll conducted by Indeed last year, 78% of applicants said they’ve [ghosted an employer]( during the hiring process, up from 68% the year before. Meanwhile, 40% said they’ve been ghosted by an employer after interviewing, up from 30% the prior year. Experts say the hot job market is largely to blame, as job seekers now have more options. And the more companies think it’s OK to banish applicants to the spirit realm, the more applicants consider it to be normal behavior—and do the same to companies. Quote: “I’d like to find out who did this.” Don’t we all, Mr. The Rock, don’t we all. Earlier this week, Dune: Part Two star Rebecca Ferguson revealed on a podcast that an “absolute idiot” of a costar [screamed at her]( on the set of a previous film. That unsurprisingly sent fans into a frenzy trying to figure out who it was (Ferguson would only confirm that it was not Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman). Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who appeared alongside Ferguson in 2014’s Hercules, ruled himself out in a [post on X]( saying that he loves Ferguson and wants to unmask the rapscallion just like the rest of us. Read: If you don’t have a “ski butler,” are you even really skiing? ([WSJ]( QUIZ [Quiz is the mind-killer]( [New Friday quiz image]( Getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to receiving a “package delivered” email. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. NEWS [What else is brewing](#) - [Neuralink]( the brain-chip company co-founded by Elon Musk, was cited by the FDA over animal testing issues, Reuters reported. - [Tesla]( the auto company co-founded by Elon Musk, can be sued by over 6,000 Black factory workers over its alleged failure to address racism at a California plant, a judge ruled. - [President Joe Biden and Donald Trump]( both visited the southern border yesterday as immigration remains one of the key issues of the 2024 election. - [The SEC]( is reportedly investigating the internal communications of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to see if the company misled investors. - [The Brothers Winklevii]( agreed to return more than $1 billion to customers as part of a settlement between their crypto exchange, Gemini, and the New York Department of Financial Services. - [Reckitt]( the company that owns Durex condoms, is testing livestream shopping in China to boost sales. RECS [Friday to-do list] Tell your bosses: New research shows that companies that adopt [four-day workweeks]( see long-lasting positive benefits. Bolt: A [detailed map]( of where lightning strikes in the US. Think: An essay [on the differences]( between “nice” and “kind” people. Spice things up: It’s opening weekend for Dune: Part Two—here’s where you can find the [closest IMAX theater]( to you. Stop the sneeze: Uncover what’s causing your patients’ allergies with [ImmunoCAP™ Specific IgE testing](. Find allergy profile test codes to use for ordering with the [Lab Ordering Guide]( *A message from our sponsor. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Picdoku: Start your engines with today’s Picdoku, featuring auto racing flags. [Play it here](. Friday puzzle Here’s a noodler from The Guardian: What four-digit number reverses itself when multiplied by 4? As in, what are the digits a, b, c, and d such that the number abcd x 4 = dcba? 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=a905682a]( ANSWER 2178 x 4 = 8712 [Here’s how to solve it](. Word of the Day Today’s Word of the Day is: rapscallion, meaning “a person who causes trouble.” Thanks to Dee from Ann Arbor, MI, and many other well-behaved people for the suggestion. Submit another [Word of the Day here](. Written by [Adam Epstein]( [Neal Freyman]( [Matty Merritt]( [Molly Liebergall]( and [Cassandra Cassidy]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Take The Brew to work - Marketers: [Marketing Brew]( - Corporate: [CFO Brew](  [HR Brew]( - Tech: [IT Brew](  [Tech Brew]( - Retailers: [Retail Brew]( - Healthcare: [Healthcare Brew]( Get smarter in just 5 minutes - Money & Career: [Money With Katie](  [Bossy]( Interested in podcasts? - Check out ours [here]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( // [FAQ]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright © 2024 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 22 W 19th St, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10011