🌎 Microsoft’s windfall

Plus: PlayStation may need some consoling. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/knvCimMb31neeCdtjHT39aFVxviuZqpFWXlXQhRT8x8=328) [Quartz](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1851037108%2Fmicrosoft-s-windfall%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/hIP3TV75GS_K6-Z2DEfu2THCGDvPDOXhvZ-vMG6czq8=328) November 21, 2023 [View in browser](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1851037108%2Fmicrosoft-s-windfall%2F/2/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/4r96Jl7La6qyXwcgT_qX7_WfZPTFoR1ZVoB6toZHxRs=328) %2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1851037108%2Fmicrosoft-s-windfall%2F/3/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/vHI6jhYEp1zfost4qkcum9-Olk5JmHB3avp5huvNzqI=328 Photo: Reuters (Dado Ruvic) Good morning, Quartz readers! Here’s what you need to know Nearly all of OpenAI’s employees are threatening to follow ex-CEO Sam Altman to Microsoft. They’re demanding that the [current board resign](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fmicrosoft-satya-nadella-hired-openai-ceo-sam-altman-1851035179%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/txvmXzma1tkZKqeboafafmRNoVa6isenaT8tNpZIb8U=328) or face an exodus. Meanwhile, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff is welcoming employees who want to leave OpenAI with open arms—[and matching pay](%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2023-11-20%2Fbenioff-invites-openai-researchers-to-join-saleforce-s-ai-team/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/6Dqk5ZKCupuXJOnpkiFIS3bwYhlBu0y2o9rrslpUhig=328). Investors responded really well to Microsoft’s new OpenAI hires. Its stock [briefly reached an all-time high](%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fmarkets%2Fus%2Ffutures-edge-higher-microsoft-shines-2023-11-20%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/kKNFsjJkGiQNR2jIE8BmP7j8BG7U3JJ4JTFoKnUJR5U=328) yesterday, with all of Wall Street’s three indexes closing higher. Businesses and schools reopened in Delhi yesterday as air pollution improved. But levels are still hazardous, and there’s a [toxic white foam](%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fworld%2Findia%2Findian-capital-resumes-some-activities-despite-hazardous-air-river-foam-2023-11-20%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/NH_HonnDAGDrXSETRvS2LoQ8EE5hMxE6otIs4YjaI8s=328) on the city’s Yamuna River. Germany pledged €4 billion ($4.4 billion) for green projects in Africa. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the investment, set to run through 2030, aims to ensure countries on the continent benefit from [the very materials they source](%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Fgermany-g20-compact-africa-green-energy-investment-dfd9e54ee108758bc22a8ce8e842a910/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/cA0N3wdwhNmEuNmdCZtdbZ_d_VubjS6JRdp0iXQHXok=328) for green projects. PlayStation may need some consoling Back in 2001, a Sony executive claimed that the Xbox was “[finished](%2F%2Fwww.theregister.com%2F2001%2F05%2F24%2Fmicrosoft_xbox_has_lost%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/jOTrevCIS23Nh5Kna0G5VcuX6_leT-OUZm1zq3MXmho=328).” Two decades later, that prediction hasn’t aged well for the PlayStation maker, especially as Xbox’s Microsoft takes gaming giant Activision Blizzard under its wing. When combined, Microsoft and Activision’s gaming revenue was $10.4 billion in the first half of this year—comfortably more than Sony’s $8 billion. %2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1851037108%2Fmicrosoft-s-windfall%2F/4/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/V3aJTgeFLrm08RdiRoAgiR46da_joN3YFU5_5s-c7OA=328 Graphic: (Ananya Bhattacharya) Microsoft now has a stronger roster of mobile games, including new addition Candy Crush Saga, which, we were honestly surprised to learn, is the [third-highest grossing mobile title](%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftech%2Fmicrosoft-now-owns-activision-blizzard-what-it-means-for-your-favorite-games%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/9fH4TRBWwBNvgH-YvuSguuV7ReTRu72FOAbTbxtBeWg=328) worldwide. Still, even a combined Microsoft-Activision and Sony [can’t dethrone gaming’s king: China’s Tencent](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fmicrosofts-xbox-will-leapfrog-sonys-playstation-for-the-1851035237%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/aUrHRG4CZw_wyVs_oaZ47NQ95F0YrI6ElCMP1uj3tLY=328) and its Fortnite supremacy. Javier Milei’s dollarization isn’t a silver bullet Argentina’s incoming president, Javier Milei, has radical plans to turn the country’s ailing economy around. Top of the agenda for the [self-described anarcho-capitalist](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Ftaylor-swift-and-bts-superfans-are-rallying-against-arg-1850996866%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/4LnIVESmQr0TGRQq1U3nRECSqCY6AnKNWCMeBEKxLyQ=328) is “dolarización”—substituting the local currency, the peso, with the US dollar, to tame runaway inflation. That comes with abolishing the central bank and slashing public spending—cuts that Milei symbolized by wielding a chainsaw in the early days of his campaign. But the policy changes might be DOA. Argentina doesn’t have enough dollars to finance the switch, and the plan isn’t sustainable in the long run. The country already tried pegging its peso to the US dollar from 1991 to 2002, [and it worked—until it didn’t](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdollarization-is-no-silver-bullet-despite-what-argenti-1851035161%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/RJ9SYxmmICTpZVec7IsB74kgZFpHqcbaezaeXukUhPE=328). Quartz’s most popular 👕 [Shein looks set to overtake H&M and is closing in on Zara](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fshein-looks-set-to-overtake-h-m-and-is-closing-in-on-za-1851029312%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/Bg14nwEbi_saQN6I8YZTg3Xjj0nqTyLq5ETHRdNzevo=328) 💬 [JFK’s final hour, in the words of his widow and other eyewitnesses](%2F%2Fqz.com%2F1472215%2Fjfk-assassination-his-final-moments-in-pictures%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/-yrX0gaW67rT6LP6Px48IsjDj8DAVrKhiHPcm8gDV5A=328) 💈 [Drybar co-founder Alli Webb’s advice to entrepreneurs](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdrybar-co-founder-alli-webbs-advice-to-entrepreneurs-1851031917%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/H-0D_dW4jkifgCB6RYKmbW0O_nbRA7tuHX1sNmqbEgU=328) 😎 [Elon Musk’s “cool” new job search feature doesn’t offer much](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Felon-musk-x-twitter-job-search-feature-1851031875%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/Xfqmf8xuZdsBQ7GoRRlTCe8gjUdzH6nJpgCD0JF7XGk=328) ✈️ [American Airlines flight attendants are asking for permission to strike](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Famerican-airlines-flight-attendants-ask-for-permission-1851036737%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/THmaGg4UScP6UwZJXjeBv3AFc6e4hdcPQN3O7aGb63Y=328) 🥔 [How to make the perfect mashed potatoes, according to science](%2F%2Fqz.com%2F843896%2Fhow-to-make-perfect-mashed-potatoes-according-to-science%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/KhyXayRSDsMj5Y2mHDGTDnXu3mwZjhO5blEjYMpiAsg=328) Surprising discoveries The US Department of Defense just failed its sixth consecutive audit. And it [doesn’t have a timeline](%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2023%2F11%2F17%2Fpentagon-audit-failed%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/tj1_p0n9dVZMqRb-GmlBoaBI5wRBQuCACHGMHIocc3g=328) for passing one. There’s only enough special clay left to make one more Wallace & Gromit movie. The [future of claymation](%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Ffilms%2F2023%2F11%2F17%2Fcrisis-looms-for-chicken-run-aardman-clay-shortage%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/TxDHcK2dHW4PBujwfZBgul-VVbsARkrQ7BLqFx25OmQ=328) hangs in the balance. Rare photos of Salvador Dalí’s home were captured. A sofa modeled after [American actress Mae West’s lips](%2F%2Fwww.itsnicethat.com%2Fnews%2Fapartamento-casa-dali-photography-161123/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/5RqYDEsZkCdBBk7mVNqCR2hFEMEvsqHl_Au02gJlrVc=328) is just one part of the surrealist’s collection. A mysterious respiratory illness is being found in dogs. It has [symptoms similar to kennel cough](%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fdogs-sickened-mysterious-potentially-fatal-illness%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/YVJOQ514AlS5XRu6PMDwxFqyWeXmCrHbPma__01_9Ik=328) but can last much longer. Back in 1974, an Australian scientist traveled the world with six flasks of air, trying to show that carbon dioxide was rising in the atmosphere. “Where did I go wrong?” [he’s now asking](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2F2023%2Fnov%2F20%2Fwhere-did-i-go-wrong-the-scientist-who-tried-to-raise-the-climate-alarm/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/XFHx3CX5IrJcuZ1dSUr9U54qPjVvkpENKS4EsTQ3lhg=328). Did you know we have two premium weekend emails, too? One gives you analysis on the week’s news, and one provides the best reads from Quartz and elsewhere to get your week started right. You can get those by [becoming a member](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fsubscribe%2Fplan/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/p0oPx_VXJeq3apqCT6MihO1GGq0JluoZCQSiS-P2vpc=328)—and take 20% off! Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, a claymiracle, and Dalí furniture to [talk@qz.com](mailto:talk@qz.com?cc=&subject=Daily%20Brief%20feedback%20&body=). Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Morgan Haefner. [🌐 View or share this email online.](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2Fdaily-brief%2F1851037108%2Fmicrosoft-s-windfall%2F/5/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/J1ZOQtg7UsRunW35yTIIe96b5lR09t1pz95plvjCWGQ=328) [📬 Check out our emails [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Femails%2F/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/o0OEDqAfFZCHygGaJ0U-cPAUeMBtiW3A24KifpMt2To=328) [👀 Read Quartz’s latest stories [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Flatest%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/1MbDcaQc97kbMcECCWv__uPOoNzCTrR9ujxSXgLasbg=328) [📈 See what stories are trending [caret]](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdiscover%2Ftrending%2F%3Futm_source=email%26utm_medium=Quartz_Daily_Brief_US%26utm_content=1851037108/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/DvcBKpyai3RwevQ9tH_cQivAM-D5pXGqz-6d8XGlH_0=328) 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 © 2023 G/O Media Inc. [Unsubscribe](%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fnewsletter%2Funsubscribe%3FsubscriptionToken=2c6a6a5b4aa4c5dd8bd038e02a176f0190b9207b-116817%26utm_source=quartz_newsletter%26utm_medium=email%26utm_campaign=2023-11-21/1/0100018bf18ae932-161e1664-8d8a-419b-9ce2-de2e693d4703-000000/4ftp2UnQT4QnbxfdLu-pl30QY1I-ohYAMF_hgDSe21k=328)