WallStreetBets, GameStop, and the “Swirl of Distrust” That’s Electrifying the Stock Market

Alito’s Hot Mic • Hunter’s Guilty Verdict • Kelce’s POTUS Fantasy [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair Hive logo image]( WallStreetBets, GameStop, and the “Swirl of Distrust” That’s Electrifying the Stock Market Good morning. Hedge funds once reigned supreme as some of the biggest market-movers on Wall Street. But thanks in part to GameStop, WallStreetBets, and Robinhood, it’s now clear that mom-and-pop retail investors wield just as much, if not more, financial power, according to Nathaniel Popper’s new book, The Trolls of Wall Street. In an [interview]( with Jon Skolnik, the former New York Times reporter unpacks the driving cultural forces behind the short-squeeze saga. “All of this online ferment was about not trusting the ways that we used to do things,” he says. “The rise of social media just put that into overdrive.” Elsewhere, Eric Lutz [surveys]( Democrats’ blistering reactions to a secret recording of Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito agreeing America should “return to a place of godliness,” while Bess Levin [catches]( Hunter Biden’s conviction on three felony charges. Thanks for reading. [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Wristwatch, Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, Aircraft, Transportation, and Vehicle]( [WallStreetBets, GameStop, and the “Swirl of Distrust” That’s Electrifying the Stock Market]( By [Jon Skolnik]( [In an interview with Vanity Fair, Nathaniel Popper traces the origins of an unprecedented financial saga—and explains how it’s given rise to a new class of retail investors that are keeping institutional investors on their toes: “They very much realize the power of this young online world.”]( [Read more button](   [Sam Alito Clearly Thinks He’s Untouchable]( By [Eric Lutz]( [In an interview with Vanity Fair, Congressman Hank Johnson attacked the “arrogance” of the Supreme Court justice and his wife, both of whom were caught in a secret recording expressing deeply partisan views: “They are extremists.”]( [Read more button](   [Trump and Co. Come Up With Most Deranged Theory Yet: Joe Biden Wanted Hunter to Be Found Guilty]( By [Bess Levin]( [Apparently the DOJ prosecuted Hunter Biden for Joe.]( [Read more button](   [Samuel Alito’s Wife Openly Fantasizes About Flying Anti-Pride Flag With the Italian Word for “Shame” Surrounded by Flames]( By [Bess Levin]( [Is she saying LGBTQ+ people should burn in hell? The flames appear to suggest as much.]( [Read more button](   [Travis Kelce’s First Act as POTUS? Field Trip!]( By [Kase Wickman]( [The Chiefs tight end reflected on what he’d do as president for a day. We have some notes.]( [Read more button](   Get on the list Subscribe to our Hollywood newsletter for your essential industry and awards-season news, every day. [Sign Up Now](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn](   This e-mail was sent to you by The Hive. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Sent from Condé Nast, 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 Copyright © 2024 Condé Nast