☕ Up the ante

Musk is actually going to buy Twitter today... October 28, 2022 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [Morning Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Athletic Greens]( Good morning. We know it’s the Friday before Halloween, but you can still log one productive thing today before running to six different Party City stores for a last-minute Spice Girls costume. That productive thing: Signing up for our Financial Forecasting course, which will teach you how to make a completed business budget for 2023 in just one week. [Check out the details here](. —Neal Freyman, Matty Merritt, Max Knoblauch MARKETS Nasdaq 10,792.68 -1.63% S&P 3,807.30 -0.61% Dow 32,033.28 +0.61% 10-Year 3.924% -8.2 bps Bitcoin $20,367.90 -1.79% Amazon $96.86 -12.73% AH *Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 2:00am ET. [Here's what these numbers mean.]( - Markets: In this jittery market environment, even the biggest publicly traded companies in the world are dropping like a meme stock scorned. After the bell rang on a ho-hum day of trading, Amazon [plunged 13%]( when it warned of lower-than-expected sales for the critical holiday shopping quarter. It did, however, post a profit after two consecutive quarters of losses. - Economy: The US economy [grew again]( in Q3 after shrinking in the first half of the year. But while the annualized GDP growth rate of 2.6% came in higher than expected, some warning signs for the economy did appear—such as slower consumer spending growth and collapsing housing investment.  SOCIAL MEDIA [Musk expands his empire]( [Elon Musk presiding over his business empire]( Illustration: Grant Thomas, Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images Elon Musk, the richest person on the planet, is the CEO of the world’s most valuable automaker, heads up a $125 billion aerospace giant, and as of yesterday, is the owner of a middling social media company called Twitter. According to multiple media reports, Musk [closed]( the $44 billion deal last night, less than 24 hours before today’s 5pm ET deadline. He began his reign as “Chief Twit” by unceremoniously firing at least four executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal (who was reportedly escorted out of Twitter’s SF headquarters). Later today, Musk is expected to address anxious employees, who might be worried they’ll face the same fate as their former leader. We’d understand if you can’t believe this deal actually happened, because its journey has been more circuitous than a flight from NYC → Chicago with layovers in Tokyo and Istanbul. To summarize six months’ worth of drama in three bullet points… - Musk acquired a large stake in Twitter and later signed a deal to buy all of it. - Then he tried to back out, citing bot issues, but Twitter sued him to enforce the agreement. - Musk blinked weeks ahead of a trial, and said he would buy Twitter. What now? So begins Musk’s attempt to, in his words, “help humanity” by trying to turn Twitter into a “common digital town square.” We know that Musk has [ultra-ambitious goals](for the company: 5x Twitter’s revenue by 2028, supercharge the subscriptions business, and turn Twitter into a super app called “X.” But murkier is the path he intends to take to get there, and he’s already sending mixed signals about his intentions. - Musk has previously described himself as a “free speech absolutist” who’s railed against the site’s content moderation policies, like the ones that got former President Trump banned from Twitter. - But he backtracked from that stance yesterday. In a [note]( intended to soothe advertisers, Musk wrote that Twitter “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” So we’ll see. Zoom out: As lofty as his long-term vision is, Musk has a daunting challenge ahead. He’s overpaying for a social media company at a time when social media companies are getting slammed by dwindling ad budgets, and Twitter specifically is struggling to retain its power users.—NF �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Musk%20expands%20his%20empire%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fmusk-expands-empire-with-twitter-purchase%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 ATHLETIC GREENS [Start with your gut]( [Athletic Greens]( Ya know, that part of your body that gets credit for helping you avoid sticky situations, can sometimes cause tummy issues, and is also connected to every other system in your body? Sounds pretty important, right? [Athletic Greens]( gets it, which is why they created AG1—a powder that contains a whopping 75 high-quality ingredients to support full-body health, beginning with your gut. AG1 by Athletic Greens is more than just, well, greens. It supplies necessary multivitamins/minerals, pre/probiotics, immune support, digestive support, and more, all in a single scoop. Start every day with the nutrients your body needs. [Get your gut feeling good with AG1 by Athletic Greens](. WORLD [Tour de headlines](#) [Map of homes in the US saying "for sale" ]Francis Scialabba Mortgage rates haven’t been this high in 20 years. The rate for a 30-year, fixed rate loan [topped 7%]( yesterday for the first time since April 2002. Mortgage rates have more than doubled this year in tandem with rising Treasury yields, sending what had been a red-hot housing market into reverse. Now, you’ll pay about $710 more a month on a $300,000 mortgage than you would have if you secured one in January. Zuck’s only giving out Tootsie Rolls this Halloween. A day after reporting dismal earnings, Meta shares lost nearly a [quarter of their value](, knocking it off the list of the 20 most valuable US companies. Since Meta’s stock peaked in September 2021, it’s tumbled 74%, equivalent to more than $730 billion in market cap going poof. And CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune has shrunk by more than $100 billion in the last 13 months. Surprise: The war in Ukraine will boost renewable energy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the corresponding shock to energy markets, will likely [speed up]( the transition away from fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. That’s because this year’s spike in energy prices has spurred countries to invest more in renewables, such as the US’ Inflation Reduction Act and Japan’s “green transformation” program. Under current global policies, carbon dioxide emissions are expected to peak by 2025. ELECTIONS [You might be able to bet on the outcome of the midterms]( [Stock market monitors with political candidates]( Photo Illustration: Dianna “Mick” McDougall, Photos: Getty Images If you’re already a nervous wreck thinking about November 8, a startup is hoping to up the ante. US regulators will decide today if Kalshi, an event-futures market aimed at retail traders, will be allowed to let investors [bet]( on election outcomes, including the upcoming midterms. Historically, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has responded to these kinds of requests with a “no ,” saying election prediction markets are not in the public interest. The CFTC has okayed “election contract trading” through two groups that are tied to universities—Iowa Electronic Markets and PredictIt—but recently ordered the latter to close up shop by February. This time might be different. Kalshi supporters span Big Tech execs to academics. They argue that the platform’s $25,000 cap on wagers isn’t enough to sway outcomes, and that you can already speculate on election results through certain financial products offered by banks. Zoom out: Whether election betting is approved or not, Kalshi already offers a number of futures trading options ranging from fun to Black Mirror-esque. You can bet on NYC monthly rent increases or a hurricane hitting Miami this year.—MM �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=You%20might%20be%20able%20to%20bet%20on%20the%20outcome%20of%20the%20midterms%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fregulators-will-decide-if-bet-on-election-outcomes%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 CRYPTO [Hope you didn’t listen to Matt Damon]( [Matt Damon crypto]( Photo Illustration: Dianna “Mick” McDougall, Photo: Crypto.com Matt Damon’s infamous “fortune favors the brave” Crypto.com commercial premiered one year ago today, and its timing couldn’t have been worse. Had you been inspired to buy $1,000 worth of bitcoin on that day (the token was then worth $60,608, near its peak price) you would have just ~$340 now. Fortune isn’t exactly what’s favored Crypto.com in the year since the ad debuted. The price of bitcoin has plunged ~70%, the company reportedly slashed about 40% of its workforce this summer, and the YouTube version of the Damon commercial has been set to private. Not even the Lakers, which play in Crypto.com Arena, are cooperating, starting off the NBA season 0–4. Big picture: As Crypto.com and other Web3 companies pull back from their eye-watering marketing spend, other sectors are being impacted. Google, for instance, partially blamed its third-quarter slowdown in revenue growth on advertiser pullback in the crypto space. So what’s bitcoin up to now? Nothing very exciting. The mother coin has been pretty stable since mid-June, hovering at around $20,000. —MK Want more crypto news? Sign up for our dedicated newsletter, [Incrypto](. �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Hope%20you%20didn%E2%80%99t%20listen%20to%20Matt%20Damon%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2Fmatt-damon-crypto-commercial-one-year%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 FUNDRISE [Fundrise]( Give your investments a hedge. With a growing $6b real estate portfolio, [Fundrise]( is well positioned to outperform—even during economic downturns. As of Q3 2022, investors saw an average YTD return of 5.40%, beating the S&P 500 on an absolute basis by about 30%.* [Start building wealth today](. GRAB BAG [Key performance indicators](#) [Larry david in a plane ]Curb Your Enthusiasm/HBO via Giphy Stat: In a social media poll run by Virgin Australia in May, 67% of travelers said they prefer the aisle seat on the plane, 34% the window, and [less than 1%]( the middle. To incentivize more people to be the Vegemite of the airplane sandwich, the airline launched a “Middle Seat Lottery” on Monday that will give away more than $230,000 in prizes to travelers who select or are assigned to a middle seat. Quote: “I made a mistake here. I was wrong. I trusted this management team. That was ill-advised. The hubris here is extraordinary. And I apologize.” CNBC’s Jim Cramer got emotional when describing his [misfire]( on Meta stock, which he was previously bullish on. Read: You’re not imagining it—job hunting for remote roles is getting harder. ([Morning Brew]() QUIZ [Quiz or treat]( [Weekly news quiz]( The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to showing up to a Halloween party in a costume subtle enough to be or not be a costume, depending on the vibe. It’s that satisfying. [Ace the quiz](. WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [The NY Post]( fired a rogue employee who hacked the company’s Twitter account and website to post hateful messages. - [The European Central Bank]( raised interest rates by a whopping 75 basis points in order to stamp out inflation. - [Kanye West](, known as Ye, said he lost $2 billion in one day after companies ended their business ties with him. - [PSA](: Today is the last day you can buy I Bonds at a 9.6% interest rate. - [The World Series]( between the Phillies and the Astros starts tonight. BREW'S BETS So metal: Here’s a [visualization]( showing the amounts of all the metals mined globally in 2021. Can you guess No. 1 before clicking? The best tweets: Ahead of Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, users shared their [favorite tweets]( on the platform in an epic thread. What the font? [This site]( will tell you. GAMES [The puzzle section](#) Jigsaw: Find your zen before Halloweekend shenanigans with our Old Faithful-themed Jigsaw. [Play it here](. Friday puzzle What single word can be used to complete all the words below? D E _ _ _ ST C _ _ _ E R S T _ _ _ P _ _ _ N T AROUND THE BREW [The best and worst negotiation techniques]( [The best and worst negotiation techniques]( Negotiating your salary is one of the most daunting tasks you’ll undertake in your career. Learn the dos and don’ts of negotiation alongside career coach Sam Demase. [Watch now](. What do you absolutely need to know when starting your own business or building a brand? Business Casual explains how to protect your IP from the very beginning. [Listen]( now. Learning how to use Excel for personal finance can be challenging, but there are plenty of shortcuts to make it easier. Here are [some of our favorites](. 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 “Are” ✳︎ A Note From Fundrise *For more information, including all relevant disclaimers, check out the [Fundrise Q3 - 2022 Investor Letter](*For%20more%20information,%20including%20all%20relevant%20disclaimers,%20check%20out%20the%20Fundrise%20Mid-Year%20Investor%20Letter) � � � � � Written by [Neal Freyman](, [Matty Merritt](, and [Max Knoblauch]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW? 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