You can't put a price on synergy...

 But it’s around $20B -- and WeWork’s charging for it by the minute. [The Hustle]( Fri, Oct 6 Shopify stock drops $1.5B thanks to a lone blogger On Wednesday, investment site [Citron Research]( published a scathing accusation that ecommerce platform Shopify -- one of 2017’s best-performing tech stocks -- is actually a “completely illegal get-rich-quick scheme.” According to Citron, Shopify’s method of recruiting (which involves marketing their service as a way for “partners” to easily make millions) flagrantly [violates FTC rules](. Shortly after the [post]( and [video]( were published, Shopify’s stock plummeted as much as 11.6%, chopping about $1.5B off the company’s market value. How does one little blog have so much clout? Citron Research was founded in 2001 by Andrew Left -- an ex-disgraced commodities broker turned supposed “good guy.” On his site, Left short sells stocks of companies that he thinks are engaged in fraud or shady marketing scams. According to the [WSJ]( of 111 stocks Left investigated between 2001 and 2014, 90 experienced long-term drops in stock price, with an average fall of 42%. In fact, his 2015 [KO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals]( led to a Senate investigation, a 90% stock drop, and the eventual resignation of the company’s CEO. In other words, the guy has a tested reputation for annihilating companies he deems to be morally repugnant. And his latest victim really pissed him off Citron’s takedown notes that if you Google “Shopify,” you’ll get 27k results of supposed millionaires in Ferraris (AKA, Shopify “partners”), hyping up the company as a way to live a better life. Nutrition supplement company Herbalife was hit with a [$200m FTC fine]( in 2016 for engaging in similarly misleading marketing tactics. But Shopify claims to have 500k legitimate, well-to-do vendors using its online store platform and says it will “[vigorously defend]( its business model. In the meantime, the stock has [slightly recovered]( -- but the company will have some bigger questions to answer if the FTC comes knocking. $0 TO $1.5M IN 3 DAYS!!!  The company that owns Legoland is looking for a piece of SeaWorld In an effort to expand overseas, [Merlin Entertainment]( has reportedly made a bid for part of SeaWorld Entertainment. For British-based Merlin, the move is an effort to cope with the massive drop in U.K. theme-park attendance resulting, in part, from recent terrorist attacks in London. SeaWorld also knows a thing or two about declining attendance It’s no secret that the company, once known for killing whales, *ahem* killer whales, has struggled to cauterize declines in sales since the Blackfish scandal. So, they’re probably on Deep Sea 9 right now. Thing is, Merlin Entertainment has a very strict policy against keeping marine animals in captivity -- and it seems that their interest lies more in SeaWorld’s Busch Gardens theme-park assets. But there’s a chance SeaWorld may not bite With [earlier reports]( that SeaWorld is strictly looking to sell the entire company, their decision on whether or not to go with Merlin’s proposal will help give better insight into how bad things actually are. Honestly, though, they should probably just take what they can get -- especially since there’s literally video evidence proving how much they suck as a company. [FREE WILLY](  WeWork is getting less than ‘spiritual’ on new payment tech While WeWork is off selling their investors on a $20B valuation with their [“energy and spirituality,”]( they’re also physically working to develop tech that could improve their office rental business. As Axios reports, the company, in partnership with MasterCard, is testing payment technology that would charge workers by the minute for desks, conference rooms, and even snacks. Time is money Instead of the classic [$350+]( a month you would be spending on a desk or office through WeWork, the new system will allow members to only be charged for the [amount of time]( they actually use the desk. The companies are currently piloting two demos: one for “clocking in and out” of a rental desk, and one for paying for snacks and beverages. Desks come embedded with QR codes that are scanned using the WeWork app upon arrival and departure. And for the snacks, there are cameras and sensors that detect a worker’s presence via smartphone and monitor which items are picked up. And that’s not all They’re also launching efforts to help customers design their own offices, track office traffic patterns, and develop office management tools. It’s all part of WeWork’s master plan to make office life easier and more efficient for the workers of the world… so long as those workers don’t mind having their every move documented by sensors and codes. [Energy crystals on the house](  Bloomberg Terminals are home to a secret Craiglist for the super wealthy Most of Bloomberg’s $9B annual revenue comes from its Terminals, their computer system that lets traders analyze real-time financial market data for $2k/month. To those of us who don’t live and die by the NYSE, that price tag seems outrageous -- but from the looks of the items listed on the Terminal’s secret classified section, maybe they’re not charging enough… Within its [90s, dark web-style interface]( Bloomberg’s Terminals contain their own platform (aptly titled POSH) for users to buy and sell crazy-expensive items from their 7-figure salaried peers. And we’re not talking couches from Crate & Barrel… We’re talking castles, folks That’s right, among ridiculous [items listed]( on the Terminal trading post was a $23.5m Italian castle, along with a: - “Dressage horse,” $40k - Christian Louboutin python-skin boots, $1.5k - Jeep gifted to President Eisenhower in 1946, price unlisted - A new reason to hate on old, rich, white dudes… priceless. [Solid purchase](   friday shower thoughts - When you smile you are showing as much of your skeleton as possible without injuring yourself. - Fisherman are like aliens to fish. They move across the sky in mysterious ships and abduct fish through a mechanism that lifts fish up into the sky. - When we think about travelling back in time we are afraid of actions that might have major impact on the present but we refuse to believe that our actions in the present can have major impact on our future. - It’s a good thing money isn’t orange or rappers would have a harder time rapping about it. - 2020 sounds so futuristic... yet it’s less than 3 years away. - via [Reddit]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by A peak under The Hustle hood You guys read (and hopefully love) our daily email. But you just see what hits your inbox -- you don’t get to see Lindsey and Zack pitch stories, hear Adam pumped on closing a deal after his 4th coffee of the morning -- or see Sam going HAM for literally hours on Facebook messenger. So, we thought we’d show you a little behind the scenes peek of our organized chaos. See, we like to write ads for [good products]( -- and our favorite way to do this is with testimonials. But, internally sourcing testimonials is a very complicated process. One that goes something like this: So there you have it. Straight, no chaser -- ain’t no [mattress]( out there quite like [Leesa](. And if we do ever find one, rest assured you’ll be seeing more Slack screenshots. -- The Hustle Team, Sleep Connoisseurs 0 [SHARE THE HUSTLE]( REFERRALS Lindsey Quinn MANAGING EDITOR Zack Crockett WRITER Wes Schlagenhauf WRITER Sam "Splash Zone" Parr EDITORIAL EAVESDROPPER Thad Hertz SLAP ADMINISTRATOR [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](