Good Morning! Netflix stock dropped 9% after it missed earnings and announced it would stop reporting subscriber metrics. Citadel is beefing with Trump Media over the DJT short-selling letter, calling the company’s CEO a proverbial loser. Tesla’s slump is continuing and the company recalled 4,000 Cybertrucks. Sony’s in talks with Apollo on a joint Paramount bid. Plus private equity is preparing for NFL opportunities, and the income a family of four needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state.

_{SQUEEZ OF THE DAY}

Washington Coming for Your Bonus

There’s nothing in life investment bankers love more than bonus day.

Bankers have continued to enjoy big payouts post-2010 financial reforms. But recent bank failures have prompted regulators to consider stricter bonus regulations once again.

Agencies like the FDIC and OCC are revisiting proposals that would require major banks to defer executive bonuses for up to four years, and reduce bonus pools if financial losses occur.

These measures, aimed at aligning compensation with long-term financial health, were initially proposed under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act but have faced industry pushback.

Recent collapses, such as those of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, underscore the risks of aggressive bonus schemes. First Republic even had a banker outearning Jamie Dimon, and the new rules would make it hard for execs to keep these fat bonuses if their bank went belly-up. 

Takeaway: Jerome Powell wants to delay a vote on these new roles. It’s likely that these rules would only impact the ultra-wealthy, between the top rainmakers or executives. But still, Wall Street says that they put enough rules in place after the 2007-08 financial crisis that they don’t need more. Still, we’re definitely in a heightened regulatory environment - and the richest are always easy targets.

_{PRESENTED BY RAD AI}

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The numbers speak for themselves: 

• $27M raised from 6,500+ investors–including VCs and execs at Google, Amazon and Meta–and is backed by the Adobe Fund for Design.

• ~3X revenue growth from 2022 to 2023, all while landing major clients like Hasbro, Skechers, MGM Resorts, Sweetgreen and more.

Don’t miss out–RAD AI’s investment round closes soon.

_HEADLINES

Top Reads

• Netflix joins Apple, Meta in withholding key data from investors (YF)

• Citadel Securities blasts Trump Media over DJT short-selling letter (CNBC)

• Tesla recalls nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks over faulty accelerator pedal (Axios)

• Sony in talks with Apollo on joint Paramount bid (Axios)

• Nvidia dragged to worst day since March 2020 after Super Micro plunge (CNBC)

• Private equity firms prepare for NFL opportunities (NBC)

• The income a family of 4 needs to live comfortably in every U.S. state (CNBC)

• What the private equity crackdown means for healthcare deals (Axios)

• Why private equity titans are putting their own assets on the line (BB)

• Why Jamie Dimon defends DEI when so many CEOs have gone silent (Axios)

_{CAPITAL PULSE}

Markets Rundown

S&P 500 heads for worst month since 2022 as bond yields jump on inflation fears.

Movers & Shakers

• (+) Paramount ($PARA) +13% because the media company is in takeover talks with Apollo.

• (–) Netflix ($NFLX) -9% after the streaming company missed earnings and will stop reporting subscriber growth.

• (–) Super Micro Computer ($SMCI) -23% because the IT company offered no guidance ahead of earnings.

Private Dealmaking

• Magnus Metal, a digital casting company, raised $74 million

• Avive Solutions, a cardiac arrest device maker, raised $56.5 million

• Bcomp, a flax-based textiles provider, raised $40 million

• Quilt, a heat pump startup, raised $33 million

• KODE Labs, an energy management software provider, raised $30 million

• Borderless AI, an employer-of-record startup, raised $27 million

For more PE, VC & M&A deals, subscribe to our Buysiders newsletter.

_{BOOK OF THE DAY}

The Bezos Blueprint

Jeff Bezos is a dreamer who turned a bold idea into the world’s most influential company, a brand that likely touches your life every day.

As a student of leadership and communication, he learned to elevate the way Amazonians write, collaborate, innovate, pitch, and present.

He created a scalable model that grew from a small team in a Seattle garage to one of the world’s largest employers.

The Bezos Blueprint by Carmine Gallo reveals the communication strategies that Jeff Bezos pioneered to fuel Amazon’s astonishing growth.

As one of the most innovative and visionary entrepreneurs of our time, Bezos reimagined the way leaders write, speak, and motivate teams and customers.

The communication tools Bezos created are so effective that former Amazonians who worked directly with Bezos adopted them as blueprints to start their own companies. Now, these tools are available to you.

“The communication and leadership secrets of Jeff Bezos and how to master them, from the bestselling author of Talk Like Ted.”

_{DAILY VISUAL}

In the US, 87% of firms with revenue greater than $100 million are private

Share of public and private companies in the US with revenue greater than $100 million

_{PRESENTED BY ZETTE}

The “Spotify For News” Grew 5x In 2023 (And You Can Invest)

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With Zette, one subscription unlocks paywalled articles across the web, starting at just $9.99/month. 

• 110 leading publisher deals, from Forbes to Pulitzer-Prize-winning news outlets

• 50,000+ readers and 5x YoY growth

• $1.7mm oversubscribed pre-seed from Afore, Halogen, and more

(P.S. Zette also won 1st place at Harvard’s Alumni Accelerator Demo Day.)

Time is running out: Score a unique bonus when you invest in Zette for just $250 today.

_{DAILY ACUMEN}

VO2 Max

Measuring your VO2 max, even if you're not an elite athlete, can provide valuable insights into your cardiovascular fitness and longevity.

By taking the test, which involves exercising to exhaustion while wearing an oxygen mask, you can determine your body's maximum capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise.

Improving your VO2 max from the bottom 25th percentile to the 50-75th percentile is associated with a 50-70% reduction in all-cause mortality risk.

To increase your VO2 max, focus on building a consistent aerobic exercise routine that includes a mix of long slow distance training, high-intensity intervals, and strength training.

Knowing your VO2 max gives you a benchmark to track your fitness progress over time. So consider investing in this valuable health assessment - it could add years to your life.

_{ENLIGHTENMENT}

Short Squeez Picks

• 5 ways to find your home office heaven

• How to stop overthinking, according to a clinical psychologist

• 10 habits to become a better version of yourself later in life

• 12-minute meditation for cultivating daily gratitude 

• 11 things you should teach your kids that most adults were never taught

_{MEME-A-PALOOZA}

Memes of the Day