EVERY SPOKEN WORD
40 min read · 8,321 words- 0:00 – 0:23
Intro
- SGScott Galloway
All right, everybody. We found Kara. Fucking Ring cameras.
- SPSpeaker
Sorry, I don't know time differences. I don't know what to tell you. [upbeat music]
- SGScott Galloway
Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher.
- SPSpeaker
And I'm Scott Galloway.
- SGScott Galloway
There you go. So-
- SPSpeaker
Not really [laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
... a little,
- 0:23 – 1:34
Where’s Kara?
- SGScott Galloway
little different, uh, today. We cannot find Kara Swisher, and, uh, we've been making jokes for the last 15 minutes. You wanna hear my favorite, Jess?
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, lay it on me.
- SGScott Galloway
We sent bloodhounds looking for her, but she found them first. [laughs] Or we think she might be in a Patagonia store asking for something less douchey and Silicon Valley. Uh, anyways, uh, we don't know where she is. We think that she lost track of time, the time zone, and that she's with the barksdales in Mississippi.
- SPSpeaker
Is that she... She's here, though. No?
- SGScott Galloway
I don't-
- SPSpeaker
I thought I ran into her in the Vox studio in New York City, which was a, a delightful run-in. I guess that was two days ago. She could have hopped on a jet to the jungle with an ayahuasca shaman or something.
- SGScott Galloway
It's funny you say that 'cause every time people run into Kara, the first word they think of is delightful. Uh, listen, you've lost some credibility, but deci- despite that, we're gonna move forward with the show. And, uh, on with us, for those of you who don't know, is Jess Tarlov, co-host of Raging Moderates and some show on cable TV and the-
- SPSpeaker
Cable's dying. It doesn't even matter. Right. [laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
There you go. And tied for first with Kaitlan Collins for the pervy obsession of, uh, the president. Uh, anyways, uh, and we're not even gonna go to that. First off,
- 1:34 – 6:48
Trump’s California Comments
- SGScott Galloway
Donald Trump appears to be doubling down on his comments about Iran potentially striking California as he defends the war. Let's listen to what he said at a rally on Wednesday night.
- SPSpeaker
But you wanna see trauma, you wanna see problems? And I said it the other day, let them hit a missile into San Diego or Los Angeles on the way. Let them hit. You wanna see a horror show? You wanna see problems? Let them hit San Diego. Let them hit Los Angeles, and you wanna see some bad things happen. You wanna see a country that would be in free fall. We're not gonna let that happen. We protect our cities. We protect our country. We're not letting that happen. [crowd cheering]
- SGScott Galloway
All right, so I'm gonna pretend I'm Kara, Kara Swisher. Ugh. Can you believe this guy? Now provide insight. Your turn, Jess.
- SPSpeaker
I can believe this guy, and the question is whether the American people can believe this guy anymore. I... If the polls are to be believed, we are in, you know, blue wave to potentially tsunami territory. And you know that I, I like to be nauseously optimistic. You always have to run like you're behind, and the good news is Democrats are actually doing that. But these kinds of comments are the things that really turn off independents and moderates. So, like, if his base is largely intact, and there are, are parts of it that are fracturing for sure, but in general, the, "You shot someone on Fifth Avenue, let me buy you a beer" crowd is still, you know, hook, line, and sinker in there. This is the stuff for people who are on the fence or who maybe took a flyer on him in 2024 because they thought that prices would go down, we wouldn't have wars in the Middle East, and that the Democrats were too scattered and woke and crazy, um, and weren't delivering. They look at this and just say, like, "What's wrong with you?" The question is, how did he put it? Or, uh, people who are trying to decode Trump in the first term where they said, you know, "Don't take him literally or seriously" or whatever it is. Like, where does nuking Los Angeles and San Diego, or I guess it, getting the Iranians to do it, we're not gonna do it ourselves. Where does that go on the scale of how seriously you're supposed to take him, or what signal is it sending to Iran about what's going on here?
- SGScott Galloway
It's interesting, though. It was the first time when I saw it, it was the first time where I thought the crowd really just was caught flat-footed. They did not know how to respond. And usually, they kind of like, "Oh, God, there goes Donald," and an eye roll and a laugh and, you know, "Oh," you know, "Take him, take him seriously, but don't take him literally." But this was the first time it felt, "Oh, God, someone-- We need to take Grandpa's driver's license away." It's interesting you say this especially turns off moderates. Is it worth it for sort of inflaming or exciting the base, or it's just net, net, this is a bad move politically, is what you're saying?
- SPSpeaker
Oh, definitely. I mean, this is crunch time, right? Early voting has started. Um, it is going well for Democrats. You know, seeing huge surges, especially in Latino voters, and we know that his approval rating with Latinos has plummeted, uh, to levels that they certainly didn't expect based on a very good overperformance in 2024. But putting back together the more traditional Democratic coalition. Um, so folks are paying attention now. That's what happens after Labor Day, and we're-- it's a month, within a month, the election. So folks are perking up, and they're saying, "Oh, what's going on here?" And he's talking about being cool with losing, you know, big, important American cities. And I should add also, there are a lot of Republicans in San Diego. Like, he didn't pick.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- SPSpeaker
I get California is-
- SGScott Galloway
It's conservative. Yeah
- SPSpeaker
... right, um, you know, purple to conservative. So, you know, go after LA. We've kind of been there before. He's told generals, you know, "Storm, storm blue cities. I don't really care what you do here." Um, but adding San Diego to the mix, I assume, you know, it's a Gavin Newsom problem, and he's talking about the 25th Amendment. We're not going to get there. But I, I do think it is a major turnoff because people just want to hear about real stuff. Like, what's the economic plan? What's the plan for getting out of the war in Iran? You know, what does immigration enforcement look like? 'Cause we don't like Stephen Miller riding around on a pickup truck, you know, taking our neighbors out of our communities.
- SGScott Galloway
Trump made similar comments on Monday night, leading California Governor Gavin Newsom to call for the 25th Amendment to be invoked. Newsom said the president's comments were deranged and dangerous. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung pushed back on X, saying Trump was describing the threat US cities would have faced if a nuclear Iran hadn't been stopped.
- SPSpeaker
He's the hero.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah. There you go.
- SPSpeaker
Donald Trump is the hero.
- SGScott Galloway
That's right.
- SPSpeaker
This is how bad it could have been, but right now everyone's just having to pay. How much does it cost now to get an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz?
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah, it's-- What is, to be fair though, my understanding is the passage of... I- I'll, I'll put forward a thesis here, Jess.
- 6:48 – 8:00
October Surprise?
- SGScott Galloway
I don't wanna call it an October surprise. So e- essentially, we've seen this before. There's nothing new for presidents to try and come up with a military-involved October surprise, whether it's Carter, it goes all the way back to Vietnam, to try and juice him in the polls 'cause America has a tendency to rally around the flag and the current administration during military action. I don't wanna say I worry, but I see a non-zero probability that something could go very right in Iran right now. It looks like the oil embargo's beginning to really have, um, serious impact on Iran. Oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz is actually almost to pre-war levels. If oil starts to dive, and also I, I believe, you know, if you take off your partisan lens here and ask yourself what could go right, we didn't see, we didn't see Assad falling until he did. I actually think there's a n- not, not a likelihood, but a chance that the IRGC could have a major disruption or fall. You know, you just don't know. I, I, I wonder if something could go very right in the next 30 days in Iran.
- 8:00 – 10:27
Kara Returns!
- SGScott Galloway
All right, everybody. We found Kara. Fucking Ring cameras.
- KSKara Swisher
Sorry, I don't know time differences. I don't know what to tell you.
- SPSpeaker
Where are you?
- SGScott Galloway
When did you become me?
- KSKara Swisher
I am in Mississippi.
- SGScott Galloway
It's time to take mommy's driver's license away.
- KSKara Swisher
Here's what... Let me tell you. I'm in Mississippi. I'm with the most wonderful person I know from Tech, Jim Barksdale, who has raised money for literacy and Mississippi Today, which is local journalism. This astonishing thing. It's-- And with Donna and, uh, and Jim, and I'm at their house. We were having a delightful breakfast all together, and I didn't realize the time difference, and I apologize. Central Time is an hour behind or ahead? See, I don't even know. I don't even know.
- SGScott Galloway
When did you become me? It's time to take mommy's driver's license away. We thought we were gonna find you under a pile of Patagonia vests at the local Patagonia store.
- SPSpeaker
We were making ayahuasca jokes that you were, like, in the jungle somewhere with a shaman, and-
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs] I could have been. Um, so I, uh... So anyway, so I, I'm here in Mississippi, and that's where I am.
- SGScott Galloway
I'm gonna play Kara. All right, Scott, we've got a lot to get to.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah. Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
So Kara, I was just speaking to, uh, Jess Tarlov about the fact that there, Atlantic is saying there might be sort of an October surprise.
- KSKara Swisher
Oh, yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
That there's some, there might be something kind of big going down, and that he's sort of, I don't know, teasing some military action or something in Iran. Any thoughts?
- KSKara Swisher
Uh, well, that's what he would do. He's gotta do something dramatic, right? There's something that has to happen that'll take people's focus away, and I guess approximate a victory of some sort or approximate something that's sort of shock and awe. Probably it'll backfire on him because he's an incompetent leader. Um, but you know, the idea, w- most presidents do things like this when things are bad. They take a foreign action, right? And they think this is what people want, but actually, um, they don't, right? They actually don't. Uh, most people are very against the war in Iran.
- SGScott Galloway
Well, that was the blinding insight people come to Pivot for.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
Now we're gonna switch identities, and Kara, you're gonna take the show from here. Thank God, said everyone listening to this dog's breakfast called Pivot.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs] Thank you so much.
- SGScott Galloway
All you, sweetheart. We're glad you're back. We're glad you're safe.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs] Thank you.
- SGScott Galloway
Ugh.
- KSKara Swisher
Are you okay?
- SGScott Galloway
Ugh.
- KSKara Swisher
Are you okay?
- SGScott Galloway
I'm gonna wheel you into the hospital, and it's gonna be one of those cheap county hospitals.
- SPSpeaker
He has been in a mood all day because of this.
- KSKara Swisher
Oh, well thanks, Silla. Okay. Well-
- SGScott Galloway
I need-
- 10:27 – 16:45
Grift of the Week: Camp Donald
- KSKara Swisher
and now for the grift of the week [laughs] . Um, Trump wants to turn part of his West Palm Beach golf club into a presidential retreat a la Camp David, though when asked if he would call it Camp Donald, oh my God, Trump said his name is already, uh, his name is already Trump International. The plan would designate part of the property as a permanent official retreat for US presidents and foreign leaders, used for summits and presidential vacations. Future presidents would also be offered comped memberships to Trump's club. Lucky them. The club's, uh, lawyer says construction paid by Trump, maybe, would be finished until after President Trump leaves office, so really it's just a gift to Trump's successors. Uh, what do you all think of this thoughtful gift?
- SPSpeaker
That man has not paid for anything himself for all of time. Um, I love now, you know with the ads that they're putting during the NFL and, like, College GameDay and things like that, that apparently they're going to start paying for it, but it won't be retroactive.
- KSKara Swisher
Right.
- SPSpeaker
I've gotten to the point now where I'm like, "Just bring it on," because it is so clearly expressing to the rest of us that he doesn't give a shit about the actual business of governing, and I would rather go into election day with everyone being clear-eyed about that, right? Like, this is a man that cares about having Camp Donald or Trump International whatever redux version.
- KSKara Swisher
Well, the externalities, right? The ex- all the externalities, like a Camp David or a- all the, all, or the columns, the Corinthian columns ver- versus iconic, that kind of thing.
- SPSpeaker
I mean, yes, it's a stylistic nightmare. Um, but this is also a way for him to stay in power. Because I'm sure he's having a meltdown about the fact that Steve Bannon is working very hard for the third term plan, but it's probably not gonna come to fruition. And how does he keep a stranglehold on American politics for longer? This is a way to do that. However he's going to be informing what goes on in the ballroom, uh, maybe he'll be in the bunker underneath, maybe we'll get him out, I'm not really sure. Um, but I do welcome it from a political strategist point of view on the other side, because you can't just say he cares more about this stuff than he cares about the fact that, you know, your gas is over $4 and you can't afford school supplies this year for your kids.
- KSKara Swisher
And this is what he's concerned with, like bread and circuses, essentially.
- SPSpeaker
The bread and the circus.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah. Scott?
- SGScott Galloway
So members clubs in New York, uh, we're... I was having a conversation last night. They're, I'm not exaggerating, they've opened probably 12 or 15 in the last two years, two to three years. It was a, it's a great concept. Soho House kinda came out with the Toyota membership clubs in London, and then it came to New York. And then this visionary, a guy named Scott Sartiano, said, "There's room at the high end because of people are making so much money" And he came in with sort of the Mercedes version, Zero Bond. And then I think about 14 different very wealthy people were at different tables at Zero Bond and said, "I can do this," and none of them were talking to each other, and they've just opened everywhere. And there's one on the Upper West, I think, which I, I love to go to once every 10 or 12 years, the Upper West Side.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
I don't see why anyone lives up there.
- SPSpeaker
Museums.
- SGScott Galloway
Seriously.
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm.
- SPSpeaker
You don't go-
- KSKara Swisher
Museums.
- SPSpeaker
The museums are incredible up there.
- SGScott Galloway
Move to Greenwich, Connecticut. I mean-
- SPSpeaker
Ew
- SGScott Galloway
... why, why live in Manhattan?
- SPSpeaker
Barney Greengrass.
- KSKara Swisher
Barney Greengrass, okay.
- SGScott Galloway
It's, it's like, wh- okay, there's a Panera there.
- SPSpeaker
Dave's Bar.
- KSKara Swisher
Dave's Bar.
- SGScott Galloway
Anyways, so if you have a dog, I get it, uh, 'cause of the park. But anyways, there's something called, I think it's m- A friend of mine who's a player in private equity took me there. It's Maxine's or Oswald's.
- KSKara Swisher
Oh, I've been there, Maxine's.
- SPSpeaker
Maxine's.
- KSKara Swisher
It's on the Upper East Side.
- 16:45 – 29:37
Paramount–WB Merger Is Complete
- KSKara Swisher
billion acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery, creating a new media giant, Skydance. The combined company now controls Paramount Plus, HBO Max, CBS, CNN, and two major movie studios. Skydance is taking on $82 billion in debt and plans to cut fi- $6 billion in costs over three years, and the company has added some notable names to its board, Lorraine Powell Jobs, former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will ser- and he will serve as an advisor there. The other two are on the board. At the time of this taping, shares are now up, uh, 4% for the day, even though it had declined yesterday. A year from now, would, what would you say m- makes this merger a success? Why don't you start, Scott?
- SGScott Galloway
Someone else buys it.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
Uh, this is, you know, I've, I've said this over and over, if there's a book called The Worst Acquisitions in History, it's gonna be called Time Warner.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
I mean, there's something about this company where the, the assets are so sexy that people, a billionaire keeps wandering in. It's like, um, who's the woman? I think it's, who's the woman who keeps marrying billionaires? Like, there's something about her that people... This company is the Lauren Sanchez of media.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay [laughs] .
- SGScott Galloway
There is something about Lauren Sanchez-
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah
- SGScott Galloway
... that is clearly magnetic.
- KSKara Swisher
And I have met Lauren Sanchez. She is magnetic indeed.
- SGScott Galloway
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
There's something about Lauren Sanchez-
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm
- SGScott Galloway
... that she's clearly, everybody Who meets Lauren Sanchez, wants to marry her
- KSKara Swisher
Yes
- SGScott Galloway
And I say that as a compliment. That-
- KSKara Swisher
Mm-hmm
- SGScott Galloway
... she clearly has some extraordinary magnetism-
- KSKara Swisher
I'm not sure you're saying it as a compliment, but let's [chuckles]
- SPSpeaker
I think he is.
- KSKara Swisher
Is he? Okay. All right.
- SPSpeaker
Deep down.
- KSKara Swisher
Deep down.
- SPSpeaker
Not the pervy side of it, but she is so fun.
- SGScott Galloway
Anyways, uh, everyone can't help but marry Ti- uh, Time Warner. AT&T. I mean, I mean, that didn't work, right? Uh, AOL, Steve Case said, "I'm sitting on a bag of shit supposedly worth $150 billion. I know, I'll talk Time Warner shareholders and employees into giving me half of their company." And then Randall Stephenson said, "Oh, wait, telco run by, uh, phone guys in Dallas, it makes sense to own HBO." And then they managed to offload it, uh, to, uh, the world's mo- highest compensate- compensated banker, a brilliant investment banker, a guy named David Zaslav, who figured out a way to have a show that talked about sharks for a week. And that merged, and that stock went, went way down 'cause the business made no sense. And now they've talked other billionaires into buying this thing. The key number here is the following: $82 billion in new debt on a combined entity. That means massive cost cutting. It's a company betting that its balance sheet, um, uh, that will... That they'll be able to pull off what no one's pulled off so far, and that is tr- streaming consolidation that works better than streaming competition math. It's very difficult. It's the same bet WarnerMedia made with AT&T and lost. The other interesting thing that you mentioned was the board members. But when you put people on your board, it's as much as a signal as it is an attempt to get domain expertise. Putting Laurene Powell Jobs on the board is like, "Look, we're not the crazy politicos we think you are." She's a very credible person who has a lot of respect and has done a great job with The Atlantic, and it's them saying, "See, we might be red, but we're light red. We're more purple than red."
- KSKara Swisher
I spoke with her about it this week, th- today, uh, yesterday, and I think that's the case. I, I do, and I, uh, uh, she's done a really cred- incredible job at The Atlantic and been the right kind of media owner, very supportive, and yet... 'Cause they've been through a lot with Trump, and I think it is a signal to Democrats and people who are more anti-Trump to do so. And I, I, I hope it's not at her expense, as I told her. Um, but it is, and, and Bobby Kotick's a very savvy operator also at the same time. These are sort of reasonable people.
- SGScott Galloway
These are great board picks.
- KSKara Swisher
Great board picks.
- 29:37 – 39:24
Bezos on AI
- KSKara Swisher
Jeff Bezos says that AI could transform the American workweek, allowing people to support their families by working just three days a week or live comfortably on one income. In an interview with Fox News, Bezos predicted AI would boost productivity so much so that companies would actually struggle to find workers rather than replace them. Bezos also commented on regulation in the interview. Let's listen to a clip.
- SPSpeaker
Where sometimes regulation goes wrong, especially when people are, um, scared, uh, you know, uh, reacting emotionally and so on, is they wanna try to regulate the underlying thing instead of the applications of the thing. And so, you know, the simple example I could give you would be, you know, y- y- y- y- you, you, you don't wanna regulate knives, you wanna regulate murder. So, you know, you can use a knife to murder somebody, but you don't wanna say the solution to that is to eliminate knives.
- SGScott Galloway
Right.
- SPSpeaker
You wanna say, "Let's make murder illegal."
- KSKara Swisher
It already is. It already is. Like, I just can't... This interview was ridiculous. First of all, he's like, "I love the idea of super intelligence versus AI," and he's just become such a ridiculous suck-up. And in terms of what Bezos is saying here is duh. Like, I don't know what else to say. Yeah, let's regulate murder, including you make a product that's dangerous, you go to jail. Love it. Love the idea of that. But they're all trying to pretend that this is all gonna be great because it's gone very wrong for them from a marketing point of view. Um, and, and I think regular people get it, and so here he is calling regular people emotional. We're emotional about things that might affect us. You're damn right we're emotional.
- SPSpeaker
At least it wasn't only the women.
- KSKara Swisher
Right. It wasn't just the women.
- SPSpeaker
'Cause usually it- [laughs]
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, it's usually the ladies
- SPSpeaker
... it's just those of us with the estrogen.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, exactly. And I just feel like these people continue to dismiss regular people's normal con- and legitimate concerns, and I think it's gonna bounce back on them. And they look like, they all look like the Monopoly man on... You know, they look like the Gilded Age, and they're so out of touch with regular people that it's, it's become almost ridiculous. Thoughts, Jess and then Scott?
- SPSpeaker
You can see as Bezos is talking to Bret Baier that he's running through all of the criticisms of Amazon and, you know, how he treats his employees. Because the contrast between, you know, you'll be able to have a three-day work week and you spend more time with your family is, versus the fact that there are people not getting paid enough who are having to pee in bottles because they can't miss, you know, the next delivery because we've now been trained to think we can get something between 4:00 and 8:00 AM when we push, you know, purchase by midnight, is the sheen that he wants to give himself in doing it at Blue Origin. You know, it's very cool, obviously, what's going on, and it's the, the focus he wants on the spectacular, "Oh my God, I can't believe we're doing this" kinds of things. But to your point about the regular people, they're not thinking about Blue Origin as much as they're thinking about, "Will my job h- be here tomorrow?" Or, "Is a data center popping up in my backyard?" And, "Is our government actually refusing to participate in any sort of regulatory framework that might protect society?" Not that they wanna be backwards and poor, as Trump would put it, but that they want to know that folks in positions of leadership are hearing them and understanding their anxieties and would actually put people over profits for once.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah. Scott?
- SGScott Galloway
E- every major technology that has increased productivity, and I agree with him, AI will make us more productive, but it's, but every one has been sold with the same promise, the internet, the PC, the washing machine, and that is, "This'll free up your time." That's the promise. And in every case, instead of working less, we've absorbed the productivity gains in, into doing more, not resting more, and shareholders have benefited from those productivity gains. Keynes predicted a 15-hour work week back at the beginning of the 20th century, and we're nowhere close. And the, the obvious follow-up question of Mr. Bezos, who is spending either the most or the second most of any enterprise in the world on AI, is, "Okay, bitch, when and where exactly is your workforce going to reduce their hours?" From a man who has [laughs] created a system where, as Jess referenced, his drivers can't take bathroom breaks. So Jeff, uh, memo from Je- memo to Amazon employees. According to Jeff Bezos, who spends more on AI than anyone in the world, your work week is about to go to what? Four days? Three days? Jeff, when's it gonna happen?
- KSKara Swisher
But he says people are gonna be rewarded, and this is not the case. They d- He has... You're right. He has taken advantage of people's work more than anyone es- in terms of efficiency. Years ago, one of these congressmen, they were putting an Amazon warehouse in these, uh, in a town, and he said, "I..." Oh, he s- "They tell me it's good for jobs." I said, "They're gonna automate the thing as soon as they can. Know it, like, they're not telling you that part." And I think this promise that Elon has made that we'll all be in abundance and we won't have to work is just nonsense at this point. I don't know how we're gonna pay for it with our def- speaking of deficits, how we're gonna do it.
- SPSpeaker
But it's also not what people want. That's the thing. I, I... It's reminiscent to me of conversations that we were having, you know, 10 years ago about coal miners, right? And, you know, putting people out of bus- and you'll learn to code, or we're moving to all renewables. And I'm not saying that we don't have to innovate and we don't have to progress, especially if it means taking care of our planet. But sometimes I feel like these tech guys are just speaking like Klingon to regular people who are not mad about the fact that they need to work a full day. They wanna do it.
- KSKara Swisher
That's right.
- SPSpeaker
They're proud people.
- KSKara Swisher
Very good point.
- SPSpeaker
And politicians and tech folks sometimes really misunderstand the character of American people, which is strong, and work, the dignity of work underpins all of this.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah. Don't you wanna sit on a yacht like we do?
- SPSpeaker
Right. Like, wouldn't you love to be able to, like, put on some, you know, Google glasses and, like, beam into your job for three out of five days? And they say, "I'm not mad at a 9:00 to 5:00, a 9:00 to 6:00. I don't mind working with my hands. I don't mind getting dirty. I wanna put in the work so my kid can have a better..." That's what the American dream is, and they're rewriting it in their own crazy brains in a way that does not sit with average people.
- KSKara Swisher
You know, one of the quotes I read this week from Neil deGrasse Tyson I thought was perfect. He goes, "I've come to conclude that AI knows everything, yet understands nothing."
- SPSpeaker
Oh.
- KSKara Swisher
And I feel that way-
- SPSpeaker
That's awesome
- KSKara Swisher
... about these tech people. I'm like, "They know everything. They understand nothing." And they, they're so out of touch. Someone like Bezos is so out of touch with people's real lives. People want dignity of work. They wanna be paid well. They want healthcare. And that's why, you know, whatever you think of a lot of the DSA stuff, this stuff is, is resonating with young people, universal healthcare, decent wage, um, that, that I have something meaningful to do. And I think just the way they talk about it as they suck up to the most grifty president in history so explicitly is a, is... And they, and they all look, you know, they're, they all sort of... They all look like freak shows in a way that we don't wanna be you, right?
- SPSpeaker
Like you're a longevity show.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah, exactly.
- SPSpeaker
I feel like that was on display.
- 39:24 – 43:19
Predictions
- KSKara Swisher
we have time for one short prediction 'cause of my lack of knowledge about Central Time.
- SGScott Galloway
This one's easy. Within five years, they'll... And bankers will make more money. Time Warner, every CEO who buys Time Warner gives the exact same speech. They use the term synergies every other line, and then in five years, the same CEO will be saying, "We need to focus on our core business and start splitting this thing apart or selling it." Basically, Time Warner has destroyed more shareholder value than a Peloton at a WeWork.
- KSKara Swisher
[laughs]
- SGScott Galloway
This thing, this thing is a hot potato with the debt of Greece.
- KSKara Swisher
Yeah.
- SGScott Galloway
Everyone buys it, everyone thinks they have a vision for it, they can't sustain the debt, it starts fucking with their core business, and they decide five years on that they're gonna sell it. Dad has paid $120 billion so his son could play media. It's not gonna be worth it. After three or four years of, of, of declining revenues, somebody like a Zaslov is gonna make a bunch of money selling it yet again. Within five years, uh, whatever we're calling this, Time Warner, Sky Dance, HBO Max, Joey Bag of Donuts, this thing will be sold again or split up for parts.
- KSKara Swisher
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 will be announced on the day this episode airs, we're taping on Thursday, so let's make some predictions.
- SGScott Galloway
It's probably gonna be either Doctors Without Borders or Sudan's emergency response rooms.
- KSKara Swisher
Okay.
- SPSpeaker
Well, it's not Donald Trump. That's my pre- that's my prediction.
- KSKara Swisher
Who would you like it to be? Mark Carney. I feel Mark Carney. [laughs]
- SPSpeaker
Mark Carney's gonna have a big year, for sure.
- SGScott Galloway
He'll, he'll be, he'll be Man of the Year. I don't think he'll get this. He'll be Man of the Year. I don't think he'll get this.
- SPSpeaker
It's too early also in the cycle.
- KSKara Swisher
It's... Yeah.
- SPSpeaker
I feel like once Canada's really, like, a EU satellite, and maybe, you know, he and Zelensky do some more together, um, I like that.
- KSKara Swisher
The Pope?
- SPSpeaker
Oh. And his AI thing was the most interesting, I'm sure you've-
- KSKara Swisher
That's right.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah.
- KSKara Swisher
Magnific- magnificent humanity. The Pope. I'm gonna go with the Pope.
- SPSpeaker
I'm, I'm going Pope. Oh.
- KSKara Swisher
Pope, we're going Pope.
- SPSpeaker
Is that cheating? Okay.
- SGScott Galloway
Uh, Paco?
- KSKara Swisher
I think Pope.
- SGScott Galloway
I changed my mind on Time Warner. It'll be successful if they can convince Macron, Zelensky, and Carney to do, like, a Cinemax style soft porn drama.
- SPSpeaker
Skinemax.
- SGScott Galloway
Then I think it works. That's my porn.
- KSKara Swisher
Anyway, I'm really sorry for being late. We wanna hear from you. Send us your questions on business, tech, or whatever's on your mind. Elsewhere in the Kara and Scott universe this week, on On with Kara Swisher, I spoke with writer Justine Musk and filmmaker Alex Gibney ahead of the release of Musk, the four-hour Elon documentary. Let's listen to a clip.
Episode duration: 43:19
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