Business Pants Podcast Por Free Float Media Inc. arte de portada

Business Pants

Business Pants

De: Free Float Media Inc.
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Whether you love business news or feel like you’re supposed to know it but hate it, Business Pants is business news for humans. Snarky and irreverent, deeply researched and factual, a podcast devoted to market quirks and the humans that make up companies. Investing isn’t a what, it’s a who.

2024, Free Float Media Inc. Economía Finanzas Personales Política y Gobierno
Episodios
  • McDonald’s CEO Kempczinski hates you, Tim Cook gets paid, Ryanair’s O’Leary retires (eventually)

    McDonald’s CEO Kempczinski hates you, Tim Cook gets paid, Ryanair’s O’Leary retires (eventually)
    Dec 16 2025
    DAMION1In our 'Oracles are fine but emperors and popes are icky' headline of the week. Charlie Munger Warned That BlackRock Holds Too Much Power And Didn't Want Larry Fink Becoming An 'Emperor'“We have a new bunch of emperors, and they're the people who vote the shares in the index funds. Maybe we can make Larry Fink and the people at Vanguard Pope.”In our 'What we do is totally ok but what they do is totally icky' headline of the week. Schwab CEO Rick Wurster Draws a ‘Bright Line’ Between Investing and Gambling In our 'Bob Iger Says "Water skiing is the new productivity"' headline of the week. Europe’s Alps on track to lose 97 percent of glaciers by century’s end"Creativity is the new productivity": Iger used this phrase during interviews to reframe how AI is reshaping work and entertainment, suggesting that while AI handles efficiency, human creativity becomes the primary value driver.In our 'You're going to love Will. He's really good at kickball.' headline of the week. Union Pacific Appoints Will to Board of DirectorsUnion Pacific appoints CF Industries CEO Tony Will to board of directorsIn our 'First they were better at ice cream and now they are better at board independence? Show-offs' headline of the week. Ben & Jerry’s Plans to Set Board-Term Limit, Removing Three DirectorsMATT1In our 'Milestones include dinner with tech bros, phone calls with tech bros, giving gold plated fake awards to tech bros, hiring other tech bros' lawyers, and bricking your old phone' headline of the week. Tim Cook’s $74.6M 2024 Pay Ranks 7th Among US CEOs Amid Apple MilestoneIn our 'To put that into context, Tim Cook is JUST shy of 30 PBS's' headline of the week. Arkansas becomes first state to cut ties with PBS, saying $2.5 million membership dues ‘not feasible’In our 'Also, climate change will make your backyard irrelevant.' headline of the week. Sorry, six-figure earners: Elon Musk says that money will ‘disappear’ in the future as AI makes work (and salaries) irrelevantIn our 'Also fading: cakes on birthdays, barbecues on July 4th, giving thanks on Thanksgiving, and water in water coolers.' headline of the week. The taboo against holiday layoffs is fading.In our 'When 2034 is just too soon.' headline of the week. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary plans to step down by 2035DAMION2In our 'Ryanair board is officially told it doesn't matter' headline of the week. Michael O’Leary to Step Down from Ryanair Leadership by 2035In our 'Hey Ma, Fortune ripped off those dumb dudes at Free Float! Tell Dad!' headline of the week. Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 daysIn our 'McDonald's median employee delivers blunt reaction to career advice from McDonald's CEO that may 'hurt his feelings' in new Instagram video: "Fuck you and your 1,014:1 pay ratio."' headline of the week. McDonald's CEO delivers blunt career advice that may 'hurt your feelings' in new Instagram videoMcDonald's median employee for 2024 had total compensation of $17,492.In 2021, Kempczinski addressed the shootings of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams and 13-year-old Adam Toledo to Lightfoot, who had visited McDonald’s headquarters earlier that day. Kempczinski wrote: “p.s. tragic shootings in last week, both at our restaurant yesterday and with Adam Toldeo [sic]. With both, the parents failed those kids which I know is something you can’t say. Even harder to fix.”In our 'Actor becomes more powerful voice than entire ESG industry' headline of the week. Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt wonders why AI companies don’t have to ‘follow any laws’In our 'Freddy Fiffle and Billy Boffle named as interim CEOs while Donny Duffle has been named independent lead director' headline of the week. Barry Biffle Steps Down as Frontier Airlines CEOMATT2In our 'Remember, no one cares as much about you as you. In fact, I don't care at all about you or your career. I'll take it a step further: I hate you, you're basically the worst. This might hurt your feelings, but your mother hates you, too. You might as well be Hitler. But this is just tough love if you want your career to flourish as a cashier at McDonald's. Also, you're fired.' headline of the week. McDonald's CEO delivers blunt career advice that may 'hurt your feelings' in new Instagram video"The advice I would give is: remember, nobody cares about your career as much as you do," Kempczinski said. "So this idea that there's somebody out there who's looking out for you, who's going to make sure that you get that opportunity, who puts you in the right thing — great if it happens — but at the end of the day, nobody cares more about your career than you do."In our 'Man who said “You should fire the assholes,” “I have a lot of friends who are Democrats, and they're idiots,” and "I'm not mad at you. You can be mad at me. It's a free country, you can walk with your feet." says ...
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    33 m
  • No more proxy advice, Lululemon’s succession, CEOs just sayin, and Apple’s new lawyer

    No more proxy advice, Lululemon’s succession, CEOs just sayin, and Apple’s new lawyer
    Dec 12 2025
    Story of the Week (DR):3 from Trump: Trump Orders SEC to Review Proxy Adviser Rules in ESG Rebuke AND Trump signs executive order for single national AI regulation standard, limiting power of states AND Trump says Netflix, WBD deal could be 'problem' as son-in-law Kushner backs Paramount bid Trump directed several federal agencies to tighten regulations on proxy advisers:The S.E.C. was ordered to review rules and guidelines regarding the industry, including revising or rescinding any related to diversity, equity and inclusion (known as D.E.I.) and environment, social and corporate governance (or E.S.G.).The F.T.C. and the attorney general were directed to examine state antitrust investigations into the companies to see if there was a “probable link” between those inquiries and potential violations of federal antitrust law.And the Labor secretary was told to review regulations about the fiduciary duties of proxy advisers and others who advise managers of certain employee retirement accounts.These firms “wield enormous influence over corporate governance matters,” the executive order reads, adding that they “regularly” use their power to “advance and prioritize radical politically motivated agendas” instead of focusing on shareholder returns.CEO Moves:Lululemon Athletica’s C.E.O., Calvin McDonald, will step down as the athleisure clothing maker struggles to turn itself around. MMHis tenure had been criticized by the company’s founder, Chip Wilson.The athleisure retailer said that Calvin McDonald will step down as CEO and board member, effective January 31. Lululemon CFO Meghan Frank and chief commercial officer André Maestrini will serve as interim co-CEOs while the company searches for a new leader.McDonald has served as CEO of Lululemon since 2018, during which time he built the company into a brand powerhouse. But the company has been underperforming for more than a year, with the weakness most apparent in its core North American markeTime to let a woman runInterim co-CEO: CFO Meghan FrankBoard chair Marti Morfitt (CEO of River Rock partners, Airborne, and CNS)Director Alison Loehnis (former president and ad interim CEO of Yoox Net-a-porter group)Levi Strauss CEO Michelle GassHorrible board skills:Economics and Accounting 34%Mechanical 19%Computers and Electronics 12%Sales and Marketing 5%Administrative 5%Coca-Cola names insider Henrique Braun as CEO, replacing James Quincey Quincey will transition to the role of executive chairmanDisney wants you to AI-generate yourself into your favorite Marvel movieThe media company is investing $1bn in OpenAI – and allowing its characters to be used in generated videosTech Billionaires Are Starting Private Cities to Escape the United StatesCoinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan shared his vision for the “ultimate exit” by tech industry elites from the “failing” United States. “I think it’s fair to say, in 2025, we have a movement”That movement is the rise of “startup societies,” a pro-corporate, anti-government coalition of tech magnates, libertarian idealists, and neoliberal economic theorists.As the Financial Times notes in new reporting on the phenomenon, the movement is indeed growing. What once was the stuff of dystopian fiction like the Bioshock franchise is now the task of some 120 startup societies throughout the world, each scrambling to erect specially-built cities to court billionaires who feel maligned by organized society.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Eileen Higgins will be Miami's first-ever woman mayorDemocrat Eileen Higgins is a sharp contrast to her predecessor, Republican Francis Suarez, who leaned into masculinity politics during his termBS in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico; MBA from Cornell University; country director of the Peace Corps in Belize; foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State; Miami–Dade County CommissionerRepublican Francis Suarez: son of former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez; attorney with the law firm Greenspoon Marder, specializing in corporate and real estate transactionsDR: U.S. Court Strikes Down “Unlawful” Trump Ban on Wind Energy ProjectsA U.S. federal court struck down an executive order by President Trump aimed at freezing new wind energy developments across the country, agreeing with a coalition of 18 State Attorneys General that the administration’s order was “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.”MM: Nintendo’s 98% staff retention rate means the average employee has been there 15 yearsAssholiest of the Week (MM):Just sayin…RJ Scaringe, who recently got a mini Musk pay package and can afford a secretary: Rivian's CEO said self-driving cars shouldn't just be able to drive, but also run errands for you like a secretary: 5Joe Lonsdale, Stanford grad: Palantir cofounder calls elite college undergrads a ‘loser generation’ as data reveals rise in students seeking support for disabilities, like ADHD: 7 Palantir Chief ...
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    57 m
  • WHO DO YOU BLAME with Doug Chia: Paramount’s hostile daddy, protein Doritos, Kimmel’s contract

    WHO DO YOU BLAME with Doug Chia: Paramount’s hostile daddy, protein Doritos, Kimmel’s contract
    Dec 9 2025
    SEC Announces It Will Not Respond to Most No-Action Requests for Rule 14a-8 Shareholder Proposals.Government shutdown - the staff claimed they COULDN’T respond because after the shutdown, they had too much other work to do: “current resource and timing considerations following the lengthy government shutdown and the large volume of registration statements and other filings requiring prompt staff attention.” It just happens to coincide with Atkins saying there shouldn’t be shareholder proposals, that’s just a coincidence.John Cheveddan and Jim McRitchie - let’s be honest, if it weren’t for Cheveddan and McRitchie over 3 decades, we’d have less shareholder rights, and companies would not be such big whiners about “woke” shareholder proposals. Guys, you ruined it for all of us with your attention to democracy.Woke ESG shareholders like As You Sow, Arjuna, Trillium, and nuns - if we’re honest, the nuns and SRI crowd might have been the straw, right? I mean they’re putting in proposals that MAKE Exxon sue them! How dare they ask for carbon scope 3 emissions data!Antiwoke shareholders like NCPPR and Jesus - excluding Cheveddan/McRitchie, the highest volume of shareholder proposals have actually been the ANTI-woke filers, asking for things like a report on how companies will stop funding trans conversions (or one actual one where they asked about the reputational risk of NOT supporting un-trans-ing). Some of the proposals are so comically stupid, but the companies have to respond using third party lawyers and do the whole thing - maybe National Legal whatever center for whatever is the REAL straw?ISS and Glass Lewis - this was like 90% of what they did, since they certainly didn’t suggest voting against any directors unless an activist was involved. So when Ramaswamy and Musk and DeSantis and Texas declared proxy advisors woke activists, it was hard to deny since they didn’t do any work to vote out directors - just offer customers whatever voting pablum they wantedBlackRock and investors who never voted anywayOther - Atkins and Manhattan institute - lobbyists, administrationPepsi to cut product offering nearly 20% in deal with $4 billion activist ElliottPepsiCo said it also plans to accelerate the introduction of new offerings with simpler and more functional ingredients, including Doritos Protein and Simply NKD Cheetos and Doritos, which contain no artificial flavors or colors. The company also recently introduced a prebiotic version of its signature cola..WHO DO YOU BLAME?Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta - CEO since 2018, 21% influence, 43% connected to the board (so they’re basically all known entities), has overseen basically zero shareholder value increase in the last 5 years, overall .513 TSR batting average - what has he been doing? Did he put a sign on the door begging an activist to come hang?Activist Elliott Management - Paul Singer is notorious as a real foodie… wait, no, sorry, he’s known as a “vulture capitalist” who helped oust Jack Dorsey from Twitter because he didn’t want him to hang in Africa, but was happy to have Elon Musk (who has five jobs) take it over. In 2021, he did take a 3% stake in Ahold Delhaize, a grocery store owner, so he’s probably had a protein shake sprinkled on Doritos before?Pepsi’s board - first of all, it’s 14 people, which is like 7 people too many. Second - 4 finance types? Two pharma/med types? There are more people who know medicine than food - only ONE agribusiness repped on the board (Bunge) with the only other food production from Pepsi or ex-Pepsi execs? There are three directors on the nom committee with 10+ years on the board, and the other two have.. 9 years. Vasella has been there 23 years - time for some turnover.Roberto P. Martínez (International Chief Commercial Officer and CEO of New Revenue Streams) and Tara Glasgow (Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer) - someone needs to be held responsible for Doritos Protein and Simply NKD CheetosJimmy Kimmel signs ABC extension through 2027Most of Kimmel’s recent renewals have been multiyear extensions. There was no immediate word on whose choice it was to extend his current contract by one year.WHO DO YOU BLAME?Bob Iger - he yanked Kimmel to kiss Brendan Carr’s ass and the affiliates, then put him back on when subscribers cancelled, then convinced affiliates to re-air, all because Kimmel said conservatives really didn’t want Kirk’s killer to be conservative? Now Kimmel is EXTENDED? It has to be the dumbest series of events since “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Chapek’s era, right?Disney’s board - these are well known directors in the bag for Iger, and Iger would not even be CEO again if not for them. Susan Arnold, who at the time had more influence on the board than Iger, was chair of the nominating committee, had Mel Lagomasino and Derica Rice on with her, all went with Iger’s hand picked choice of Bob Chapek. ...
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    57 m
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