Deepseek’s $30 AI, negative ESG news is a buying opportunity, and the suckup economy

Introduction

LIVE from your DEI Blame Game, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at January 31st Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: a DeepSeekWeek, The Zuck Suckup Tour, Target is not the new Costco, and fecal phones 

Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.

Story of the Week (DR):

1. DeepSeek shocks AI world with 'cheap' Chinese chatbot MM

1. Marc Andreessen warns Chinese ChatGPT rival DeepSeek is ‘AI’s Sputnik moment’

2. DeepSeek limits registrations due to cyber attack

3. Alibaba says it has an AI model even better than DeepSeek

2. Meta Chief Zuckerberg Joins the Business Roundtable

1. Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly hunting for a home in Washington, D.C., to be even closer to the commander-in-chief and his inner circle

3. U.S. Bancorp’s Next CEO to Be First Woman of Color to Lead a Major U.S. Lender

1. Gunjan Kedia, who was named the bank’s president in May, will take the job in April, succeeding Andy Cecere, who will become executive chairman.

4. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Offers Apology Over Fatal Mid-Air Collision Near Washington, D.C. Airport

1. Trump criticizes FAA diversity efforts after deadly plane crash, even as he says he doesn't know the cause yet

Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):

1. DR: Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia vote to form Amazon-owned grocery store's first union

2. DR: Starbucks and Workers United Union Agree to Contract Mediation

3. MM: Negative ESG news creating buying opportunity, say private banks MM DR

4. MM: Record number of CEOs leave roles amid activist pressure, research shows

1. 202 bosses of some of the world’s largest listed companies left last year — up 9 per cent from 2023

Assholiest of the Week (MM):

1. COWARDS

1. Target rolls back DEI initiatives, the latest big company to retreat

2. Target announced Jan. 24 that it would conclude the DEI goals previously set to increase Black employees’ representation and advancement, improve Black shoppers’ experiences and promote Black-owned businesses.

3. Scrubbed all mention of diversity from website

4. This is the reason why you get targeted:

1. Black executives and professionals at Target doubled from 2019 to 2023 to max out 10% and 9% respectively

5. 29% of board influence are people of color

6. Props to Dmitri Stockton for joining the double coward club - on the board of Deere and Target

7. Boycotts go both ways, not just shooting cans of Bud Light: Target hit with national boycott call over decision to drop DEI initiatives

8. But important note - the conservative Trumpers turned this into a legal battle, not ideological - so if you’re angry, you’re not angry with just target, you’re angry with the Supreme Court

2. SYCOPHANTS AND SUCKUPS

1. Mark Zuckerberg Defends Embrace of Trump Administration in Meta Employee Q&A

2. Zuckerberg has shown us who he really is. Believe him

3. Meta Agrees to Pay Trump $25 Million to Settle His Lawsuit

4. Amazon ramps up ad spending on Elon Musk's X, WSJ reports

5. Elon Musk Teams Up With Boeing to Rush Production of New Air Force One

6. Exxon foe Engine No. 1 to build fossil fuel plants with Chevron

7. Google caves to Donald Trump’s executive order and will change ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ on its maps

3. DUE DILIGENCE

Appointment

date 1

date 2

days

Norfolk Southern names Lori J. Ryerkerk to board of directors

1/27/2025

5/9/2025

102

Bank of America Names Maria Martinez to Board of Directors

1/29/2025

4/24/2025

85

CSX Corporation (CSX) Appoints Ann Begeman to Board of Directors

1/29/2025

5/8/2025

99

Former Ally CEO joins First Horizon's board of directors

1/29/2025

4/23/2025

84

Carlisle Companies Elects Sheryl D. Palmer to its Board of Directors

1/29/2025

5/1/2025

92

Mitek Systems Announces Mark Rossi as Nominee to Its Board of Directors

1/28/2025

3/4/2025

35

Xcel Energy Elects Devin Stockfish to Board of Directors

1/29/2025

5/22/2025

113

1. Average of 3 months from appointment to election

1. In the midst of a manflake broligarchy, in a world where there is no accountability in the alternative democracy unless there’s an activist, THIS is what we spend our time on?

1. NYC Comptroller targets United Airlines on heat dangers

Headliniest of the Week

1. DR: Bill Gates says he thinks it's 'insane' that Elon Musk is allowed to 'destabilize' politics in other countries

2. MM: Team Says They've Recreated DeepSeek's OpenAI Killer for Literally $30

Who Won the Week?

1. DR: companies that provide energy to support AI

2. MM: AI coders with $30

Predictions

1. DR: an AI company accidentally erases itself after fearing it may destroy the world

2. MM: The next avian flu is on your phone: Your phone is a breeding ground for fecal bacteria. This is how to keep it clean and prevent getting sick