Bezos Raises $12B for AI Venture Prometheus at $41B Valuation

贝佐斯为AI创企Prometheus融资120亿美元，估值达410亿美元 杰夫·贝佐斯主张，工业AI自动化将通过成倍扩大经济机遇引发劳动力短缺，而非导致失业。 本期节目重点关注了杰夫·贝佐斯的工业AI初创公司Prometheus以410亿美元估值完成巨额120亿美元B轮融资、旨在打造“通用人工智能工程师”的消息。主持人还探讨了AI驱动下的劳动力动态变化、新兴热门机场电竞休息室的兴起，以及随着运费飙升，持续四年的美国卡车货运业低迷正式宣告终结。最后，他们聚焦了Ty Morse通过搭建专用演播室在网络上引发轰动以争取专访埃隆·马斯克的举措，并审视了德克萨斯州作为美国新企业与金融重心崛起的趋势。 杰夫·贝佐斯（Jeff Bezos）旗下工业 AI 初创公司 Prometheus 获摩根大通、高盛与黑石等巨头支持，完成 120 亿美元 B 轮融资，估值达 410 亿美元，致力于打造用于复杂机械设计的“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE）。 (0:02) 针对 AI 造成的就业担忧，贝佐斯提出乐观观点，认为生产力激增将催生大量新业务并引发劳动力短缺，甚至重现单职工家庭模式；此外有消息称其实体正筹划设立 1000 亿美元基金收购并改造传统制造业。 (4:32) 以 Gameway 和 Portal 为代表的机场电竞休息室正在全美加速铺开，结合 TSA 安检用时大幅缩减至 30 分钟以内，推动旅客采取仅提前 45 分钟抵达机场的高效出行策略。 (12:13) 持续四年的美国货运卡车萧条期正式结束，在运力出清和供给再平衡推动下，干线厢式货车现货运价同比激增 52%，主要大型承运商已重回车队与司机扩张周期。 (19:11) 得克萨斯州正成为美国商业新重心，2020 至 2025 年间吸引了埃克森美孚、特斯拉等超 184 家企业总部迁入并贡献全美五分之一新增就业，独立的得克萨斯证券交易所（TXSE）亦定于今夏正式设立。 (24:04)

Jeff Bezos's industrial AI startup Prometheus has secured a $12 billion Series B round to automate heavy engineering, while U.S. freight logistics and corporate migrations signal major shifts across domestic business. Prometheus Raises $12B for Industrial AI (0:02) Six months after emerging from stealth with $6.2 billion, Jeff Bezos's startup Prometheus raised a $12 billion Series B funding round at a post-money valuation of $41 billion. Backed by institutional giants including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock, the 150-person firm operates across San Francisco, London, and Zurich. Prometheus aims to build an "Artificial General Engineer" (AGE) to design and test complex physical machinery, such as jet engines, shortening production timelines for smaller teams. Beyond software, reports indicate Prometheus has explored raising a $100 billion fund to acquire legacy manufacturers like tire maker Goodyear and upgrade them with internal AI systems. Bezos's Labor Thesis and Economic Optimism (4:32) Bezos argues that widespread anxiety over AI job destruction is misplaced, projecting instead that AI productivity gains will trigger an overall labor shortage by dramatically lowering business creation costs. Drawing from Amazon's expansion, he contends that even if task efficiency increases tenfold, the resulting commercial opportunities will expand more than tenfold. He also posits that rising worker productivity could enable more single-earner households where one partner voluntarily exits the workforce without raising official unemployment. However, the program notes that rates of individuals not in employment, education, or training (NEET) have already been rising steadily since 2021, preceding the current generative AI wave. Trucking Freight Rebounds on Supply Contraction (19:11) According to The Wall Street Journal and industry metrics, the four-year U.S. freight slump has ended as rates adjust back to sustainable levels. Dry van spot rates jumped 52% (5,200 basis points) year-over-year in the first week of June, excluding fuel surcharges, and the Logistics Managers' Index recorded its fastest monthly growth for transportation prices in its 10-year history. This turnaround is largely supply-driven rather than sparked by booming retail demand. The pandemic boom caused an influx of new operators, but plummeting 2022 freight prices, higher equipment costs, and immigration crackdowns eventually drove small carriers out of business, allowing surviving nationwide fleets to expand driver pools and truck counts once supply rebalanced. Corporate Capital Migrates Toward Texas (24:04) A feature in The Economist highlights Texas as the emerging focal point of U.S. corporate activity. Between 2020 and 2025, at least 184 major corporate headquarters—including Tesla, Caterpillar, and ExxonMobil—relocated to Austin, Dallas, or Houston. The state generated roughly 20% of all net new U.S. jobs over that period, drawing companies and remote workers with tax advantages, lower operational costs, and energy expansion, with Texas projected to construct 40% of all domestic utility-scale solar this year. Financial infrastructure is following this corporate migration, highlighted by the planned launch of the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) alongside regional operations established by the NYSE and NASDAQ. While massive capital injections into AI ventures and surging logistics metrics suggest strong corporate momentum, broader economic adjustments remain unsettled, ranging from shifting household workforce participation to the ongoing relocation of core financial infrastructure away from traditional coastal hubs.

本期节目聚焦由巨额资本重组与供给侧调整驱动的美国商业新动向：Jeff Bezos支持的工业AI创企Prometheus完成120亿美元B轮融资以研发“通用人工智能工程师”；同时，得克萨斯州加速吸纳全美企业总部与金融基建，而经历四年萧条的货运卡车业则在运力出清后迎来拐点。 Prometheus获巨额注资与制造业并购野心 (0:02) Jeff Bezos支持的工业AI初创公司Prometheus在走出隐形状态仅六个月后，完成规模达120亿美元的B轮融资，公司估值飙升至410亿美元。该轮融资跳过了传统风险投资机构，完全由JPMorgan Chase、Goldman Sachs和BlackRock等华尔街金融巨头注资。Prometheus此前通过A轮融资筹集了62亿美元，目前在旧金山、伦敦和苏黎世设有办公室，拥有150名员工。其核心目标是开发“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE），旨在通过AI自动化完成复杂物理机械（如喷气发动机）的设计规范与测试周期，使小型团队也能在极短时间内执行大规模工业项目。 除软件研发外，有报道称Prometheus正探讨设立一支规模高达1000亿美元的产业整合基金，计划通过收购Goodyear等传统制造企业，并利用自研AI工具重塑其生产运营。按410亿美元估值计算，Prometheus已与MicroStrategy（420亿美元）和Reddit（330亿美元）处于同一体量区间，估值规模超过了Chipotle、AIG和CBRE等大型上市公司。 贝索斯的AI就业乐观论与劳动力现实分歧 (4:32) 针对公众对AI导致大规模技术性失业的焦虑，Bezos提出了截然相反的乐观论调。他结合亚马逊的发展历史预测，AI不仅不会引发广泛失业，反而会带来劳动力短缺。其论点在于，即便AI将单项任务所需的直接人力压缩至十分之一，成本与门槛的大幅降低也将激发出十倍以上的全新经济与创业机会。此外，Bezos推论生产力的极大跃升将重塑家庭经济模式，使单薪家庭重新具备经济可行性，其中一方成年人可自愿选择脱离劳动力市场，且这不会计入官方失业率统计。 不过，节目主持人指出当前宏观指标呈现低失业率与顽固通胀并存的状态，且自2021年起，美国未就业、未接受教育或培训的NEET群体比例一直在稳步上升。这一社会脱节现象早在生成式AI爆发之前就已出现，表明劳动力市场的结构性挑战并非完全由技术替代单一因素所决定。 运力供给出清推动美国货运业走出萧条 (19:11) 根据《华尔街日报》报道，长达四年的美国货运卡车业萧条期正式宣告结束。物流经理指数（LMI）显示，5月份运输价格录得该项调查10年历史上的最快环比增速。6月第一周干货厢式车（Dry Van）即期运价同比大涨52%（5200个基点，不含燃油附加费）。物流主管与卡车运输企业高管确认，运价已逐步回升至具备商业可持续性的水平，全美骨干承运商正重新将车队规模扩充至10500辆以上、司机队伍扩展至约11000人。 分析指出，本轮货运复苏并非由消费需求激增驱动，而是由供给侧大规模出清所致。在疫情期间电商激增推动运价创新高后，大批司机涌入市场；但随着2022年运价崩盘，叠加上届特朗普政府对无证移民司机的收紧打压，高昂的设备、保险及司机成本迫使成千上万的中小型运营商破产退场。在过剩运力经历加速出清并回归供需平衡后，地缘冲突导致的较高燃油成本也正顺利转嫁至终端客户。 得州确立商业重心地位与独立金融基建 (24:04) 《经济学人》的一篇专题报道显示，得克萨斯州正稳固其作为“美国企业新引力中心”的地位。ExxonMobil股东于5月27日投票决定终止与新泽西州的注册关联，将公司正式迁往得州。在2020年至2025年期间，包括Tesla和Caterpillar在内的至少184家大型企业总部迁往奥斯汀、达拉斯或休斯顿。在此期间，得州创造了全美约五分之一（20%）的净增就业岗位，在吸纳沿海高税收州远程员工的同时，还承接了联邦补贴与AI数据中心建设潮，预计今年全美40%的公用事业级地面光伏将建在得州。 在承接实体产业的同时，得州的金融基础设施也在同步升级。独立的得克萨斯证券交易所（TXSE）定于2026年夏季正式启动，与已在当地设立区域分支的纽交所（NYSE）和纳斯达克形成并立格局，标志着得州从单纯的避税与制造基地向综合金融资本中心迈进。 电竞候机空间演进与航空出行时间策略 (12:13) 伴随航空安检流程的改进，现代航空旅行体验正在发生场景化转变。达拉斯-沃斯堡机场与明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗国际机场（MSP）一号航站楼等地相继落地了名为Gameway和Portal的专属电竞候机室。该模式由Emma与Jordan Wallbridge夫妇于2018年创立，目前在全美运营11处网点，今年还将增设2处。与传统安静的商务休息室或可能导致乘客带汗登机的机场健身房不同，这类空间配备了高规格主机与PC游戏设备，并引入机器人调酒台，为等待航班的家庭与旅客提供娱乐解压环境。 与此同时，得益于TSA在主要枢纽将安检平均等待时间压缩至30分钟以内并减少脱鞋及取出电脑的限制，旅客开始采用类似于风险投资组合管理的时间博弈策略。主持人提出，在年均飞行50次的前提下，将到达机场的时间压缩至起飞前45分钟，一年可累计节省50小时；即便承担约10%的误机风险，整体时间利用效率依然高于过度预留安检裕量的传统模式。 无论是工业AI领域的千亿级并购设想，还是得州构建独立金融体系与物流周期的重置，均显示出资本与产业正加速向高生产率、低监管成本的环境集中。然而，Bezos提出的AI创造就业假设能否抵消社会深层的NEET化趋势，以及千亿级传统制造业整合能否兑现技术红利，仍有待实体经济数据的长期验证。

## Background 该视频由科技脱口秀频道 TBPN（由 John Coogan 与 Jordi Hays 主持）于 2026 年 6 月 23 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。根据简介，本期为大约 30 分钟的精炼版“Diet TBPN”，聚焦贝索斯旗下工业 AI 公司 Prometheus 的天量融资、得克萨斯州成为全美商业新中心、卡车货运业复苏以及机场生活与播客圈趣事。 ## TL;DR 节目核心探讨了贝索斯联合创立的工业 AI 公司 Prometheus 斩获 120 亿美元融资并在工业界推进“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE）的宏大野心，以及贝索斯关于 AI 生产力红利将促使社会重返单职工家庭的乐观经济学视角。接着，两位主持人辩论了极限赶飞机的时间边际效益，并探讨了以 Portal Lounge 为代表的电竞休息室正在颠覆传统机场贵宾室的出行新趋势。产业与宏观层面，节目剖析了长达四年的卡车运输业衰退如何因供给端出清而正式告终，并分享了创作者 Ty Morse 为马斯克专访火速自建二号演播室的病毒式“元故事”。最后，节目详解了埃克森美孚迁册、得州证券交易所（TXSE）设立以及充沛能源如何推动得克萨斯州登顶“全美商业新重心地”，并预告了次日追踪 SpaceX 上市的直播计划。 ## Atmosphere & style 整场节目充盈着典型硅谷科技播客的快节奏狂欢感，语调幽默犀利、机智松弛，充满密集的互联网热梗与行业自嘲。两位主持人插科打诨的搭档张力十足，从将误机率类比 VC 投资组合到调侃富豪休假排班，在荒诞发散与敏锐商业直觉之间无缝切换。听众仿佛置身于一场高智商的科技吧台闲聊，在欢声笑语和辛辣吐槽中迅速饱览全美最前沿的资本博弈与产业变局。 ## Bulletin - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=2s) 贝索斯联合创立的工业 AI 初创公司普罗米修斯（Prometheus）完成 120 亿美元巨额 B 轮融资，估值达 410 亿美元，由摩根大通、高盛与贝莱德等华尔街巨头注资。 - [01:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=93s) 普罗米修斯致力于打造“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE），计划设立千亿美元规模的并购基金，直接收购重工业及制造企业并植入工业 AI 引擎。 - [19:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1153s) 全美长达四年的卡车运输业衰退正式画上句号，供给端深度出清推动 6 月干货厢式车现货运价同比大涨 52%，但同时也带来了潜在的通胀上行压力。 - [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1440s) 得克萨斯州成为全美商业新重心地，埃克森美孚正式回迁注册地，得州证券交易所（TXSE）即将开业，其充沛电力使其成为全美 AI 数据中心建设的核心枢纽。 ## Key takeaways - [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=2s) 普罗米修斯在结束隐形模式仅六个月后即吸纳 120 亿美元 B 轮资金，颠覆传统硅谷风投模式，直接对接顶级华尔街资本。 - [01:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=93s) 贝索斯提出大模型“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE）概念，目标是让 AI 能够自主设计并制造如喷气发动机等复杂物理硬件实体。 - [04:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=264s) 贝索斯持劳动力乐观主义立场，认为 AI 提升效率后激发的创新机会将扩大十倍以上，未来就业总需求不降反升，甚至引发“劳动力短缺”。 - [04:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=264s) 随着 AI 带来生产力大爆发，家庭收入格局可能发生重构，自愿退出劳动力市场的单职工家庭模式或将体面回归。 - [06:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=415s) 普罗米修斯探讨设立高达 1000 亿美元的并购基金，旨在通过 AI 整合并购（AI Rollups）重构传统重工业产线与底层运营。 - [09:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=575s) 生成式大模型正加速与即时制造基础设施结合，打通从规格设计输入到实体生产配送的物理制造闭环。 - [14:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=866s) 机场安检因流程精简与技术升级体验大幅改善，但在出行赶飞机策略上，主持人就“卡点节省时间”与“规避误机代价”产生投资学视角的辩论。 - [16:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=994s) 以 Gameway 和 Portal Lounge 为代表的电竞贵宾室在全美机场迅速铺开，凭借互动娱乐属性超越传统贵宾室与不切实际的机场健身房设想。 - [19:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1153s) 全美货运行业经历大规模破产与移民运力出清后重归供需平衡，物流经理人指数录得十年来最快运价增速，正式终结四年低谷。 - [21:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1311s) 播客创作者 Ty Morse 为专访马斯克斥资迅速搭建两座演播室，其行动力与“元故事（meta-story）”叙事在全网掀起超越采访本身的传播热度。 - [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1440s) 得克萨斯州在 2020 至 2025 年间贡献了全美约 20% 的净新增就业岗位，吸引埃克森美孚等 184 家企业总部迁入。 - [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1440s) 得州凭借广阔平坦地形和全美公用事业级光伏龙头地位，为 AI 数据中心提供坚实电力底座，并依托 TXSE 及纽交所分支加速金融中心本土化。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=2s) 普罗米修斯狂揽120亿美元：贝索斯开启“工业AI”巨无霸轮次 杰夫·贝索斯（Jeff Bezos）正以前所未有的激进姿态重注人工智能。他联合创立的工业 AI 初创公司普罗米修斯（Prometheus）在刚刚结束隐形模式（Stealth mode）六个月后，便完成了一笔高达 120 亿美元的 B 轮融资。就在半年前，该公司才刚披露了 62 亿美元的早期资金。主持人调侃道，这轮融资直接将传统的风投规模放大了整整一千倍——以前初创企业通常是 600 万美元 A 轮、1200 万美元 B 轮，而贝索斯直接把单位换成了“十亿美元”（60 亿美元 A 轮，120 亿美元 B 轮）。在这一轮天量融资后，普罗米修斯的估值已飙升至 410 亿美元。 这笔巨资的运作逻辑颠覆了传统的硅谷风投模式。在几乎没有稀释股权的情况下，贝索斯能够筹集如此庞大的资金去收购并改造现有企业，这种壮举“大概全天下只有贝索斯能做到”。由于体量过于惊人，普罗米修斯甚至绕过了传统风投机构，直接对接了摩根大通（JPMorgan Chase）、高盛（Goldman Sachs）和贝莱德（BlackRock）等华尔街超级金融巨头。在过去，这种 400 亿美元估值、单轮融资数十亿美元的规模，通常只会出现在超级巨头的公开 IPO 中。 - **融资规模**：B 轮融资 120 亿美元，估值达 410 亿美元；六个月前刚以 62 亿美元融资走出隐形阶段。 - **投资方**：贝索斯本人、摩根大通、高盛、贝莱德等顶级华尔街机构。 - **团队规模与分布**：已在旧金山、伦敦和苏黎世三地招募了约 150 名核心员工。 --- ### [01:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=93s) 告别AGI迎来AGE：“通用人工智能工程师”与劳动力乐观主义 根据《华尔街日报》的报道，贝索斯推出普罗米修斯的核心目标是构建一个所谓的大模型“通用人工智能工程师”（AGE，Artificial General Engineer）。两位主持人在节目中大肆吐槽硅谷永无止境的造词游戏——从 AI、AGI（通用人工智能）、ASI（超级人工智能），到 RSI（递归自我改进）、AI FDE（前线部署工程师），再到所谓的“个人超级智能”甚至“不规则智能”（Irregular Intelligence），如今 AGE 又成了最新谈资。但玩笑归玩笑，贝索斯的野心非常具象：他希望 AGE 能够自主设计和制造复杂的物理硬件实体，比如喷气发动机或全新飞机。在传统工业界，一款新客机的适航认证和量产周期往往需要数十年，哪怕 AI 能将研发速度提升 10%，也能为人类省下数年的试错时间。 伴随这一宏伟愿景而来的是贝索斯反直觉的就业哲学：他断言 AI 将在未来引发全社会的“劳动力短缺”，彻底驳斥了技术会导致大规模失业的悲观论调。主持人打趣指出，一个人的流动净资产（Liquid net worth）往往与他对未来就业市场的乐观程度呈强正相关。贝索斯与优步联合创始人特拉维斯·卡兰尼克（Travis Kalanick）、Coinbase 联合创始人布莱恩·阿姆斯特朗（Brian Armstrong）、Robinhood 联合创始人弗拉德·特内夫（Vlad Tenev）以及 Airbnb 的布莱恩·切斯基（Brian Chesky）一样，都作为功成名就的科技巨头重新杀回了 AI 战局。贝索斯强调，普罗米修斯的使命是“赋能工程师，让创新变得更简单、更快速”（empower engineers and make innovation easier and faster），让小团队在极短的时间周期内完成前所未有的工程奇迹。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: AGE工业设计闭环 accDescr: 展现贝索斯提出的AGE通用人工智能工程师从算法端到物理制造端的工程赋能闭环 subgraph CoreEngine ["核心模型层"] A["AGE 通用人工智能工程师"] B["小规模工程团队"] end subgraph Acceleration ["研发加速转化"] C["复杂物理系统设计<br/>(如喷气发动机、飞机气动构型)"] D["缩短十年级认证与试飞周期"] end subgraph IndustryImpact ["传统工业与制造端"] E["自动化跨学科工程制造"] F["激发全新硬件产品生态"] end B --> A A --> C C --> D D --> E E --> F ``` --- ### [04:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=264s) 生产力爆发与单职工家庭回归：贝索斯的就业与宏观经济学 针对当下年轻人对 AI 抢夺饭碗的普遍焦虑，贝索斯直言这种悲观情绪与事实恰恰相反。他的论据基于“效率与规模的倍增关系”：就算 AI 能让单项任务所需的人力减少到十分之一，但新技术降低门槛后带来的创新机会将扩大不止十倍，总体就业需求反而会水涨船高。这正如贝索斯在亚马逊见证过的历程——尽管传统线下实体店的雇员比例下降，但在亚马逊生态内涌现的海量卖家、仓储物流人员以及周边创业者，却带动了美国就业市场自 1999 年以来的持续净增长。 贝索斯还抛出了一个独特的社会学推论：随着 AI 驱动生产力发生核爆式跃升，家庭收入结构可能会经历重组。未来的生产力极其富余，许多“双职工家庭”中可能会有一方主动选择退出劳动力市场，社会甚至可能重回 20 世纪中叶典型的单职工养家模式——一个人工作的收入就足以从容支撑全家体面的开支。主持人补充道，这种“主动放弃工作”并不会推高失业率数据，因为失业率统计只计入积极求职的人群。值得注意的是，不升学、不上班也不受训的“NEET族”（啃老族）比例早在 2021 年 AI 爆发前就已经在上升，而贝索斯勾勒的则是一个更为体面、由生产力富足所支撑的新版“单薪时代”。 - **生产力乘数效应**：即使单项目所需工程师精简 10 倍，被激发的项目机会将超过 10 倍，总雇佣量不降反升。 - **家庭结构预测**：极高的人均产出将催生单职工家庭回归，另一半因家庭收入充裕而自愿不参与就业市场。 - **宏观统计现象**：劳动力总参与人数可能收缩，但官方失业率仍将维持低位。 --- ### [06:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=415s) 游艇派对还是疯狂加班？联席CEO分工设想与千亿并购基金 在严肃的商业探讨之外，两位主持人开启了对贝索斯管理风格的犀利调侃。作为全球焦点的超级富豪，贝索斯如今在地中海的大型游艇上哪怕多喝一杯酒都会被长焦镜头传遍全网。在刚刚连续完成两笔数十亿美元的巨额融资后，全科技圈都会拿着放大镜观察他这个夏天的去向——大家都在盯紧他到底是连着几天泡在海滩俱乐部度假，还是严格自律地在周六下午“锁回工作状态”、周日全天扑在备战上。 由于普罗米修斯采用了联席 CEO（Co-CEO）架构，主持人脑洞大开地调侃起他们的权力分配机制： - **按季节轮替**：贝索斯主管秋冬季度，另一位联席 CEO 顶上春夏季度，一人干半年、另一人彻底放假游艇度假； - **按昼夜排班**：周五晚 7 点到周六凌晨 2 点贝索斯失联，周六中午短暂上线吃个午餐，下午到周日凌晨继续断联； - **奇偶数轮值**：如同 TBPN 两位主持人的搭档模式，凌晨 3 点有急事找乔迪（Jordi），凌晨 4 点找约翰（John），无缝交错实现 24 小时待命。 回到严肃的产业层面，报道披露普罗米修斯此前甚至商讨设立一支规模高达 **1000 亿美元的超级并购基金**。作为对比，SpaceX 在二级市场掀起轩然大波的融资估值目标也只是 700 亿美元，而贝索斯的 AI 基金如果落地，将直奔千亿美元规模。贝索斯的思路非常明确：利用自身庞大的资本实力与政商连接作为后盾，直接收购美国传统的重工业与传统制造企业（例如固特异轮胎 Goodyear），通过在其产线和底层运营中全面部署普罗米修斯研发的工业 AI 引擎，彻底颠覆与改造美国本土制造业的底层底色。 ### [09:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=575s) 闭环制造与百亿豪赌：Prometheus 的野心与神话宿命 节目开篇延续了对物理世界与 AI 结合的讨论。主持人指出，当前技术最令人兴奋的前景是将基础模型与类似 SendCutSend 的即时制造基础设施相结合：前端输入能直接生成高精度的完整产品规格与工程设计，后端则能按需无缝完成物理制造并配送到家。目前计算机虽然已经可以生成全世界任何事物的图像，但物理制造端的提速却严重脱节，如果能真正把这套生成到制造的链条彻底打通，将带来颠覆性的变革。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: 生成式物理制造闭环流程 accDescr: 从基础模型生成高保真设计到即时制造交付的完整链路 subgraph Digital["数字设计端"] A["基础大模型"] --> B["高保真设计 / 规格"] end subgraph Physical["物理制造端"] C["即时生产基础设施<br/>(如 SendCutSend)"] --> D["终端实体交付"] end B -.->|"打通闭环"| C ``` 话题随后转向杰夫·贝索斯（Jeff Bezos）重金布局的新公司 Prometheus。这家公司的估值已经超越了老牌保险巨头 AIG、连锁餐饮 Chipotle 以及商业地产巨头 CBRE。两人随即拿公司的命名大开玩笑：在希腊神话中，普罗米修斯盗火后被众神锁在高加索山上，遭受巨鹰每日啄食肝脏的万世惩罚，“普罗米修斯这个名字带着某种疯狂的名实决定论（nominal determinism）”。不仅 Meta 曾有名为 Prometheus 的数据中心，此前还有一家名为 Icarus（伊卡洛斯）的创业公司；Jordi 笑着自嘲曾因为接受《纽约客》采访点评 Icarus 时说错话而惹上麻烦。两人调侃称，硅谷现在急需一家名为“赫拉克勒斯（Hercules）”的公司，来把被锁住的普罗米修斯彻底解救出来。 幽默之余，这笔融资反映出资本市场正在发生的大规模转向：越来越多的私募股权机构与投资者开始收购成熟的传统企业，通过植入 AI 技术来提升生产力并扩大利润率。虽然所谓“AI 整合并购（AI Rollups）”与现代化改造并不鲜见，但从未有人像贝索斯这样带着超千亿美元的野心与规模入场。贝索斯曾直言当前是“创立公司的最佳时代”，AI 的突破将开启“多重黄金时代同时迸发”。在估值对比上，Prometheus 的体量已与持仓比特币的 MicroStrategy（约 410 至 420 亿美元）处于同一量级，甚至远高于 Reddit（约 330 亿美元）。 - **估值坐标参考**：Prometheus 规模已比肩或超越 AIG、Chipotle、CBRE、Reddit（330 亿美元）及 MicroStrategy（420 亿美元）。 - **行业模式演进**：利用 AI 改造传统资产的 PE 运作正在从小型试点走向千亿美元级别的超级重组。 --- ### [12:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=727s) TSA 体验逆袭与“高能动性”机场生存法则 话题转入机场出行与近期引发热议的“游戏玩家逆袭”。此前曾有消息称官方计划在机场设立健身房，但立刻遭到了玩家群体的强烈反击——如今各大机场贵宾室正逐渐转向迎合游戏玩家，为旅客提供比酒精饮料更能消磨时间的马里奥赛车（Mario Kart）或《我的世界》（Minecraft）。 在深入探讨游戏贵宾室前，两人展开了一场关于美国运输安全管理局（TSA）安检体验的大讨论。Jordi 抛出了一个逆向观点：“TSA 现在可能已经封神了（TSA might be goated）”。回顾过去 30 次飞行经历，安检排队时间从未超过 30 分钟。商业飞行固然仍像是一场繁琐的“羞辱仪式”，但一旦安检时间稳定在 30 分钟内，整体出行的可控性便大幅提升。过去脱鞋、掏笔记本电脑等曾是脱口秀演员经久不衰的吐槽素材，如今许多关卡不仅免去了这些繁琐步骤，通关流程也大幅提速。 两人还调侃了机场无处不在的面部识别监控。尽管摄像头可能一路连拍十几次，但旅客实际上拥有“选择退出（Opt-out）”的权利。他们戏称这种机制就像是一场现实版的“高能动性测试（high agency test）”：如果某天有人直接无视金属探测门绕道而行，安检人员甚至可能会赞许地放行，庆祝你终于看穿了系统的幻象、打破母体并通关了“基底现实（based reality）”。 --- ### [14:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=866s) 赶飞机哲学与 VC 投资论：10% 误机率才是最优解？ 围绕机场安检的可预测性，两人在出行策略上爆发了激烈辩论。Jordi 习惯在起飞前 45 分钟抵达机场，而 John 往往在 Jordi 已经排队安检时才发短信说“我刚上车，45 分钟后到停车场”。Jordi 惊叹 John 每次都能凭借“天命眷顾（mandate of heaven）”神奇赶上航班，而 John 则亮出了一套极端的效率哲学：“如果你一生中没有至少 10% 的概率错过航班，说明你卡时间卡得不够紧，本质上是在浪费生命。” John 将赶飞机与风险投资做了类比：如果一名 VC 设立的目标是投资组合里绝不出现任何一家归零的公司，那他根本无法做出任何投资决策；要追求超额回报（DPI），就必须承受一定概率的彻底失败。换言之，错过几次航班就像投资组合里的零收益项目，但换取的是全年巨大的时间收益——假设每周飞一次、每次通过极限踩点节省 1 小时，一年便省下 50 小时，即便因为误机损失几小时，整体时间账依然血赚。 Jordi 对此表示强烈反对，认为这种“时间算术”根本站不住脚：一旦真的误机，下一班飞机往往要等 3 个小时以上，只要稍微提前 10 分钟出门就能规避这种巨大代价，而且省下来的时间往往只是在酒店多喝了一杯毫无意义的咖啡。John 则反唇相讥，表示自己在出发去机场前的每一分钟都“在钟表厂里疯狂打螺丝（locked in at the clock factory）”，处于人生中最专注、生产力最高的巅峰状态，绝非无所事事。 --- ### [16:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=994s) 游戏玩家占领机场贵宾室：从 Gameway 到 Portal Lounge 随着两人的辩论延展到“为了打游戏是否愿意提前去机场”，游戏贵宾室的真实趋势浮出水面。John 调侃称，如果赶上《GTA 6》发售或者为了在《使命召唤》（COD）里刷转生等级（Prestige），他甚至愿意提前 72 小时去机场候机，并戏称游戏玩家如今已成为美国最重要的选民群体，“总有一天我们会选出一名游戏玩家总统”。 现实中，这种变化正在明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗国际机场（MSP）1号航站楼新开业的 Portal Lounge 里上演。旅客 David Lee 和 Cassie Yang 走进这家贵宾室时，最震撼他们的并不是那台能够调制经典老式鸡尾酒（Old Fashioned）的机器人调酒师，而是他们在数字时代终于重新夺回了对个人手机的支配权——他们 8 岁和 12 岁的两个孩子一进门就被任天堂《马里奥赛车》和《古惑狼》（Crash Bandicoot）的游戏主机完全吸引，根本不再抢夺父母的手机消磨候机时间。 这家名为 Portal 的贵宾室彻底打破了传统机场贵宾室的刻板印象。虽然它依然配备了小型自助餐以及由真人与机器人共同服务的吧台，但其核心驱动力是全方位的互动娱乐。该项目背后的操盘手是一对夫妻搭档——Emma Wallbridge 与 Jordan Wallbridge，两人此前分别拥有酒店运营与医疗器械销售背景。他们早于 2018 年就在达拉斯-沃斯堡国际机场（DFW）创立了首个名为 Gameway 的机场电竞体验空间。截至目前，该品牌已在全美各大机场布局了 11 家门店，今年还计划新开两家，成为重塑旅客机场候机生态的商业新势力。 - **核心案例**：明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗国际机场（MSP）T1 航站楼新设 Portal Lounge，提供多款主机游戏与机器人调酒。 - **连锁布局**：创始人 Emma 与 Jordan Wallbridge 自 2018 年在达拉斯-沃斯堡（DFW）开设首店 Gameway 以来，全美运营网点已达 11 家，年内将增至 13 家。 ### [18:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1101s) 机场电竞休息室与“机场健身房”的滑稽幻想 明尼阿波利斯机场迎来了全新迭代的电竞休息室概念，设施配备更加完善。这一创意的初衷源于创始人在商务旅行中频繁光顾传统贵宾室后的厌倦。正如联合创始人艾玛（Emma）所吐槽的：“我总觉得自己置身于图书馆，客人们动不动就冲着别人‘嘘’个不停，甚至投来鄙视的目光。”当镜头切到现场照片时，主持人打趣称画面里的人全都握着手柄凝视前方，让人感觉自己就像那台电视屏幕或游戏本身一样被死死盯着。 由此，两位主持人对比了机场电竞区与此前呼声颇高的“机场健身房”概念。互联网上经常有人发问“为什么机场不建健身房？”，虽然在某些漫长的转机时刻健身房听起来很有吸引力，但现实场景却极为酸爽——试想一下，如果一架航班上哪怕只有 5% 的乘客是刚在跑步机上挥汗如雨了一小时、顶着一身热气与汗臭、大口喘着粗气挤进机舱，那对全体同行者而言将是一场灾难。因此，电竞休息室显然比机场健身房切实可行得多。 - **传统休息室痛点**：缺乏活力、规矩森严，旅客常因制造细微声响而被其他客人发出“嘘”声警告。 - **电竞休息室优势**：为旅客提供轻松宣泄的娱乐空间，比充满汗味隐患的机场健身房更具商业可行性。 --- ### [19:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1153s) 持续四年的卡车运输业衰退正式终结 《华尔街日报》报道宣告：全美长达四年的卡车运输业衰退正式画上句号。对于那些在运费持续暴跌中苦苦咬牙支撑了近四年的卡车司机而言，这犹如行业濒临窒息时终于迎来的一口救命氧气。多位货运高管一致表示，运价终于回升至可持续盈利的水平。物流经理人指数（LMI）显示，5 月份的运输价格涨幅创下该报告 10 年历史记录中的全指标最快增速。 这一波反弹主要由“供给端出清”而非“需求激增”所驱动。疫情期间网购狂潮导致司机与运力蜂拥入场，随后运价在 2022 年断崖式崩跌，数以十万计的小型承运商被无情淘汰出局。即便面对司机薪资、设备维保与保险成本的全面上涨，卡车行业仍在过去一年加速流失运力，叠加特朗普政府对无证移民司机的严厉打击，市场终于重归供需平衡。与此同时，受战事推高的燃油成本被运营商顺畅转嫁给客户，整体经济回暖也为干货厢式车（Dry Van）的现货运价注入强劲动力。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 卡车运输业四年周期循环机制 accDescr: 展示从疫情繁荣到产能过剩崩溃，再到供给端出清引发运价反弹的完整过程 subgraph Phase1["1. 繁荣与失衡 (2020-2022)"] A["疫情网购与航运爆发"] --> B["运价创历史新高"] B --> C["海量卡车与新司机涌入"] end subgraph Phase2["2. 崩盘与出清 (2022-2025)"] C --> D["2022年运价悬崖式下跌"] D --> E["车辆过多但货源不足"] E --> F["保险、设备成本上涨<br/>加之移民劳工收紧"] F --> G["数十万小型承运商破产倒闭"] end subgraph Phase3["3. 供给驱动复苏 (2026)"] G --> H["有效运力降至供需平衡点"] H --> I["干货厢式车现货运价同比大涨 52%"] I --> J["大型车队扩招并启动新一轮扩建"] end ``` - **现货运价大涨**：6 月单周干货厢式车现货运价（排除燃油附加费）同比上涨 5,200 个基点（即 52%）。 - **行业扩建风向**：一家全国性大型运输企业正计划在目前超 10,500 辆卡车车队与约 11,000 名司机的规模上，展开新一轮扩充。 - **通胀连锁效应**：运输成本的大幅飙升虽然意味着货运行业重获健康，但也给整体宏观经济带来了潜在的通胀上行压力。 --- ### [21:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1311s) Ty Morse 为马斯克打造二号演播室：播客界的“元故事”神话 节目中插播了一条推特（X）突发热点：播客创作者 Ty Morse 宣布在周六正式竣工了他的“2 号演播室”。此前，Ty 曾豪掷心血为专访埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）搭建了一处演播室，但因租赁限制只能使用一周（6 月 6 日便面临腾退通告）。面对僵局，Ty 践行马斯克的精神内核，在过去三个月不断自问：“如果是埃隆，他会怎么做？埃隆会在拿到批准前先把火箭立在发射架上，追问最核心的瓶颈是什么，然后以狂热的紧迫感亲手摧毁这些瓶颈。” 于是，Ty 和团队展现出疯狂的行动力，迅速建好了能稳稳租用一个整月的 2 号演播室，全网都在为他能否最终敲定马斯克的专访而屏息关注。主持人评论道，这种“为了采访大佬而大动干戈搭建布景”的元故事（meta-story），在传播力上甚至超越了大多数常规播客本身。Ty 搭建布景的视频狂揽逾 200 万次观看；相比之下，马斯克与摩根大通 CEO 杰米·戴蒙（Jamie Dimon）的正经对话录像虽早已上线，却未能引发科技圈广泛的二次裂变传播。公众天然迷恋这种充满冒险、孤注一掷与极致行动力的抓马叙事。 - **核心准则**：“狂热的紧迫感（A maniacal sense of urgency）是我们的行动信条。” - **反差现象**：未发生的专访借由演播室搭建的过程演化成全网顶流话题，其曝光与讨论热度远超许多名流大佬已被记录好的长视频。 --- ### [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1440s) 得克萨斯州成为美国商业的新重心与 SpaceX IPO 前瞻 根据《经济学人》最新报道，得克萨斯州正无可争议地奠定其作为“全美商业新重心地（America, Inc.'s new center of gravity）”的地位。5 月 27 日，石油巨头埃克森美孚（ExxonMobil）股东正式投票批准斩断其在纽泽西州的法律注册关系，将注册地重新迁回其深耕多年的得州大本营。得州的崛起甚至已深度渗透至流行文化，乡村歌手 Ella Langley 的热门金曲《Choosin' Texas》在 2026 年霸榜全美音乐榜单，歌词中调侃的“刚以为能让他爱上田纳西，我本该明白绝不能带他回阿比林（Abilene）”，正是其他州政策制定者在与得州的竞争中节节败退的生动写照。 得州吸纳全美商业投资高居榜首，从 2020 到 2025 年间创造了全美约五分之一的净增就业岗位。早期它凭借零州所得税、低廉房价吸引沿海高税区逃离的远程办公人员，并坐享《芯片与科学法案》等联邦绿色能源和芯片制造补贴；如今，得州凭借无可比拟的充沛电力与能源基础设施，成为全美 AI 数据中心建设的核心枢纽。除能源外，得州的科技与金融生态也在飞速深耕：独立的得克萨斯证券交易所（TXSE）即将敲钟开业，纽交所（NYSE）与纳斯达克（NASDAQ）亦纷纷在此设立运营据点。即使唐纳德·特朗普批评纽交所在得州设点对其故乡纽约而言是“难以置信的坏事”，他名下的社交媒体企业却依然成为了首批挂牌该分支机构的企业。 | 维度 | 得克萨斯州关键指标与动态 | 核心驱动因素 / 背景 | |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **企业迁驻潮** | 2020–2025 年间共有 184 家企业将总部迁至奥斯汀、达拉斯或休斯敦 | 包括特斯拉（Tesla）、卡特彼勒（Caterpillar）、埃克森美孚等产业巨头 | | **就业与投资** | 贡献全美约 **20%** 的净新增就业岗位；全美吸纳商业投资第一 | 逃离加州及纽约州高税收、严苛监管、高房价的资本与劳动力红利 | | **金融基础设施** | **TXSE（得州证券交易所）** 今夏开门鸣钟；纽交所、纳斯达克设立得州分支 | 挑战传统华尔街金融中心垄断地位，建立本土上市通道 | | **能源与 AI 算力** | 传统油气暴利与绿色新能源齐头并进；预计今年承建全美 **40%** 的大型公用事业级光伏 | 地形广阔平坦适合光伏开发；充沛能源无缝承接全美 AI 数据中心狂潮 | 节目的尾声洋溢着轻松的调侃，主播们聊起彭博社名记 Joe Weisenthal 在蓝调/乡村乐队演出的业余生活，打趣要在演播室的木条墙（Slat Wall）前架上一支 Shure SM7B 麦克风，给他办一场类似 NPR Tiny Desk 的吉他“不插电”弹唱现场。最后，两位主持人呼吁听众在 Apple Podcasts 与 Spotify 留下五星好评，并预告明日 TBPN 将开启重头戏直播——在大屏幕上实时追踪见证备受万众瞩目的 SpaceX 敲钟挂牌上市（IPO）。 ## Notable quotes > [00:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=2s) 大概全天下只有贝索斯能做到 > [01:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=93s) empower engineers and make innovation easier and faster — 杰夫·贝索斯 > [09:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=575s) 普罗米修斯这个名字带着某种疯狂的名实决定论（nominal determinism） > [12:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=727s) TSA 现在可能已经封神了（TSA might be goated） — Jordi Hays > [14:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=866s) 如果你一生中没有至少 10% 的概率错过航班，说明你卡时间卡得不够紧，本质上是在浪费生命。 — John Coogan > [14:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=866s) 在钟表厂里疯狂打螺丝（locked in at the clock factory） — John Coogan > [16:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=994s) 总有一天我们会选出一名游戏玩家总统 — John Coogan > [18:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1101s) 我总觉得自己置身于图书馆，客人们动不动就冲着别人‘嘘’个不停，甚至投来鄙视的目光。 — Emma Wallbridge > [21:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1311s) 如果是埃隆，他会怎么做？埃隆会在拿到批准前先把火箭立在发射架上，追问最核心的瓶颈是什么，然后以狂热的紧迫感亲手摧毁这些瓶颈。 — Ty Morse > [21:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1311s) 狂热的紧迫感（A maniacal sense of urgency）是我们的行动信条。 — Ty Morse > [24:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8&t=1440s) 刚以为能让他爱上田纳西，我本该明白绝不能带他回阿比林（Abilene） — Ella Langley ## Mentioned Jeff Bezos, John Coogan, Jordi Hays, Prometheus, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Wall Street Journal, Travis Kalanick, Brian Armstrong, Vlad Tenev, Brian Chesky, Goodyear, SendCutSend, AIG, Chipotle, CBRE, Reddit, MicroStrategy, TSA, David Lee, Cassie Yang, Emma Wallbridge, Jordan Wallbridge, Gameway, Portal Lounge, Ty Morse, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, ExxonMobil, The Economist, Ella Langley, Tesla, Caterpillar, TXSE, NYSE, NASDAQ, Donald Trump, Joe Weisenthal, SpaceX ## Video description Sign up for TBPN’s daily newsletter at TBPN.com Diet TBPN delivers the best of today’s TBPN episode in 30 minutes. TBPN is a live tech talk show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, streaming weekdays 11–2 PT on X and YouTube, with each episode posted to podcast platforms right after. Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” the show has recently featured Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella. TBPN is made possible by: Ramp - https://ramp.com Public - https://public.com Cisco - https://www.cisco.com Console - https://www.console.com CrowdStrike - https://www.crowdstrike.com Figma - https://www.figma.com MongoDB - https://www.mongodb.com NYSE - https://www.nyse.com Railway - https://railway.com Shopify - https://www.shopify.com/ Follow TBPN: https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive Chapters: 00:00 Bezos’ Prometheus, $12B Raise + AI Labor Optimism 12:07 Gamer Airport Lounges, TSA Praise + Travel Math 19:11 Trucking Slump Ends + Freight Rates Rebound 21:51 Ty Morse Builds Set #2 for Elon + Podcast Meta Story 24:04 Texas as America’s New Center of Gravity + Space IPO Tease [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDwkPeMwS8)

[0:02] 大概全天下只有贝索斯能做到 [1:33] 杰夫·贝索斯: empower engineers and make innovation easier and faster [9:35] 普罗米修斯这个名字带着某种疯狂的名实决定论（nominal determinism） [12:07] Jordi Hays: TSA 现在可能已经封神了（TSA might be goated） [14:26] John Coogan: 如果你一生中没有至少 10% 的概率错过航班，说明你卡时间卡得不够紧，本质上是在浪费生命。 [14:26] John Coogan: 在钟表厂里疯狂打螺丝（locked in at the clock factory） [16:34] John Coogan: 总有一天我们会选出一名游戏玩家总统 [18:21] Emma Wallbridge: 我总觉得自己置身于图书馆，客人们动不动就冲着别人‘嘘’个不停，甚至投来鄙视的目光。 [21:51] Ty Morse: 如果是埃隆，他会怎么做？埃隆会在拿到批准前先把火箭立在发射架上，追问最核心的瓶颈是什么，然后以狂热的紧迫感亲手摧毁这些瓶颈。 [21:51] Ty Morse: 狂热的紧迫感（A maniacal sense of urgency）是我们的行动信条。 [24:00] Ella Langley: 刚以为能让他爱上田纳西，我本该明白绝不能带他回阿比林（Abilene）

[7:32] AI's advances have paved the way for a multitude of golden ages, not just one, happening simultaneously. This is the best time to start a company. [15:24] Before I go to the airport, I am literally locked in at the clock factory... making clocks clock by clock. [21:51] Ty Morse: For the past three months, I've been asking myself the simple question: What would Elon do?... A maniacal sense of urgency is our operating principle.

[0:02] Bezos is getting very serious about the [0:06] AI game. 12 billion dollars raised for [0:09] Prometheus. [0:11] Uh it's just been six months since he [0:13] emerged from stealth with 6.2 billion in [0:16] funding. The industrial AI startup as [0:19] they're calling it raised another 12 [0:20] billion in series B. It's just a [0:23] thousand times bigger than a normal [0:25] series A and a series B. You used to go [0:27] from 6 million series A 12 million [0:29] series B. Now it's uh 6 billion series A [0:33] 6 12 billion series B. Serious dollars. [0:36] But AI is expensive. The valuation 41 [0:39] billion. Back in November there was very [0:41] little disclosed about Prometheus. We [0:42] wrote about it a little. There was some [0:44] uh some speculation on the time [0:46] >> 41 [0:47] >> 41 billion bigger than what's a $40 [0:52] billion company. And this is a business [0:54] that is buying existing companies. [0:57] >> That's the thing. We don't really know. [0:58] We don't really know. But it's a lot of [0:59] money. Could be buying companies and [1:01] trying to transform them. [1:02] >> Well, being able to raise that much [1:04] capital to buy businesses with that [1:05] little dilution is a pretty remarkable [1:08] feat that pretty much only Jeff Bezos [1:10] could pull off. [1:11] >> Yeah. So the Wall Street Journal has [1:12] some more details and uh mostly it just [1:15] gives you takes you a little bit more [1:16] inside the mind of Jeff Bezos and uh [1:19] where he's thinking like how he's [1:21] thinking about the shape of the AI [1:22] impact. The headline is very clear. [1:24] Bezos bats down AI job loss fears while [1:28] launching new venture new startup [1:30] Prometheus seeks to build an artificial [1:33] general engineer. [clears throat] [1:35] Age G is the new buzzword. You thought [1:38] we were at We thought we were running [1:40] out of them. We got AI, Agi, ASI, RSI, [1:46] >> AI, FDE, personal super intelligence, [1:50] meta super intelligence, TBD, uh, [1:53] continual learning, [snorts] [1:55] >> standard intelligence. [1:57] >> Yep. [1:57] >> Irregular intelligence. [1:59] >> Standard ineffable intelligence. [2:00] >> The irregular intelligent, the regular [2:02] super intelligence company [2:04] >> of the dog patch. [2:05] >> The dog, [laughter] [2:06] >> something like that. Uh but artificial [2:09] gen general engineer is the new phrase [2:11] the new term and he wants it to be able [2:13] to design and manufacture complex [2:15] physical products. So Jeff Bezos expects [2:18] artificial intelligence to create a [2:20] labor shortage in the economy. [2:23] Interesting. There's some correlation [2:25] between like liquid net worth and and [2:28] and your and your projection optimism [2:31] >> employment, right? Yeah. Uh so he [2:34] expects a labor shortage, rejecting [2:35] fears that fast evolving technology will [2:38] put humans out of work as he launches a [2:40] new venture aimed at making engineers [2:42] more productive. The billionaire founder [2:44] of Amazon.com and don't forget Blue [2:46] Origin is co-leading a new AI business [2:48] called Prometheus, which plans to build [2:50] an artificial general engineer that can [2:53] design and manufacture complex physical [2:55] products such as a jet engine. He said [2:57] in an interview that the company's goal [2:59] is to quote empower engineers and make [3:02] innovation easier and faster. So smaller [3:05] teams can do much bigger things on much [3:07] shorter time cycles. That'd be good. It [3:10] takes forever to build a jet engine. It [3:12] takes forever to build a plane. We've [3:13] talked to multiple founders that have [3:15] been trying to build new plane designs [3:17] for decades and haven't really been able [3:19] to scale them up. Although they've made [3:20] incredible gains in traction and demos, [3:23] actually getting new planes on the [3:25] runway safely approved has been far too [3:29] long. If AI speeds it up by 10%, that's [3:32] like years. It's crazy. The Amazon and [3:34] Blue Origin co-founder joins a group of [3:37] longtime technology leaders that have [3:38] jumped into the AI frey. You got Uber [3:40] co-founder Travis Kalanick, Coinbase [3:42] co-founder Brian Armstrong, Robin Hood [3:44] co-founder Vlad Tenev, also uh Brian [3:47] Chesky over at Airbnb. Uh these folks [3:49] are all building new companies around [3:51] the AI boom among others. Prometheus [3:54] which said it is valued at about $41 [3:56] billion has raised 12 billion from [3:58] investors including Bezos, JP Morgan, [4:00] Chase, Goldman Sachs and Black Rockck [4:01] went straight to the big banks. [4:03] >> Yeah. [4:04] >> Like the invest VCs are just like Yeah. [4:07] Like [4:07] >> Yeah. I mean there's another world where [4:09] doing six on 40 billion is just like [4:13] your IPO totally. [4:14] >> Yeah. That is IPO numbers. [4:16] >> That's Yeah, that's a crazy amount of [4:17] money. Yeah. You got to go to the banks [4:18] for this. Uh they've hired 150 people [4:20] across San Francisco, London, and [4:22] Zurich. Interesting. Despite Silicon [4:25] Valley's enthusiasm, enthusiasm for AI's [4:27] promise, the broader population has [4:28] become very wary, fearing widespread job [4:32] losses. Some of the pessimism about AI [4:35] among young people is the opposite of [4:37] reality, Bezos said. And we've been [4:39] seeing this in the jobs numbers like the [4:40] job the economy is running hot, [4:42] inflation is high, but also unemployment [4:44] is very low, lower than expected. We're [4:47] adding a lot of jobs. AI will mean fewer [4:49] workers are needed in jobs that exist [4:51] today, but it will also create far more [4:53] opportunities and increase productivity. [4:55] He said that's a very white pilling [4:58] statement. Bezos argued that if AI makes [5:00] it cheaper, faster, and easier to invent [5:02] things, employment will ultimately rise [5:04] because even though you're shrinking the [5:06] number of people needed by 10x, the [5:08] technology will create more than 10x as [5:10] many opportunities. And he certainly saw [5:12] that with Amazon. The number of, you [5:14] know, store workers in physical retail [5:17] stores probably shrunk, but the number [5:18] of entrepreneurs building products, [5:20] selling them on Amazon in and around the [5:22] Amazon ecosystem, not just in the [5:24] warehouse, but in the broader Amazon [5:25] ecosystem probably increased. And uh we [5:28] certainly saw that in the broad job [5:30] numbers in uh in the United States. Like [5:32] the labor market has grown unequivocally [5:35] since 1999. We've added jobs all over [5:38] the place. uh as people have shifted [5:40] around, there's going to be two earner [5:41] income households where one earner drops [5:43] out of the labor pool because there's [5:45] going to be so much productivity. He [5:47] said that's an interesting take. He's [5:49] saying that uh there's going to be so [5:51] much more productivity that some some [5:52] people will choose not to work. And of [5:54] course, that won't necessarily show up [5:56] in the unemployment rate because the [5:58] unemployment rate only measures people [5:59] that are actively looking for jobs. So [6:01] you could have a world where the [6:03] workforce is shrinking in terms of the [6:05] number of people that have typical jobs [6:07] is declining but the unemployment rate [6:10] is also very low because you have more [6:13] single earner households, one person [6:15] working making more than enough money to [6:17] support the whole family. sort of an [6:19] older school mindset hearkens back to uh [6:23] you know the the maybe apocryphal [6:26] stories about the mid 20th century but [6:29] uh certainly an optimistic view [6:31] nonetheless. [6:32] >> Yeah, it's notable uh neat levels have [6:35] been rising since 2021. [6:37] >> That's not employed in education or [6:40] training training [6:41] >> not in employment. [6:42] >> Uh so that trend started well before [6:45] >> the current AI paradigm. Yeah, [6:48] >> but wouldn't be surprised if it [6:50] continues hopefully for the reasons that [6:52] Bezos is talking about. I think there's [6:55] going to be a lot of focus on his summer [6:56] plans, John. I think there's going to be [6:58] more scrutiny than ever. You know, this [7:00] is a guy that uh can hardly jet around [7:04] the Mediterranean on a big boat without [7:07] being photog photographed every single [7:08] day. True. [7:09] >> And this was prior to these backto-back, [7:11] you know, multi-billion dollar rounds. [7:13] >> And so going into the summer, I think [7:15] people are going to be paying extra [7:16] attention, right? Is he doing [7:18] back-to-back days at the beach club or [7:20] is he keeping it to a 4hour window on [7:23] Saturday, [7:24] >> locking back in by Saturday night, [7:26] getting a good night's sleep, [7:28] >> spending his Sunday, you know, preparing [7:30] for the for the coming week, right? [7:32] >> He does have a co-CEO. Maybe they've [7:33] split it up. Most people would think [7:35] co-CEO is like they're both involved in [7:37] every decision. Maybe it's more of like [7:38] a he takes the winter and fall quarters [7:41] and the other co-CEO takes the summer [7:44] and spring. Like if you divide it up [7:46] that way, no one's ever tried that with [7:48] a co-CEO. Just like you run the company [7:50] for six months, then I run the company [7:52] for six months, and you're completely [7:54] off on vacation. Maybe. [7:56] >> Yeah. Yeah. The alternative is, you [7:57] know, Bezos would say like Friday from [8:00] 700 p.m. [8:01] >> until 2 am on Saturday. I'm not going to [8:04] be super available, super online. [8:07] >> Uh and then also from 2 a.m. till till [8:09] around 11:00 a.m. I I'll be fully fully [8:12] offline. [8:13] >> Okay. Um, then there's about a 1 hour [8:15] window on Saturday where you can take [8:16] like a lunch break, do whatever you need [8:18] to do. But then from 100 p.m. until 2 [8:21] a.m. Sunday, I'm going to be offline [8:24] again. Uh, but back, you know, [8:26] >> maybe if you're Coco, you should just do [8:27] I I'm CEO of TBPN on the odd hours and [8:31] you're on the even hours. [8:32] >> And so if there's a big [8:34] >> secret to non-stop productivity, [8:37] >> interace them. Interlace them. Yeah. So, [8:39] oh, it's 3:00 a.m. Call Jordy. Oh, it's [8:41] 4 a.m. Call John. co-CEO is working out. [8:44] They held talks to raise a hundred [8:45] billion dollar fund, which is a lot of [8:48] money. We'll talk about SpaceX in a bit, [8:49] but SpaceX is looking for 70 billion and [8:52] it's a huge business with so much [8:55] attention. This is an entirely new thing [8:57] and they want to put a hundred billion [8:58] to work. But of course, Bezos has plenty [9:00] of money and to backs stop it, anchor [9:02] it, do whatever he needs, and he has [9:04] massive connections. Uh so the Wall [9:05] Street Journal reported this and they [9:07] said the goal was with that fund to [9:09] acquire manufacturing businesses and [9:12] deploy AI across their operations. And [9:14] remember we did that whole list of like [9:15] what could they actually buy for a [9:18] hundred billion dollars? What would be a [9:19] good buy? Um and there were some very [9:22] interesting like you could buy like [9:23] Goodyear for example and work on tire [9:25] manufacturing. And I think I was wrong [9:26] in all my predictions but uh it was an [9:28] interesting exercise to to just take a [9:30] little tour of the American [9:32] manufacturing. My my read on it is some [9:35] combination of like a foundation model [9:37] that allows you to generate full product [9:41] full full products basically like [9:43] product specs designs etc to high [9:46] fidelity. [9:46] >> Yeah. [9:47] >> And then something like a send cut send [9:49] style infrastructure where you can just [9:51] make that product on the fly. [9:53] >> Yeah. [9:53] >> Uh and get it delivered. [9:54] >> Yeah. And that is the moment we're in [9:56] right now where on your computer you can [9:58] make at least an image of anything you [10:00] want in the entire world. But then there [10:03] hasn't been that much of a speed up on [10:05] the other side, right? And so closing [10:06] the loop there is going to be very [10:08] [clears throat] very cool. [10:09] >> This company Prometheus is bigger than [10:10] AIG, the insurance company. Bigger than [10:13] Chipotle, bigger than CBRE, the real [10:16] estate. [10:16] >> Are you on companiescap.com, John? [10:18] >> I'm not I'm on bigger than BYU. Wow. [10:22] [laughter] [10:23] Uh that is that is crazy. [10:25] >> John, do you think that they're gonna be [10:26] punished for their hub hubris and [10:28] chained [10:29] >> for eternity with with a [10:30] >> the nominal determinism of Prometheus is [10:32] sort of crazy, right? Yeah. [10:35] >> But [10:35] >> chain up for eternity. Eagle comes, eats [10:37] his liver every day. [10:38] >> Isn't Prometheus like the third time an [10:41] AI company has done this? Because there [10:42] was the Prometheus data center at Meta [10:44] and then [10:44] >> there was a company called Icorus too. [10:46] >> Icarus. Yeah, I got in trouble for that [10:48] one because I was talking to a New [10:49] Yorker reporter about that [laughter] [10:51] and and sort of overstepped a little bit [10:54] because I was like, they have a great [10:55] team. I'm rooting for them, but [10:56] [laughter] [10:58] >> So, I think we need another company [10:59] named Hercules, right? Could because [11:00] Hercules saves Prometheus. [11:03] >> He frees him from the chains. [11:04] >> Okay. [11:04] >> But then, uh, a company called Hercules. [11:07] That's a good company name. I like that [11:09] one. [11:09] >> Yeah, that's chat. But, uh, yeah. So if [11:11] raised it would be the large the latest [11:13] in a series of investors buying [11:14] established companies and using AI to [11:16] improve productivity and margins. We've [11:17] seen a couple of these funds uh roll out [11:19] the AI rollups AI modernization private [11:22] equity firms. Obviously private equity [11:23] firms themselves are doing this. Um but [11:25] no one's come in with a hundred billion [11:27] dollars. You're in a completely [11:29] different tier from uh all the other [11:31] companies that are doing this. AI's [11:33] advances have paved the way for co quote [11:36] a multitude of golden ages not just one [11:40] happening simultaneously. Bezos said he [11:42] said this is the best time to start a [11:44] company. I love the optimism. [11:45] >> Crazy you can buy strategy micro [11:48] strategy and uh Prometheus are roughly [11:52] the same value the same uh as well as [11:54] >> micro strategy is in a in sort of a [11:56] rough spot right isn't bitcoin down. [11:58] >> No it's a good it's I mean it's an [11:59] interesting it's an interesting bet [12:00] right. What do you want to what do you [12:01] want to buy? What do you want to own at [12:02] at 41 billion? [12:04] >> Yeah, [12:04] >> Micro Strategy is at 42 technically. [12:06] >> Yeah, you could buy Reddit. That's 33 [12:09] billion. Uh anyway, um the next story we [12:13] got to talk about is gamers are rising [12:15] up. Gamers are rising up. You heard that [12:17] the government was trying to put gyms in [12:19] airports. Well, the gamers had something [12:21] to say. They're pushing back. Airport [12:23] lounges are catering to gamers. The [12:26] airport lounge is where video games are [12:28] more important than drinks. Travelers [12:30] can kill time, play everything from [12:31] Mario Kart to Minecraft before their [12:33] flight. We got to do this. Get a little [12:35] rust going next time we're flying. [12:37] >> Before we dive into this, has uh has TSA [12:40] gotten like better, more consistent? [12:43] >> I have a hot take on this. I think TSA [12:45] might be goated. [12:45] >> I think they're pretty dialing. I think [12:47] it's good. [12:48] >> Out of the last maybe 30 flights, I have [12:52] not waited more than 30 minutes. Yeah. [12:54] In a in a security line. [12:56] >> Yeah. And [12:57] >> and that makes [12:58] >> like commercials obviously still um [13:02] >> uh [13:03] >> torture [13:03] >> torture. [13:04] >> It's sort of a it's sort of a punishment [13:07] >> humiliation ritual. But that being said, [13:10] being able to plan on a 30-minute [13:12] security line makes commercial travel [13:15] >> uh pretty [13:17] >> I mean it was the butt of every [13:19] comedian's joke because it's so [13:21] universal. Everyone's been through TSA. [13:23] It's very slow. Take your shoes off. [13:24] There's a million little places for [13:26] comedy gold that's highly related. [13:28] >> Don't have to take your shoes off. Don't [13:29] have to even take your laptop out. [13:31] >> No, it's it's getting back. And there's [13:34] like I mean I guess it's getting more [13:35] surveillency because they take a photo [13:36] of you like 17 times on the way through. [13:39] >> You can refuse that though. [13:40] >> You can you can just say no. [13:42] >> Nick Nick does that. You can just say [13:43] no. [13:43] >> Say no. But then don't you just say they [13:46] don't they used to about I would I I [13:48] will say about two years ago they would [13:50] tell you more frequently like it's [13:52] optional. It's optional. Now they're [13:54] just like photo now. Okay. And you can [13:57] read the text and it says opt out. [13:59] >> Okay. Can you opt out of the whole [14:00] thing? Is it all just like a high agency [14:02] test? You can just be like, actually, I [14:03] just want to go around. I don't even [14:04] want to go through the metal detector. [14:05] And they're like, yeah, right this way, [14:06] sir. No one's ever thought to break out [14:08] of the matrix, but you reached the final [14:09] level. You reached based reality. Good [14:12] job. Continue. [14:13] >> No, but but truly being able to plan on [14:15] it's going to take me like 30 minutes to [14:16] get through. you can like comfortably [14:18] show up 45 minutes before your flight [14:22] and reliable make it every time. [14:23] >> Every time. Every time. [14:24] >> Which means that you're pushing it even [14:26] more to the [14:27] >> Oftent times I will be getting through [14:29] security. [14:30] >> Yeah. Yeah. [14:30] >> And John will text text and be like just [14:33] got in my car. I'll be there. I'll be [14:36] parking in 45 minutes. [laughter] [14:38] And I'm like I thought I was cutting it [14:40] a little bit close. But mandate of [14:42] heaven, you always make you always make [14:43] it. [14:43] >> I always make it. And if you're not [14:45] missing flights at least like 10% of the [14:48] time, you're actually you're not cutting [14:51] it close enough. Like you have to be [14:53] taking some level of risk or else you're [14:55] just wasting time. [14:56] >> No. [14:57] >> Yes. [14:58] >> No. Because often often times [15:00] >> if you went to an investor and you were [15:01] like your goal is to never invest in a [15:03] company that goes down. Oh, you're a VC. [15:05] Uh but your but your but if you get a [15:07] single zero in your portfolio, you can [15:09] never invest ever again. Would you do [15:11] that? No way. No way. No way. [15:14] >> I'm not I'm not engaging. [15:16] >> No way. So you you're going to have some [15:18] zeros in your portfolio. You're going to [15:19] miss some flights, but on average your [15:22] DPI is going to be quite good, [15:24] >> which is [15:24] >> No, but comparing Yeah. Yeah. Comparing [15:27] some comparing that. [15:28] >> This is where this is where the argument [15:29] goes. I can just have as much fun as the [15:31] at the airport. So I don't mind showing [15:33] up 5 hours early. [15:34] >> No, no, but okay. If you miss your [15:36] flight and then the next flight is like [15:37] 3 hours. [15:38] >> Yeah. Yeah. [15:39] >> Then like [15:40] >> Yes. It doesn't it doesn't math out [15:41] because like if you just get to your [15:42] flight 10 minutes like a little bit [15:45] earlier. Yeah. Then it'll like match [15:47] like I don't think it makes sense. [15:48] >> So So basically like like let's say I [15:50] fly once a week and I save an hour with [15:53] my strategy. That's 50 hours a year and [15:55] I only miss one hour. I save I save [15:58] three hours. [15:59] >> And you're not you're not like saving [16:01] the time. [16:02] >> I am. I am. You were probably you were [16:04] probably at at your just like having [16:06] another coffee at the hotel and or [16:09] having a conversation that you could [16:10] just have. [16:11] >> No, I was literally [16:14] before I go to the airport, I am [16:16] literally locked in at the clock [16:18] factory. Okay. I'm locked [laughter] in [16:20] at the clock factory. I'm being the most [16:22] productive I've ever been and making [16:24] clocks. [16:24] >> I'm making [laughter] clocks clock by [16:27] clock. And And you think that that [16:29] time's useless? [16:30] >> Well, okay. Now you can be gaming at the [16:32] airport. You should be getting there way [16:34] early. [16:34] >> I should get there. [laughter] [16:35] I should get if I want a prestige on [16:37] COD, I should get there maybe like 72 [16:40] hours. [16:41] >> Yeah, John, you're just like, "Yeah, I [16:42] got to get up at 2 a.m. this [laughter] [16:44] morning." Like, "I got like a I got a [16:46] super early flight." They're like, "Oh, [16:47] what time is your flight?" Like 11 a.m. [16:49] >> 11 a.m. Like, [16:51] >> yeah. Oh, is this a coincidence? GTA 6 [16:53] dropped and you're going to the airport [16:54] 10 hours early. Well, now you can [16:56] because airport lounges are starting to [16:58] cater to gamers. Gamers are the most [17:00] important constituency. We're gonna have [17:02] a gamer president one day. The first [17:04] thing that David Lee and Cassie Yang [17:06] noticed when they popped into the new [17:08] lounge in Terminal 1 at Minneapolis [17:11] Minneapolis St. Paul International [17:13] Airport on Friday wasn't a robot [17:14] bartender, which they have apparently. I [17:17] I believe Ben will be traveling through [17:19] Minneapolis St. Paul. We should give him [17:21] a little gaming challenge. See if he can [17:23] see if he can get to Prestige on COD [17:25] before he hits his flight. It was [17:27] something only parents in this digital [17:29] device era could appreciate. Unfettered [17:31] access to their phones. Their kids, [17:34] eight and 12, were busy playing Mario [17:36] Kart and Crash Bandicoot at the loung's [17:38] video game stations to come and deer [17:40] their phones for some pre-flight screen [17:43] time. The Portal Lounge is by design not [17:45] your grandfather's airport lounge. Yes, [17:48] there is a small buffet and bartenders, [17:50] robot and real that pour that lounge [17:53] libation staple, an old-fashioned. The [17:56] focus is on entertainment, their gaming. [17:59] It's the latest concept from a husband [18:01] and wife team on a mission to amp up [18:03] airport downtime. Emma and Jordan [18:05] Wallbridge with backgrounds in hotels [18:07] and medical device sales, respectively, [18:09] opened their first airport video game [18:10] lounge at Dallas Fort Worth [18:12] International Airport in 20 2018 called [18:15] Gameway. There are now 11 of them at [18:17] airports across the country and two more [18:19] due to open this year. Portal in [18:21] Minneapolis is the latest iteration of [18:23] concept with a few more bells and [18:24] whistles. They zeroed in on video games [18:27] after regularly visiting lounges on [18:28] business trips and finding them too [18:30] stayed. I always felt like I was in a [18:31] library, Emma says, uh, with some guests [18:34] slushing others and throwing shushing [18:36] others and throwing. I'm not going to [18:37] lie, this picture makes me feel like I'm [18:39] a television screen. [18:41] >> Oh, because they're looking at you like [18:42] you're [18:43] >> with the control. [18:44] >> You're the game. Yeah. Interesting. [18:46] >> I think this is going to be more [18:47] successful than like the whole airport [18:49] gyms movement. [18:50] >> I think so. Like the the every once in a [18:53] while somebody will post online, why [18:56] don't airports have gyms? There's been a [18:59] few moments where it would been nice to [19:00] have a gym, but imagine a world where [19:03] even just 5% of your flight [19:05] >> had just gotten off of an hour on the [19:07] treadmill. [19:08] >> Yeah. [19:08] >> And was getting on sweaty. [19:10] >> Pretty brutal. [19:10] >> Pretty heavy. Some heavy breathing going [19:12] on. [19:13] >> I don't know. But it's also trucking [19:15] season. The four-year US trucking slump [19:18] is officially over, says the Wall Street [19:20] Journal. It's over at last. Truckers who [19:23] held on through almost four years of [19:26] slumping freight rates finally have [19:29] something to celebrate. It feels like a [19:31] breath there for an industry that maybe [19:33] felt like they were running out of air. [19:35] Trucking executives are calling an end [19:38] to one of the longest freight downturns [19:40] in carriers memory. They say rates have [19:42] risen to more sustainable levels after a [19:44] period of low earnings coupled with [19:46] Trump administration crackdowns on [19:47] immigrant drivers pushed many carriers [19:49] out of the market. The logistic managers [19:51] index, a monthly survey of supply chain [19:54] managers showed transportation prices [19:56] increased in May at the fastest rate for [19:59] any metric in the report's 10-year [20:01] history. So if you scroll down, yeah, [20:03] that chart is crazy. Um, so good news [20:05] for the truckers. Of course, this is [20:06] going to push up, you know, prices and [20:08] inflation potentially, but uh it is good [20:11] to have a healthy trucking industry, a [20:14] healthy drive van spot rate, which I'm [20:16] sure you've been following intently. Uh [20:18] drive van spot rates for the week of [20:20] June were up 5,200 basis points. [20:24] >> Let's go. [20:25] >> 52% year-over-year, excluding fuel s [20:28] charges, according to a report. So the [20:32] fuel prices get passed through but the [20:34] economy is doing well and so prices for [20:38] uh dry van spot rates are increasing. Uh [20:41] as he said because the stronger freight [20:43] market over the last uh few months the [20:44] nationwide company is increasing its [20:46] fleet of more than 10,500 trucks and [20:49] expanding its pool of about 11,000 [20:52] drivers. [20:53] >> What is driving this? This has been a [20:56] supply driven freight recovery as [20:58] opposed to a demanddriven freight [21:01] recovery. Turnaround comes after four [21:03] years in which carriers have been [21:04] squeezed by a combination of too many [21:06] trucks on the road and not enough loads. [21:08] Drivers rushed into the industry during [21:10] the pandemic. So, there was a boom in [21:12] online ordering, shipping, all the [21:14] different things that happened during [21:15] COVID. Uh, consumer demand drove freight [21:18] rates to record highs. Rates plummeted [21:20] in 2022, forcing hundreds of thousands [21:23] of smaller carriers out of business. [21:24] Many truckers held on even as costs for [21:26] drivers equipment and insurance rose. [21:28] The exodus accelerated over the past [21:31] year. Um, and trucking specialists say [21:33] the industry has finally found an [21:34] equilibrium where the supply of trucks [21:36] is low enough to lift rates, which will [21:39] of course bring more trucks into the [21:41] market and rates will adjust, of course, [21:42] but higher fuel prices due to the war [21:45] have pushed up trucking companies [21:46] expenses, but operators are largely [21:48] passing along those costs to their [21:50] customers. [21:51] >> Uh, we have some breaking news. [21:52] >> What's the breaking news? Uh, Ty Morris [21:54] says, "On Saturday, we finished [21:56] construction of set number two." [21:58] >> Set number two. [22:00] >> Uh, so Tai had built a set for his [22:03] interview with Elon Musk. [22:04] >> Yes. [22:05] >> Uh, it sounds like they built it in a [22:08] place that they weren't they were only [22:09] able to occupy for this week. [22:11] >> Seven days next to one hour notice [22:14] >> and that was on June 6th. [22:16] >> This is gripping. This is a trending [22:18] story on X. Uh he says, "For the past [22:21] three months, I've been asking myself [22:23] the simple question. What would Elon [22:24] do?" Elon would build the rocket and put [22:26] on put it on the launch stand. Before he [22:28] got approval, he would ask, "What's the [22:29] biggest bottleneck to achieving my [22:31] mission?" And then go about [22:33] systematically undoing the bottlenecks [22:35] until he and his team had made the [22:37] impossible happen. A maniacal sense of [22:40] urgency is our operating principle. And [22:43] so he has built yet another set that I [22:46] think can last a full month. and [22:49] hopefully he lands the interview. He's [22:51] incredibly pumped up for this and the [22:53] meta story of him building this set has [22:57] done better than most podcasts. [23:01] There's more views on [23:03] >> John. I want to read the summary of the [23:06] book about the story of Tai Morris [23:09] getting Elon on his podcast. like 7,500 [23:13] people, two million people watch the [23:16] video about the set. And so you do have [23:19] this a dynamic where the meta story is [23:22] more interesting or like it's by default [23:25] more interesting because the interview [23:26] hasn't actually happened. But there are [23:27] plenty of Elon interviews at this point [23:29] like he does a lot of interviews uh that [23:31] don't go super viral. Like he did this [23:33] interview with Jamie Diamond and I think [23:34] that's fully recorded. I think you can [23:36] just search it and watch it. But uh I [23:39] don't know that that's something that [23:40] like everyone in tech saw and everyone [23:43] in tech talked about. But this is a [23:45] story people are talking about the meta [23:47] story and uh people love to see bold [23:49] moves. People love to see uh building [23:52] and all these crazy things and [23:54] risktaking and all of that is on display [23:56] and so Tai Morris is getting a lot of [23:58] attention. So good luck to him. [24:00] >> Godspeed Ty. Texas is America's new [24:03] center of gravity, says the economist. [24:06] Exxon's reincorporation. [24:08] They were in Texas, they left Texas, [24:10] they went back to Texas. There's one [24:12] more feather in the state's cowboy hat, [24:14] says the economist. This is a hilarious, [24:17] hilarious song lyric. Just when I [24:19] thought I got him to fall in love with [24:21] Tennessee, I should have known better [24:24] than to take him back to Abalene. [24:26] Abalene, Texas. They were singing about [24:29] uh data centers in Ella Langley's [24:31] Choosen Texas, a song that has ranked [24:34] near the top of America's music charts [24:36] throughout 2026. Some of those listens [24:38] may be coming from policy makers [24:40] elsewhere in the country. Much like Miss [24:41] Langley, they are ch they are losing to [24:43] Texas. On May 27th, Exxon Mobile [24:46] shareholders approved a plan to cut the [24:48] oil giants ties with New Jersey and [24:50] reinccorporate in Texas where it has [24:52] long had its headquarters. It's not [24:55] alone. According to CBRE, a property [24:57] firm, at least 140 184 companies shifted [25:00] their headquarters to Austin, Dallas, or [25:02] Houston between 2020 and 2025. Among [25:06] them, Tesla, a car company, and [25:07] Caterpillar, a a maker of construction [25:10] equipment. Texas is steadily [25:11] establishing itself as America's [25:13] America, Inc.'s new center of gravity. [25:16] No state receives more business [25:17] investment or is adding more people to [25:20] its population. From 2020 to 2025, it [25:23] created roughly a fifth of all net new [25:25] jobs in the country. [25:26] >> Wow. [25:27] >> In early 20 in the early 2020s, Texas [25:30] was luring remote workers, fleeing high [25:32] taxes, exorbitant house prices, and bad [25:34] policies in America's coastal [25:36] metropolises while benefiting from the [25:38] Biden administration subsidies for green [25:40] energy and chipmaking facilities. Now, [25:41] the state's dominance in energy has made [25:43] it a major major beneficiary of the data [25:45] center boom. Meanwhile, its technology [25:47] and finance ecosystems have been [25:48] deepening. This summer, it will ring its [25:51] first standalone burst. The Texas Stock [25:54] Exchange, joining outposts of the New [25:57] York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, already [25:59] operating in the state. Donald Trump has [26:01] called the New York Stock Exchange's new [26:04] branch an unbelievably bad thing for his [26:07] hometown of New York, even if his social [26:10] media venture was the first business to [26:12] list on it. So that's a very funny [26:13] thing. But you know he he was obviously [26:15] giving that in the context of like New [26:17] York is defined by its exchanges and uh [26:20] and in the context of just New York the [26:22] city uh losing out to Texas or New York [26:25] State losing out to Texas in any way is [26:27] bad for that state. I suppose the [26:30] state's appeal is to Yep. Uh to Yep is [26:32] growing with every stream of a country [26:35] song. I've been listening to a lot of [26:36] country songs. Joe Weisenthal plays in a [26:38] country band. Blues band. [26:39] >> People ask uh dream guest. Yeah. [26:42] >> And I tell dream performance. [26:44] >> Oh yeah. [26:45] >> Joe Wisthal acoustic set. If you [26:48] >> unplugged [26:49] >> unplugged [26:50] >> tiny desk. [26:51] >> The tiny [26:51] >> tiny [26:52] >> tiny desk. What if we set him up with a [26:54] slat wall set? [26:55] >> We got to get Roger from Kanye Nast. He [26:57] can jam. Got a couple. [26:58] >> Yeah. But a little slat wall. Yeah. Set. [27:01] Yeah. [27:01] >> And he can just play [27:02] >> and an SM7B podcast microphone on the [27:05] guitar. That might be the trick. Might [27:07] be the trick [laughter] [27:09] to understand its ascendancy. Start in [27:11] Houston, heart of the Texan energy [27:14] industry. Its oil and gas barons have [27:16] been raking in profits as a result of [27:17] the Iran war. But over the past years, [27:19] the state has also become a hub for [27:20] green energy. This year, it's expected [27:22] to build two fifths of all utility scale [27:25] solar in America, a technology for which [27:28] its wide open flatlands are ideal. [27:31] Interesting. Anyway, leave us five stars [27:33] on Apple Podcast and Spotify. Sign up [27:34] for our newsletter at tbpi.com and we [27:36] will see you tomorrow for the SpaceX [27:38] IPO. We're going to just be hanging out. [27:41] We're going to have the stock price on [27:43] the big board. [27:44] >> Be fun. [27:44] >> See you tomorrow. [27:45] >> Goodbye. [27:46] >> Throwing flashbang.