PDD Holdings Option Alert: Sep 19 $100 Puts Sweep (11) near the Bid: 999 vs 18905 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] 

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Sep 19 $100 Puts Sweep (11) near the Bid: 999 @ $5.351 vs 18905 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] Ref=$104.96

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Aug 15 $105 Puts Sweep (3) near the Bid: 3633 vs 1221 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] 

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Aug 15 $105 Puts Sweep (3) near the Bid: 3633 @ $5.0 vs 1221 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] Ref=$105.195

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Aug 15 $105 Puts Sweep (55) near the Bid: 1275 vs 1221 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] 

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Aug 15 $105 Puts Sweep (55) near the Bid: 1275 @ $5.046 vs 1221 OI; Earnings 8/25 Before Open [est] Ref=$105.17

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Dec 19 $100 Puts Sweep (55) near the Bid: 1000 vs 5679 OI

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Dec 19 $100 Puts Sweep (55) near the Bid: 1000 @ $10.101 vs 5679 OI; Ref=$100.89

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Jun, 2026 $140 Calls at the Ask: 2546 vs 1611 OI

PDD Holdings Option Alert: Jun, 2026 $140 Calls at the Ask: 2546 @ $7.15 vs 1611 OI; Ref=$100.635

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PDD Holdings

PDD Holdings operates commerce businesses in over 80 countries globally. Its main operations are Pinduoduo, a social commerce platform in China, and Temu, a global e-commerce marketplace. PDD also has a community group purchase business in China. PDD has built a network of sourcing, logistics, and fulfillment capabilities that support its underlying businesses.

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PDD Holdings Inc. - American Depositary Shares

PDD Holdings Inc

Elon Musk's Neuralink has been receiving tons of feedback from the deaf community after the tech entrepreneur proposed plans to use <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45160705/elon-musk-says-neuralink-will-ultimately-be-available-to-all-as-fda-grants-breakthrough-status-for-speech-restoring-brain-tech">brain implant technology</a> to restore hearing.
What Happened: Over the weekend, Musk said that Neuralink could eventually restore hearing for people who have experienced total hearing loss since birth, thanks to the device&#8217;s ability to activate brain neurons that process sound.
&#8220;There is a clear path to restoring hearing with a Neuralink, even for someone who has had total loss of hearing since birth, as our device directly activates the neurons in the brain that process sound,&#8221; posted on X, formerly Twitter.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45919464/boeing-faces-fresh-turmoil-as-india-mulls-787-8-grounding-after-fatal-crash-ceo-kelly-cancels-paris-trip-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boeing Faces Fresh Turmoil As India Mulls 787-8 Grounding, Safety Review After Fatal Crash, CEO Kelly Ortberg Cancels Paris Trip: Report</a>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">There is a clear path to restoring hearing with a <a href="https://twitter.com/neuralink?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Neuralink</a>, even for someone who has had total loss of hearing since birth, as our device directly activates the neurons in the brain that process sound <a href="https://t.co/h5CeELct5m">https://t.co/h5CeELct5m</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1939064963257245920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
However, the suggestion sparked an immediate response from the deaf community.
A user, who goes by the handle name @DeafLibertarian, urged Musk to engage with deaf adults before proceeding. "We deserve a say," the user wrote.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Please meet with Deaf adults before moving forward. We deserve a say.
&mdash; Among the Wildflowers (@deaflibertarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/deaflibertarian/status/1939070093021077953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Some other users also supported the call for inclusion, with some voicing concerns about the implications of such technology on deaf culture and identity.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It seems that a lot of the comments here are from people that do not fully understand the deaf/hard of hearing community. Please correct me if I misunderstand what my daughter (who has profound hearing loss) has explained to me. Us hearing people THINK that we are being…
&mdash; &#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8;Fred&#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8;&#x1f1ee;&#x1f1f1;&#x1f1e9;&#x1f1ea; (@FDyroff) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDyroff/status/1939088269586936166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
However, there was also a section of people who said that deaf people have the choice to either get these implants or not, but they cannot decide what the research should be about.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The treatment is something others may want and nobody HAS to get. It's not an attack on her, it's innovation that individuals have a right to try should they choose to.
&mdash; OlgaSayz (@OlgaSayz) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlgaSayz/status/1939297901252948448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Why It&#8217;s Important: Musk's latest comments came after Musk's he revealed during a Y Combinator fireside chat that within the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46020319/elon-musk-says-neuralinks-blindsight-implant-will-help-people-see-radar-infrared-like-a-superpower-ahead-of-human-trial-next-year">next six to twelve months</a>, Neaurlink plan to carry out their first vision implants — aiming to restore sight by interfacing directly with the visual cortex, even for people who are fully blind.
He also mentioned that one of their monkeys involved in testing has had the visual implant for three years.
Meanwhile, Neuralink has also implanted its brain-computer <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46012959/elon-musks-neuralink-implants-brain-chip-in-6th-patient-enables-paralyzed-man-to-move-cursor-play-game-with-his-mind">interface in a sixth person</a>, who was able to control a video game using only their thoughts just a week after the procedure.
Last month, Neuralink secured more than $650 million through its Series E funding round — attracting investors like Cathie Wood's ARK Invest — bringing its current valuation to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45634160/elon-musks-neuralink-hits-9-billion-valuation-with-new-funding">around $9 billion</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Kemarrravv13 on Shutterstock.com
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Health Care

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Elon Musk Says 'Clear Path' To Restoring Hearing With Neuralink, But The Deaf Community Want To Have Their 'Say'

Billionaire investor&nbsp;Bill Ackman&nbsp;called for a federal law requiring protesters to disclose their funding sources while commenting on the anti-immigration protests that rocked Los Angeles earlier this month.
What Happened:&nbsp;In an X post, the Pershing Square Capital Management CEO said that the difference between organic protests and those funded by special interests is significant.
&#8220;Protests can change the course&nbsp;of history, but there is&nbsp;a big difference between an&nbsp;organic protest of volunteers for&nbsp;a cause and protestors paid&nbsp;for by special interests seeking&nbsp;to achieve an objective,&#8221; he argued.
Ackman was responding&nbsp;to a post by Tyler&nbsp;Winklevoss, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, who alleged the protests were not organic but rather &#8220;NGO funded propaganda.&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">It should be a requirement under Federal law that all protests disclose their source of funding. Protests can change the course of history, but there is a big difference between an organic protest of volunteers for a cause, and protestors paid for by special interests seeking… <a href="https://t.co/S80iiLFQqq">https://t.co/S80iiLFQqq</a>
&mdash; Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1939298478330368137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The discussion started after a video surfaced showing officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service announce an investigation into the funding of the riots.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/health-care/25/06/46159226/bill-gates-warns-us-its-not-too-late-to-change-course-as-trump-team-targets-hiv-funding-cuts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bill Gates Warns US &#8216;It&#8217;s Not Too Late To Change Course&#8217; As Trump Team Targets HIV Funding Cuts</a>
Why It Matters: Demonstrations against immigration raids escalated in Los Angeles, leading to large-scale protests. Some of them turned violent.
To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45851810/trump-supports-arrest-of-california-governor-gavin-newsom-as-us-deploys-700-marines-to-los-angeles">quell the agitation</a>, Trump authorized the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines, a move deemed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45830221/gavin-newsom-calls-deployment-of-national-guard-in-los-angeles-unlawful-says-there-was-no-problem-until-trump-got-involved-serious-breach-of-state-sovereignty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breach of state sovereignty</a> by California Governor&nbsp;Gavin Newsom. Newsom asked a federal court to block the Trump administration from using the U.S. military to assist with immigration raids in the city.
More than 30 cases of &#8220;police violence&#8221; against journalists while covering the protests were also reported, according to a Reuters report dated June 12.
Photo Courtesy: Christopher Penler on Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>

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Bill Ackman Demands Funding Disclosure Law After Gemini's Tyler Winklevoss Brands LA Protests 'NGO Funded Propaganda'

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Citigroup analyst George Gianarikas downgraded the rating for Lyft, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LYFT#NASDAQ">LYFT</a>) from Buy to Hold and lowered the price target from $22 to $14. Lyft shares closed at $15.85 on Thursday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AFRM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Canaccord Genuity analyst George Gianarikas downgraded Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>) from Buy to Hold and cut the price target from $90 to $84. Uber shares closed at $93.12 on Thursday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AFRM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Trey Grooms downgraded GMS Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GMS#NYSE">GMS</a>) from Overweight to Equal-Weight and maintained the price target of $95. GMS shares closed at $98.54 on Thursday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AFRM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Baird analyst David George downgraded Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>) from Outperform to Neutral and maintained the price target of $52. Bank of America shares closed at $47.46 on Thursday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AFRM/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
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Considering buying UBER stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
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Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is celebrating the House-passed bill that would shut down the Internal Revenue Service Direct File <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/10/41321973/more-than-30-million-americans-can-file-taxes-for-free-in-2025-find-out-if-youre-one-of-them-and">program</a>, a free federal tool that allows Americans to file taxes online without paying private companies.
&#8220;Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans' tax preparer, filer, and auditor,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://x.com/RepJasonSmith/status/1937596031174103338">posted on X</a> on June 24. &#8220;The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.&#8221;
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Program Had Strong Support From Voters And Users</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans's tax preparer, filer, and auditor. The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.
&mdash; Rep. Jason Smith (@RepJasonSmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJasonSmith/status/1937596031174103338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Despite Smith&#8217;s remarks, the Direct File program has received <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44656868/lets-prove-doge-wrong-mark-cuban-urges-followers-to-use-irs-direct-file-for-taxes-says-doge-wants-it-gone-due-to-low-usage">broad support</a> from taxpayers and voters across the political spectrum. According to a Data for Progress <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2025/4/dfp_groundwork_direct_file_tabs.pdf">poll</a> conducted in April, 82% of likely voters said they support expanding Direct File to all Americans. That includes 80% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 81% of Democrats.
The IRS launched Direct File using Inflation Reduction Act funds. It started as a small pilot in 12 states during the 2024 tax season and expanded to 25 states in 2025, serving 32 million eligible users. The tool was described as secure, simple, and always free.
Kitty Richards, senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy group, <a href="https://groundworkcollaborative.org/news/direct-file-is-government-efficiency-at-work-says-groundworks-richards/">said</a> Direct File was &#8220;a crystal clear example of government efficiency at work. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay exorbitant fees to predatory for-profit companies just to file their taxes.&#8221;
According to Groundwork, IRS data and user surveys also backed the program's popularity. In 2024, 90% of surveyed users rated their experience as excellent or above average, and most reported filing in under an hour. By their estimates, Direct File saved taxpayers $5.6 million in fees during its first full rollout, and every dollar invested returned $160 in savings.
Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/bezos-landlord-100-dollars"> become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Critics Say Ending Program Benefits Big Companies</h2>
When news broke out in April that the Trump administration plans to discontinue Direct File for the 2026 tax season, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-blasts-trump-killing-free-direct-tax-filing-service">called</a> Direct File a &#8220;massive success&#8221; that removed unnecessary middlemen. He accused President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of &#8220;robbing regular American families to pay back lobbyists that spend millions to make tax filing more expensive and more difficult.&#8221;&nbsp;
Staff working on the program were reportedly told weeks earlier that they would no longer be needed.
The Department of Government Efficiency, once led by Tesla CEO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) Elon Musk, reportedly played a role in weakening the IRS program. Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1886498750052327520?lang=en">posted</a> in February that the Direct File development team had been &#8220;deleted.&#8221;
Meanwhile, the program critics like David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance argued that the IRS overstepped by building Direct File without explicit approval. &#8220;The IRS created Direct File without congressional approval,&#8221; Williams <a href="https://x.com/tpapres/status/1912571116037497090">wrote</a> in April. &#8220;In fact, the $15M from the Inflation Reduction Act was supposed to be for a study. Instead, the IRS built the software.&#8221;
Still, many policy advocates and voters say the program filled a real need and made tax season less stressful.
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TSLA

Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program

Iran has reaffirmed its commitment to continue its nuclear enrichment program, despite recent U.S. military actions targeting its nuclear facilities.
What Happened: Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, announced that Iran will persist with its nuclear enrichment activities, asserting it as an &#8220;inalienable right.&#8221; This statement was made during an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amir-saeid-iravani-iran-un-ambassador-face-the-nation-transcript-06-29-2025/">interview</a> on CBS News&#8217;s &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; on Sunday.
Iravani cited the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows non-nuclear-weapon states to develop peaceful nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment, within certain limits. When asked by moderator Margaret Brennan if Iran plans to restart its enrichment program, Iravani replied, &#8220;I think that enrichment will not — never stop.&#8221;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/46158822/trumps-approval-ratings-tariff-deadlines-schumers-criticism-and-defense-budget-shifts-this-week-in-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Approval Ratings, Tariff Deadlines, Schumer&#8217;s Criticism, And Defense Budget Shifts: This Week In Politics</a>
Why It Matters: The U.S. military&#8217;s recent strikes on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities have sparked a debate over their long-term impact. A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment suggested that the strikes only set back Iran&#8217;s nuclear program by a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/06/46086403/us-attack-on-iranian-nuclear-sites-reportedly-set-tehran-back-only-a-few-months-white-house-calls-assessment-flat-out-wrong">few months</a>. 
However, Mike Gallagher, Head of Defense at Palantir Technologies Inc., stated that the program was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/06/46090389/palantirs-defense-chief-says-iran-nuclear-program-set-back-significantly-by-us-strikes-but-intel-split-on-how-long">&#8220;set back significantly,&#8221; </a>though intelligence assessments remain conflicted over the operation&#8217;s long-term impact.
In response to the strikes, Iran&#8217;s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the country&#8217;s nuclear facilities <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/46094069/iran-breaks-silence-says-nuclear-facilities-badly-damaged-by-us-strikes">suffered significant damage</a>.
Meanwhile, President Trump announced <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/46107752/trump-announces-iran-nuclear-talks-following-us-strikes-that-severely-damaged-iranian-nuclear-program">upcoming nuclear talks</a> with Iran, following what he described as strikes that &#8220;severely damaged&#8221; Tehran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities.
Photo Courtesy: Dancing_Man on Shutterstock.com
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

General

Iran's Top Diplomat To UN Says Uranium Enrichment To Continue: An 'Inalienable Right'

Real estate investor Grant Cardone has never been afraid of <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@grantcardone/video/7519579404255661325?lang=en">prioritizing a single asset class</a>. He's always been skeptical of stocks and recently warmed up to Bitcoin, but real estate has remained his primary asset outside of growing businesses.
He recently threw cold water on a popular piece of investing advice that has served people well over the years.
"People should not diversify their investments," he stated while criticizing ETFs and mutual funds.&nbsp;
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Cardone's thoughts on portfolio diversification contract the mainstream advice of diversifying your portfolio and not putting all of your eggs in one basket. However, there is merit behind Cardone's suggestion that can be valuable for investors.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Diversify In What You Know</h2>
Cardone does not diversify his portfolio across a wide range of sectors. For instance, he doesn't pour his money into oil stocks, bank stocks, consumer staples stocks, or any other stocks. He has made almost all of his money with real estate, but he has a well-diversified portfolio if you narrow it down to real estate.
He isn't betting all of his wealth on a single apartment complex. Instead, he has thousands of apartment units spread across several states that make up a multi-billion dollar portfolio.
You don't have to buy real estate to apply this knowledge. For instance, the S&amp;P 500 gives you broad, diversified exposure to 500 of the largest and most profitable publicly traded corporations. However, if you know a lot about artificial intelligence and believe it can outperform the broad market, it may be more beneficial to buy an ETF that only contains AI stocks.
Thematic ETFs can push you away from broad market ETFs. It's possible to limit your stock investments to two sectors that you know very well and outperform the stock market.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Look Deeper Into ETFs</h2>
If you ask Cardone, he will tell you to buy real estate for the significant tax advantages. However, if you are a stock investor and want to apply the same concept of not diversifying, you can look deeper into ETFs and see their holdings.
Every ETF displays its holdings and how the funds are allocated. You can see which stocks make up the lion's share of an ETF's portfolio and which picks aren't doing much to move the fund.&nbsp;
An investor can review this information to gauge which stocks outperform the ETF, and every ETF is guaranteed to contain stocks that outperform its benchmark returns. For instance, if you look at an ETF that holds AI stocks, you can dig deeper and discern which AI stocks are delivering most of the returns.
Many broad market benchmarks like the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq Composite lean heavily on the Magnificent Seven stocks. There's also a recurring trend of tech ETFs outperforming the S&amp;P 500. For instance, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) has rallied by roughly 170% over the past five years, while the S&amp;P 500 has barely doubled during the same stretch. The gap between their gains only expands as you look further in the past.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Continue To Research Investment Opportunities</h2>
Occasionally researching new investment opportunities can help you discover promising stock picks before others notice. You can also use this approach with Cardone's preferred asset, real estate, and look at deals in your area.&nbsp;
Some real estate investors may have to look for deals outside of their zip code to get the highest returns. Cardone hasn't isolated himself to a single city or state and opts to buy multifamily properties in different states. It's good to avoid rushing into an asset, especially one that requires as much time and capital as real estate.
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Personal Finance

iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund

SOXX

'People Should Not Diversify Their Investments' -- Cardone On The ETFs and Mutual Funds

Fried chicken is having its moment in the sun, and Bojangles is looking to capitalize on it. Only a few weeks after Dave&#8217;s Hot Chicken was sold to Roark Capital, which also owns Subway, for nearly $1 billion, Bojangles wants to up the ante. According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/bojangles-is-exploring-a-sale-while-the-fried-chicken-market-is-hot-5cc6fb9e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAisj8A__yJMAVvT5KRji6g9TQETLri6ipk_sHvL9RExkgRgb0R4BJzs&amp;gaa_ts=684b359f&amp;gaa_sig=7rRGmiky5CnmWkK2Hvxl0R4UbWRbJ9Tgrb9UfOE_TTJeTPgVI0asE_hm96FWpY2fYJgbaVSDEjEi0s8XCgSQVg%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>, Bojangles' owners are considering a sale. If they can get their estimated $1.5 billion asking price, they will have tripled what they paid to buy the chain in 2019.
The first Bojangles opened in Charlotte, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45786038/amazon-expands-cloud-ai-footprint-with-10-billion-data-center-investment-in-north-carolina">North Carolina</a> in 1978. Original owners Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas had a simple mission: to bring spicy, Cajun-style fried chicken and homemade biscuits to the masses. Although spicy fried chicken and biscuits were staples in many southern households at the time, Kentucky Fried Chicken was one of only a few successful chicken franchises.
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The original Bojangles operated on a shoestring budget out of a walk-up kiosk on West Boulevard in Charlotte. It wasn't long before Bojangles' reputation for having top-tier fried chicken translated into a loyal following. That pattern would repeat itself almost everywhere Bojangles opened and it wasn't long before the chain was inspiring almost cult-like devotion among its fans.&nbsp;
Bojangles&#8217; simple formula of providing crispy, spicy chicken and delicious biscuits proved very successful throughout the South. The chain underwent aggressive expansion in the 1990s and opened its 300th location in 2003. Bojangles gained national recognition in 2008 when the Wall Street Journal named it one of the world's best restaurant chains.
Bojangles opened its 600th location in 2014. Not long after, the owners took Bojangles <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bojangles-ipo-update-idUSKBN0MY0B620150407/">public</a>, and the chain raised an estimated $372 million at its<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/06/45941185/chimes-ipo-marks-another-successful-wall-street-debut"> IPO</a> in 2015. <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/01/28/1706253/0/en/Bojangles-Inc-Durational-Capital-Management-and-The-Jordan-Company-Complete-Acquisition.html">Bojangles</a> went private again in 2019 when The Jordan Company and Durational Capital Management bought the chain for $593 million. Since then, the popularity of fried chicken has skyrocketed.
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The emergence of foodie culture and innovations like Korean style chicken wings and Nashville hot chicken has helped fried chicken become one of the hottest sectors in the fast-food industry. Rising players like Raising Cane&#8217;s have also hit the market and made a strong impact, but Bojangles' place as a major player in the sector had already been secured.
Then, Roark Capital acquired Los Angeles-based Dave's Hot Chicken for almost $1 billion. The size of that deal was simply too big for The Jordan Company and Durational Capital to ignore. Bojangles is a much larger, more well-established chain than Dave's Hot Chicken. If Dave's was worth $900 million, it stands to reason that a chain with Bojangles' history and over 700 locations worldwide would be worth considerably more.
According to the Journal's sources, the asking price for Bojangles will be in the $1.5 billion range. If a deal closes in that range, it would translate to roughly $1 billion in profit for The Jordan Company and Durational Capital in just six years of ownership. Now, that's what you call hot chicken.
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Really Hot Chicken–This Fried Chicken Franchise Has Tripled In Value Since 2019 And Could Now Sell For $1.5 Billion

President Donald Trump has indicated the presence of a potential&nbsp;buyer for the US operations&nbsp;of TikTok, the widely used&nbsp;social media app owned by&nbsp;China&#8217;s&nbsp;ByteDance Ltd. However, he has decided to keep the specifics under wraps for the next two weeks.
What Happened: During a conversation with Fox News&#8217;s Sunday Morning Futures, Trump said, &#8220;We have a buyer for TikTok,&nbsp;by the way. I think&nbsp;I&#8217;ll&nbsp;need probably China approval and&nbsp;I think President Xi will&nbsp;probably do it,&#8221; as per a&nbsp;Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-29/trump-says-there-s-a-buyer-for-tiktok-but-he-won-t-provide-name?srnd=homepage-asia&amp;sref=TBDibEcD">report</a>.
Trump, who had earlier extended the deadline for ByteDance to offload TikTok&#8217;s US operations, did not reveal the identity of the potential buyer. He merely referred to them as a &#8220;group of very wealthy people.&#8221; The interview was aired on Sunday, but was recorded on the preceding Friday.
In the previous year, a law was enacted by Congress mandating ByteDance to divest its US operations of TikTok due to concerns over national security. 
However, the progress on the deal has been significantly delayed due to the rising tensions surrounding US-China trade and tariff negotiations.
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Prior to the announcement of&nbsp;widespread tariffs in April, a&nbsp;deal seemed to be on the horizon, with&nbsp;a consortium of US investors&nbsp;including&nbsp;Oracle Corp.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>),&nbsp;Blackstone Inc.&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BX#NYSE">BX</a>),&nbsp;and venture capital firm Andreessen&nbsp;Horowitz expressing interest.
Why It Matters: The sale of TikTok&#8217;s US operations has been a topic of intense discussion and speculation due to the political and economic implications it carries. 
The potential buyer&#8217;s identity, once revealed, could significantly impact the dynamics of the tech industry, particularly in the realm of social media. 
Furthermore, the deal&#8217;s progress could serve as a barometer for the state of US-China relations, which have been fraught with tension due to ongoing trade and tariff disputes.
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Image: Shutterstock

Social Media

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Apple Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is being urged to consider the development of a smart ring.
Bloomberg&#8217;s&nbsp;Mark Gurman,&nbsp;in his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-06-29/apple-should-launch-oura-ring-competitor-tethered-vision-pro-ios-26-beta-2-mchmc20h?srnd=undefined&amp;sref=TBDibEcD">latest</a>&nbsp;weekly &#8220;Power On" reported that the wearables and smartwatch segment of the tech behemoth has been witnessing a slowdown, with a revenue drop of 7% in the last fiscal year. 
The Apple Watch alone experienced a decline of over 14% in fiscal 2024. The company&#8217;s foray&nbsp;into a new wearables category, such as smart rings, could potentially reverse this downward trend.
While&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;is already developing smart glasses, a competitor to products from&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc., the introduction of a smart ring could further diversify its product portfolio. 
Companies like Oura Health Oy, Samsung Electronics Co., Ultrahuman, and RingConn have already tapped into the consumer interest in fitness rings.
Despite the absence of a display and phone-like features, smart rings offer several benefits. They are more comfortable to wear, especially during sleep or workouts, and&nbsp;can last several days on&nbsp;a single charge. 
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Moreover, they can easily blend into any wardrobe and offer&nbsp;the same fitness and health&nbsp;tracking benefits as an Apple Watch.
Apple&#8217;s hint at a tethered Vision Pro and the release of&nbsp;new beta versions of iOS&nbsp;26 and other operating systems indicate the company&#8217;s intent to expand its wearables portfolio. 
The company&#8217;s potential move into rings and glasses could pose a significant challenge to current market players like Oura and Meta. 
If successful, this could potentially revitalize Apple&#8217;s wearables division and reverse the recent decline in revenue.
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Image: Shutterstock

AAPL

Apple Inc. Encouraged To Enter Smart Ring Market Amid Slowing Wearables Revenue

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has expressed her fears regarding what she believes to be the most significant threat to the freedom of American women.
What Happened:&nbsp;In a recent interview, Greene voiced her concern about the possibility of a &#8220;Muslim takeover&#8221; and the subsequent enforcement of Sharia law as the most substantial danger to American women&#8217;s liberty.
These comments by Greene were in response to a question&nbsp;about a post she made&nbsp;after Zohran Mamdani&#8216;s victory&nbsp;in the New York City&nbsp;Democratic mayoral primary. 
The post featured the Statue of Liberty dressed in a burqa, accompanied by&nbsp;the caption, "This hits hard."
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">This hits hard. <a href="https://t.co/YUrNTZW5lq">pic.twitter.com/YUrNTZW5lq</a>
&mdash; Marjorie Taylor Greene &#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8; (@mtgreenee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1937851484567195954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Upon being asked to explain her post, During <a href="https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5370783-rising-june-26-2025/">the</a> interview with The Hill, Greene stated that she was alluding to the threat of a &#8220;Muslim takeover, or possibly Sharia law,&#8221; which she perceives as a severe threat to all American women.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/46043789/marjorie-taylor-greenes-response-to-trump-bombing-iran-let-us-pray-that-we-are-not-attacked-by-terrorists-on-our-homeland">Marjorie Taylor Greene&#8217;s Response To Trump Bombing Iran: &#8216;Let Us Pray That We Are Not Attacked By Terrorists On Our Homeland&#8217;</a>
&#8220;That is a great threat to every single American woman. And I think that's something all women should never want or allow to happen in America. And it's important to talk about those things," MTG said. 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">He asked me what I meant when I posted the Statue of Liberty covered in a burka. Here is what I said. <a href="https://t.co/6tVkOohoU3">pic.twitter.com/6tVkOohoU3</a>
&mdash; Marjorie Taylor Greene &#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8; (@mtgreenee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1938764157295165765?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
"I'm an American woman, and I have all the freedoms in the world to never have to bow to a religion that would force me to cover my body up and only see my eyes and my fingertips. And that is a major threat for all American women, and I think that's something that hits hard for all women," she added. 
Mamdani has not shown any interest in imposing Sharia law. Mamdani&#8217;s platform comprises policies such as free city bus transportation, publicly funded childcare, and a rent freeze.
Greene&#8217;s statements have surfaced amidst a surge of racially charged comments from some Republicans following Mamdani&#8217;s primary victory.
Why It Matters: Greene&#8217;s comments highlight the ongoing tensions and racial divisions within American politics. The fear of a &#8220;Muslim takeover&#8221; and the enforcement of Sharia law, as expressed by Greene, is not supported by the actions or policies of Muslim politicians in the U.S. such as Mamdani. 
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Image: Shutterstock

Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Muslim Takeover' Threatens American Women

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has cautioned against the unreserved trust that users have been placing in the company&#8217;s AI chatbot, ChatGPT, despite its increasing popularity.
What Happened: In a recent interview, Altman expressed astonishment at the extent of trust users have in ChatGPT, OpenAI&#8217;s AI chatbot. While acknowledging its widespread use, Altman stressed that the technology is far from infallible.
During the inaugural episode of OpenAI&#8217;s official <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB9mjd-65gw">podcast</a>, Altman voiced his concerns, cautioning that AI can produce misleading or false content and should not be trusted without question. 
He disclosed that despite its unreliability, millions continue to employ ChatGPT for a variety of purposes, including research and parenting advice.
"People have a very high degree of trust in ChatGPT, which is interesting, because AI hallucinates. It should be the tech that you don't trust that much," he said. 
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/06/45931965/rates-of-hallucination-in-ai-models-from-google-openai-on-the-rise">Rates Of Hallucination In AI Models From Google, OpenAI On The Rise</a>
Altman also touched upon the new features of ChatGPT, such as persistent memory and potential ad-based models, which have sparked new privacy concerns. 
In the face of legal challenges from media houses like The New York Times, Altman underscored the importance of transparency and preserving user trust.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/06/32675856/chatgpt-is-fabricating-information-why-thats-a-problem-for-every-industry-not-just-journalism">ChatGPT Is Fabricating Information: Why That&#8217;s a Problem For Every Industry, Not Just Journalism</a>
While Altman remains hopeful about the future of AI, he insisted on the necessity for honesty about the technology&#8217;s shortcomings. &#8220;It&#8217;s not super reliable,&#8221; he conceded. &#8220;We&nbsp;need to be honest about&nbsp;that.&#8221;
Why It Matters:
The warning from Altman comes at a time when AI technology, particularly chatbots, are gaining traction across various sectors. The popularity of ChatGPT underscores the growing reliance on AI for everyday tasks. 
However, Altman&#8217;s cautionary note serves as a reminder of the inherent limitations of AI technology and the potential risks of overreliance. 
His emphasis on transparency and user trust also highlights the ethical considerations that companies must address as they continue to innovate and push the boundaries of AI.
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Sam Altman Warns Users Not To Blindly Trust ChatGPT Despite Its Rising Fame, Says 'AI Hallucinates, It Should Be The Tech That You Don't Trust That Much'

A Reddit thread on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/1lk9z3j/people_who_make_3050k_a_year_and_live_comfortably/">r/NoStupidQuestions</a> recently prompted a wide range of replies after someone asked how low-income earners feel about people who <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44614059/someone-asked-why-75k-is-seen-as-a-low-salary-on-reddit-the-responses-actually-make-more-sense-than-youd-expect">make $75,000</a> to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/06/46044025/earning-more-than-100000-feels-like-a-dream-to-many-but-when-you-look-closer-some-of-these-jobs-arent-as-difficult-as-youd-think">$115,000 or more</a> but &#8220;still say it's not enough.&#8221;&nbsp;
The original poster, who said they were once in the $30,000 to $50,000 income range and now earn above six figures, noted their lifestyle hasn't changed much despite the pay bump. They found it surprising that higher earners often still claim they're struggling financially.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Raise Doesn&#8217;t Always Mean Relief</h2>
The replies poured in, offering everything from understanding to exasperation. Many pointed out that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45685741/the-cost-of-living-crisis-hits-hard-in-these-8-cities-where-you-need-to-earn-at-least-100k-to-live-c">cost of living varies wildly by location</a>. &#8220;I'm making over in 100K in NYC but sometimes that feels like barely enough after retirement savings, emergency funds, student loans, rent etc.,&#8221; one person wrote. Others noted that if you <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/41975094/can-you-raise-a-family-here-heres-what-it-takes-to-live-comfortably-in-americas-costliest-states">live in a high-cost area</a> like San Francisco or Boston, even six figures can feel tight.
Another major theme was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/financial-advisors/25/06/46024255/7-silent-wealth-drains-that-are-sabotaging-your-future">lifestyle creep</a>. &#8220;As you make more money, you start buying nicer stuff, eating at fancier places, or upgrading things you didn't need to upgrade,&#8221; one person said. All of this can quietly inflate your monthly budget.
Still, others highlighted hidden expenses that don't show up in salary figures. Some higher earners support family members or face high health care and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44999168/reason-people-dont-have-kids-earlier-is-theyre-expensive-says-kevin-oleary-however-time-is-the-one-thing-money-cant-buy">childcare costs</a>. &#8220;I make $90K and feel broke because half my paycheck goes to daycare,&#8221; one parent commented.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Some Weren't Buying It</h2>
Not all replies were empathetic. Some users were openly dismissive of people earning over $75,000 who said they couldn't make ends meet. One wrote, &#8220;Many people have literally no idea how to save money or no self control to do it. All my coworkers get DoorDash multiple times a week, go to the bar every weekend, have $800 car payments, and complain they are broke. If they got a 50k raise they&#8217;d still be broke.&#8221;
Others blamed poor decision-making. "Yeah, there are two types of broke people. Those who are broke because of bad luck and the system against them, and those who are broke because of how they act. The former can be helped by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/management/25/06/46041988/a-henry-redditor-asks-if-she-should-take-a-job-with-higher-pay-or-a-better-title-is-this-a-no-brainer">getting a better-paying job</a>, but the latter will always find a way to spend more than they make," one person said.
In the end, the thread revealed just how complex the conversation around money can be. Income alone doesn't tell the full story. Context, cost of living, spending habits, and financial literacy all play major roles. While some commenters showed compassion for high earners feeling the squeeze, others found it hard to sympathize when they're scraping by on far less.
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Low-Income Earners Were Asked About People Making $75K-115K+ Who 'Still Say It's Not Enough.' The Reactions Spanned From Empathy To Eye-Rolls

Microsoft Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) is now encouraging&nbsp;managers to evaluate employees based&nbsp;on their use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. 
What Happened: Julia Liuson, who heads the division of Microsoft responsible for developer tools like GitHub Copilot, has directed managers to consider the&nbsp;use of internal AI tools&nbsp;as a key factor in assessing employee performance. 
In her email, Liuson emphasized the importance of AI in the company&#8217;s operations, stating,&nbsp;&#8220;AI is now a fundamental&nbsp;part of how we work. Using&nbsp;AI is no longer optional&nbsp;— it&#8217;s core to every&nbsp;role and every level.&#8221;
Performance expectations at Microsoft vary across teams, and some are considering incorporating a formal metric related to the&nbsp;use of internal AI tools&nbsp;in performance evaluations for the upcoming fiscal year, as disclosed by an anonymous insider.
&#8220;AI is now a fundamental part of how we work. Just like collaboration, data-driven thinking, and effective communication, using AI is no longer optional — it&#8217;s core to every role and every level,&#8221; Liuson wrote in the email. 
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This initiative is part of Microsoft&#8217;s strategy to address what it sees as a slow&nbsp;internal adoption of its Copilot&nbsp;AI services. 
The tech giant&#8217;s goal is to increase usage across the board and ensure that those developing these products have a thorough understanding of the tools.
The decision comes at a time when competition in the AI coding services market is intensifying. Cursor recently overtook GitHub Copilot in a significant segment of the developer market, as noted by Barclays. This competitive landscape is also influencing Microsoft&#8217;s renegotiation of its vital partnership with OpenAI.
Why It Matters: Microsoft&#8217;s new mandate underscores the growing importance of AI in the tech industry. By making AI usage a performance metric, the company is not only promoting the adoption of its own AI tools but also preparing its workforce for an increasingly AI-driven future. 
This move could potentially give Microsoft an edge in the competitive AI coding services market.
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Image: Shutterstock

MSFT

Microsoft Urges Employees to Embrace In-House AI — Performance Reviews May Reflect Usage

NBA Hall-of-Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson beat a lot of top competition on his way to winning five NBA championships. With that in mind, it may surprise you that despite staring down fellow greats like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, Johnson doesn't consider either of them his toughest opponent. Johnson said that distinction belongs to the board for<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/46053495/starbucks-green-apron-expansion-to-boost-service-but-squeeze-earnings-through-2027"> Starbucks</a> (NASDAQ:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SBUX"> SBUX</a>).
Johnson's post-NBA career exploits as a businessman are well-known, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and he faced numerous challenges on the way to becoming a real estate and business mogul. One of his earliest deals was to open a Starbucks coffee store in South Los Angeles. At the time, there were very few, if any, Starbucks serving urban neighborhoods and Johnson wanted to change that. There was just one problem.
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Starbucks is a chain, but it's not a franchise, meaning the corporation owns and operates all its outlets. When Johnson approached Starbucks founder<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/financing/25/06/46042023/bill-gates-sr-helped-howard-schultz-buy-starbucks-in-1987-by-towering-over-a-rival-investor-this-kid-is-going-to-realize-his-dream"> Howard Schultz</a> about opening his location, Schultz told Johnson about the company's policy of owning all its locations. That meant Johnson would have to convince Starbucks' biggest stockholders to get on board with the idea.
The stakes were incredibly high, but for different reasons than you might imagine. Sure, Johnson stood to make a lot of money if he could get the deal done. However, his motives went beyond personal gain. Johnson wanted to open his Starbucks in South Los Angeles, which was still rebuilding from the Rodney King riots. Despite being born in Michigan, Johnson had adopted Los Angeles as his home, and the city saw him as a native son.
His popularity was incredibly high in South Los Angeles, and Johnson had already taken the lead in helping to rebuild the community. His first major endeavor, a partnership with movie theater chain AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AMC"> AMC</a>) to open a first-class movie theater in South LA, was already a smashing success. That gave him a measure of credibility, but Johnson still had a massive challenge in selling Starbucks' biggest stockholders on his idea.
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Like any group of investors, their motives were much more bottom-line oriented. Johnson's vision of revitalizing South Los Angeles was admirable, but it wasn't enough to get the green light. There was only one way that was going to happen: convince Starbucks shareholders that urban locations could be money makers. Then there was the secondary challenge of getting the board to approve his private ownership of the proposed Starbucks outlet.
&nbsp;"The hardest thing I thought I was gonna' do was play against Larry Bird and Michael Jordan," Johnson said to Bloomberg's "<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2025-06-11/the-deal-magic-johnson-podcast">The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly</a>." "The hardest thing was to go before the [Starbucks] board and then go into a movie theater packed with good shareholders and try to convince them this is a great move for Starbucks." Fortunately for Johnson, his track record, vision, and charm won the day.
Johnson opened his first Starbucks on Crenshaw Boulevard, and much like his theaters, it was a success. He went on to open 125 Starbucks locations in urban areas throughout the country. After many years of successful stewardship, Johnson sold his 125 locations back to Starbucks in 2010. That deal helped Johnson "make his bones" as a businessman and heralded even greater success.
"I became the first person to ever own Starbucks outside of Starbucks," Johnson told "The Deal." "We built 125 in 40 different markets across America. They all did extremely well. And that really gave me, first of all, the stamp of approval. It gave me the track record that I needed of success so I can move on to something else."
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Magic Johnson's Toughest Opponent Wasn't Larry Bird Or Michael Jordan—It Was The Starbucks Board

Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA&#8217;s Dallas Mavericks, expressed his dismay upon learning that some of his employees were reliant on government aid programs.
What Happened: Cuban was surprised to discover that a number of his arena staff were on public assistance. 
&#8220;When I found out I had employees at our arena on public assistance, I immediately gave raises to every hourly employee and their managers,&#8221; Cuban stated, expressing his embarrassment over the situation.
As per the report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cuban-embarassed-staff-assistance-cut-medicaid-employees-taxpayers-companies-2025-6">by </a>Insider, Cuban, who has owned the majority stake in the Mavericks since 2000, chastised large employers for paying their full-time employees so little that they qualify for Medicaid. 
He proposed that the most effective way to reduce Medicaid costs is to publicly expose such employers.
This revelation comes amidst President Donald Trump&#8216;s push for his &#8220;Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; to be passed by July 4. The proposed legislation would impose significant restrictions on Medicaid, a healthcare program relied upon by over 70 million Americans.
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Cuban, a known critic of Trump, contended that Medicaid reductions should come from employers, not legislation. He suggested that CEOs could afford to lift&nbsp;their employees off Medicaid by&nbsp;accepting less profit and asking&nbsp;shareholders to increase the price-to-earnings&nbsp;ratio they receive.
Why It Matters: Cuban&#8217;s actions highlight a growing concern about wage disparity and the reliance of full-time workers on government aid. His decision to increase wages for his employees not only addresses the immediate issue but also calls attention to the broader problem. 
By advocating for CEOs to accept less profit and increase the price-to-earnings ratio for shareholders, Cuban is challenging the status quo and prompting a discussion about corporate responsibility and fair wages. 
This could potentially influence other employers to reconsider their wage policies and reduce the burden on government aid programs.
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Mark Cuban Raises Employee Wages After Learning Of Government Aid Dependence

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio has voiced his apprehension regarding the mounting U.S. debt, comparing it to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43901059/ray-dalios-holy-grail-investment-strategy-why-10-15-diversified-investments-could-make-you-a-fortune">an imminent &#8220;financial heart attack.&#8221;</a>
What Happened: Dalio, the founder of&nbsp;Bridgewater Associates, cautioned about the unmanageable deficits at a recent New York event. He drew a parallel between the debt service situation and a plaque buildup in arteries, which could potentially hamper other consumption.
Dalio pointed out that the US is estimated to yield revenues of approximately $5 trillion this year, while spending is anticipated to hit $7 trillion. This would contribute&nbsp;$2 trillion to the national&nbsp;deficit, with an extra $1 trillion needed for interest payments on the debt.
As per the report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ray-dalio-national-debt-crisis-investing-strategy-inflation-gold-bitcoin-2025-6">by</a> Insider, the investor proposed that the US needs to decrease&nbsp;its budget deficit from 6.5%&nbsp;to 3% of GDP through&nbsp;a blend of spending cuts, augmented tax revenue, and reduced interest rates. However, he conceded that executing these solutions could be difficult and contentious.
&#8220;We have to, in the next, year sell about $12 trillion. We have $1 trillion that we can pay in interest. We have $9 trillion in debt service in terms of principle, and then we have to sell another $2 trillion because we had a deficit,&#8221; Dalio said.
Dalio also cautioned that the debt crisis could exacerbate in the event of a recession, as government borrowing typically surges during economic downturns.
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To shield their portfolios from the adverse effects of escalating national debt and deficits, Dalio advised investors to hedge against inflation and diversify their holdings. 
&#8220;The safest investment that you can get right now is an inflation-indexed&nbsp;bond. You&#8217;ll get a bit over 2% of real return above inflation,&#8221; he said. 
He advocated for Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS), gold, and a modest amount of Bitcoin as wise investment options.
Talking about government initiative Dalio said, &#8220;When faced with the choice, they print money,&#8221; 
Why It Matters: Dalio&#8217;s warning comes at a time when the US debt is at an all-time high, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting the federal debt to reach 202% of GDP by 2051 if current laws remain unchanged. The potential impact of this on the economy and investment landscape is significant. 
Dalio&#8217;s suggested strategies aim to provide investors with a roadmap to navigate this uncertain terrain, emphasizing the importance of diversification and hedging against inflation. 
His endorsement of bitcoin also highlights the growing acceptance of digital assets as a part of a balanced investment portfolio.
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US Faces 'Financial Heart Attack,' Ray Dalio Warns — Shares Investment Strategies: 'The Safest Investment That You Can Get Right Now Is An Inflation-Indexed Bond'

"God, please give us legislators who care about economic development and not just taxing our industry to pay for other things that we care about, as well." Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)&nbsp; President Brad Smith <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B92HIOR_P1k">said</a> during the Technology Alliance's State of Technology luncheon, according to GeekWire.&nbsp;
He warned that Washington state's tech-powered prosperity could falter if lawmakers continue treating the industry "like an endless cash machine.
Smith's remarks on May 20 came as new tax proposals threaten to slow innovation, even as artificial intelligence reshapes the state's job market and investment priorities.
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Growth Engine Or Gravy Train?</h2>
According to Smith, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/we-better-wake-up-microsofts-brad-smith-sounds-alarm-as-state-moves-ahead-with-tax-plan/">tech accounts </a>for 9.4% of all jobs and 22.1% of total compensation paid in Washington — the highest share of any state.
Smith also pointed to concerns from the<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545b1745e4b0a4696b7278fd/t/682e721132ca06284bca2b09/1747874351717/2025+Benchmarking+Report"> 2025 Benchmarking Report</a> by the Technology Alliance, including slipping K–12 math scores, fewer university spinouts, and a shrinking pipeline of venture-backed exits — signs, he warned, that Washington's momentum is fading as rival regions ramp up innovation.
Hours after Smith's remarks, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5813&amp;Initiative=false&amp;Year=2025">Senate Bill 5813</a> which increases the capital gains rate to 9.9% up from 7% on Washington gains over $1 million and <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=2081&amp;Year=2025&amp;Initiative=false">House Bill 2081</a> which imposes a temporary 0.5% B&amp;O tax surcharge on companies with more than $250 million in annual Washington taxable income.
In April 17, Ferguson <a href="https://governor.wa.gov/news/2025/governor-bob-ferguson-comment-proposed-12b-taxes">described</a> raising $12 billion in new taxes as "unsustainable, too risky" and emphasized the need for both revenue and spending reforms to close the projected. Ferguson also acknowledged potential unintended consequences and said the business community will be consulted during implementation.
Meanwhile, rival states are rolling out red carpets. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed $20 million for strategic innovation centers in the <a href="https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/publications/budget/governors-budget/2026/tre_analysis_2026.pdf">fiscal 2026</a> budget. The state has allocated $126.5 million to these centers since fiscal 2022. Smith applauded the investment approach as evidence that targeted incentives continue to shape tech talent clusters.
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Microsoft marked its 50th anniversary with a celebratory <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2025/04/04/celebrating-microsofts-50-years/">blog post</a>, highlighting AI's pivotal role in its ongoing evolution. At the Technology Alliance's State of Technology luncheon, Smith noted that growth follows investment. However, the milestone also coincided with the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html">elimination</a> of roughly 6,000 jobs—about 3% of the workforce—part of cost-cutting aimed at reducing management layers and reallocating resources toward AI.
The luncheon program in May closed with Technology Alliance CEO Laura Ruderman urging attendees to tell a stronger innovation story. Many voters still question the value of an invention-driven economy, she said. Washington State Commerce Director Joe Nguyen —a former Microsoft executive— echoed the concern, arguing that Washington wraps big ideas in tight red tape, urging a pivot toward speed and accountability.
Smith pointed to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/03/44066026/satya-nadella-says-ai-agents-will-replace-knowledge-work-but-theres-one-role-humans-will-always-need-to-play">Microsoft's</a> sprawling Redmond, Washington, campus as proof that research labs become paychecks and tax revenue when public and private sectors pull in the same direction. Each new building on that campus—whether a redone lab, a fresh office space, or an innovation center— marks a moment when lawmakers chose growth over short-term patchwork.
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'God, Please Give Us Legislators Who Care,' Says Microsoft President As He Warns Washington Is 'Taking Tech For Granted'

Electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) has been around for decades and the company we know today can trace its roots back to a meeting and idea made during a lunch conversation, similar to the creation of NVIDIA.
Some Tesla fans may know the story of how a lunch date led to the formation of the company as we know it today.
For others, the story, which was reshared by Tesla co-founders&nbsp;JB Straubel&nbsp;and&nbsp;Elon Musk,&nbsp;may be new.
What Happened:&nbsp;Speaking&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/05/27090485/elon-musk-and-jb-straubel-reuniting-for-panel-this-week-heres-how-and-when-you-can-see-it" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">together&nbsp;</a>at the Financial Times&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfyrQVhfGZc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">"Future of the Car" event</a>&nbsp;in 2022, Straubel and Musk&nbsp;<a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2022/05/12/the-lunch-with-elon-musk-that-led-to-tesla/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recalled&nbsp;</a>their lunch date that led to the creation of Tesla and the groundwork for the Tesla Roadster.
Musk said he received a call from Strabuel out of the blue to discuss items like space and hydrogen airplanes. Musk agreed to the lunch, and ultimately the conversation shifted to lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles.
Musk shared with Straubel that he thought electric vehicles were the future. Straubel invited Musk to test drive the tzero prototype from&nbsp;AC Propulsion.
"I got a test drive in the tzero and I tried to convince them to commercialize the T-O," Musk said. "I tried very hard, actually, to commercialize the tzero electric sports car."
The AC Propulsion team was not interested in commercializing the vehicle, which led to Musk asking about his potential with the vehicle.
"Well do you mind if I do that? Do you mind if I create a commercial electric sports car?"
Musk said the group said yeah, and he began the mission of creating&nbsp;a company to commercialize the tzero along with Straubel.
Tom Gage&nbsp;from AC Propulsion introduced Musk to a trio that was interested in commercializing the vehicle, that was&nbsp;Marc Tarpenning, Martin Eberhard&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ian Wright.
"It was really just three guys and JB and me. We just decided to team up and create a commercial version of the tzero electric sports car."
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Why It's Important:&nbsp;The creation of Tesla as a company remains a controversial topic to this day, as the three co-founders outside of Musk and Straubel have claimed they had a company prior to ever meeting Musk, something the world's richest man disagrees with.
Musk and Straubel also shared details of the early struggles of the company during their speaking event at the "Future of the Car" event.
Straubel&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/07/14134371/tesla-co-founder-jb-straubel-is-the-latest-executive-to-depart" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">left&nbsp;</a>Tesla in 2019 and is now the CEO of Redwood Materials.&nbsp;
The resharing of the famous lunch meeting could be an important lesson for entrepreneurs that even when the original topic of a lunch meeting isn't something you want to discuss, it could be a meeting that could lead to one of the most important business decisions of all time.
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This article was previously published by Benzinga and has been updated.
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Education

Elon Musk Reveals The Lunch That Launched Tesla: 'Do You Mind If I Do That?'

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) marks its 15th anniversary of its initial public offering (IPO) with a staggering 300-fold surge in its stock value.
Tesla&#8217;s IPO occurred 15 years ago, on June 29 2010, with the company generating around $150 million in revenue, primarily from the Roadster, its two-seat electric sports car. The Model S sedan, targeting the premium vehicle market, was still two years away from launch.
The IPO was a gamble on CEO&nbsp;Elon Musk&#8216;s ability to create a range of mass-market electric vehicles and build an automaker far&nbsp;from the Detroit auto hub,&nbsp;centered instead on Silicon Valley.
An investor who put $10,000&nbsp;in Tesla&#8217;s stock at the IPO and held onto the shares would now have a stake worth nearly $3 million. Tesla is currently&nbsp;the eighth most-valuable publicly traded&nbsp;U.S. company, boasting&nbsp;a market cap of over&nbsp;$1 trillion.
Tesla&#8217;s&nbsp;financial success over the past&nbsp;decade has been shaped by the&nbsp;top-selling Model Y SUV and&nbsp;Model 3 sedan, along with&nbsp;sales of environmental regulatory credits.
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Musk, now the world&#8217;s richest person, has told investors that the reason to buy and own Tesla stock from here has almost nothing to do with selling cars to consumers. 
"If somebody doesn't believe Tesla's going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company," Musk <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/24/elon-musk-is-keeping-investors-dreams-of-a-tesla-robotaxi-alive.html">said</a>, and as reported by CNBC, on an earnings call last year. 
Instead, he sees the potential in Tesla&#8217;s Optimus humanoid robots and the company&#8217;s autonomous driving technology.
While Tesla continues to enjoy a loyal fan base and support from a number of bullish analysts, Wall Street remains cautious about Elon Musk's ambitious projections—many viewing them as already priced into the stock. 
Tesla&#8217;s stock is down about 20% this year, underperforming major U.S. indexes and lagging behind all of its megacap tech peers. Only Apple, with a year-to-date decline of 19.7%, comes close.
Earlier in June, Tesla&#8217;s vice president of Optimus robotics, Milan Kovac, announced his departure from the company after a nine-year tenure.
Despite these challenges,&nbsp;Tesla investors have learned that&nbsp;volatility is a big part&nbsp;of the company&#8217;s story, with the stock experiencing significant gains or losses on&nbsp;more than 40 occasions in&nbsp;the past 15 years.
Read Next
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45827928/musk-vs-trump-tesla-slashes-cybertruck-prices-after-feud-heats-up-heres-how-much-you-need-to-pay-for-it-now">Musk vs. Trump: Tesla Slashes Cybertruck Prices After Feud Heats Up, Here&#8217;s How Much You Need To Pay for It Now</a>

On This Day 15 Years Ago, Elon Musk's Tesla Took A Risk On The Public Markets — Now It's Paid Off Nearly 300 Times Over

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Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
12:02 PMJun 27, 2025	PUT	$100.00	Sep 19, 2025	80	1053	999	6	18905	SWEEP	BULLISH
11:09 AMJun 27, 2025	PUT	$105.00	Aug 15, 2025	45	1386	3633	114	1221	SWEEP	BULLISH
11:09 AMJun 27, 2025	PUT	$105.00	Aug 15, 2025	45	111	1275	9	1221	SWEEP	BULLISH
11:35 AMJun 23, 2025	PUT	$100.00	Dec 19, 2025	171	1110	1000	20	5679	SWEEP	BULLISH
03:48 PMJun 20, 2025	CALL	$140.00	Jun 18, 2026	352	3257	2546	202	1611	TRADE	BULLISH

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