Squawk Pod

Jack Dorsey’s Square is acquiring Australian buy-now-pay-later company Afterpay in a $29 billion deal that deepens its foothold in digital payments. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses potential booster vaccines to curb continuing illness, and he considers the CDC’s data delivery and transparency. Plus, Disney's latest box office debut is straight out of the jungle, and an infrast...

The Covid Delta variant is likely infecting more people than are being recorded, according to former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. He discusses transmission and hospitalization rates and responds to concerning data from an internal CDC presentation obtained by The Washington Post. Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie considers what the variant data means for leisure travel, and explains why he...

Vlad Tenev, Robinhood CEO, says meme investing is no joke, “it’s a real thing.” Free stock trading app Robinhood surged in popularity among retail investors through the Covid-19 pandemic and the meme stock mania of 2021. The company sold shares in its Nasdaq launch at $38 a piece, valuing it over $30 billion. Tenev celebrates Robinhood’s IPO, the role of ‘payment for order flow’ in the next genera...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she’s skeptical that Bitcoin will prove to be a reliable hedge against inflation over the long run, a key reason some investors choose to own it -- and why she’s warning for tighter regulation, suggesting it will help root out “snake oil salesmen” and may shore up the confidence of investors in the nascent asset class. And, Warren’s tax proposal on the wealth of ultra-mi...

Beijing’s sweeping regulatory crackdown on technology, education, food delivery and property sectors has sent shockwaves across global markets, driving Chinese markets down. Kyle Bass of Hayman Capital Management says it's 'unconscionable' for global fund managers to invest in China. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon reports from a tutoring company in China as new rules in that once under-the-radar industry shed...

Luxury electric vehicle maker, Lucid Motors, debuts today under the ticker LCID. Lucid’s first electric vehicle, the $77,000 Lucid Air, is expected to be delivered to customers in the second half of 2021. Peter Rawlinson, chief executive officer at Lucid Motors, discusses the trading debut and the future of electric vehicles. Ratings for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony were down 36% compared t...

Everybody’s online. Twitter’s second-quarter earnings came in stronger than analysts had anticipated as revenue grew 74% year over year in the quarter due to “a broad increase in advertiser demand.” Twitter’s Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal breaks down the earnings results, Bitcoin, and fighting misinformation on the platform. The Covid-19 Delta variant is highly-contagious. Former FDA Commissio...

A failed Senate test vote dealt a blow to the bipartisan infrastructure framework, but the plan could have a chance to move forward again as soon as Monday. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg believes there will be an infrastructure deal and said the Biden Administration’s “not trying to get gold-plated water pipes, just ones without lead.” AT&T beat analysts’ estimates for monthly phone bill...

Verizon reported better-than-expected revenue and subscriber growth, raising its full-year outlook. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg breaks down the results and how much our smartphones show about post-pandemic consumers. Famed visual artist Damien Hirst says he believes in the staying power of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. He discusses his NFT project where the buyer eventually chooses whether to keep -...

World’s richest man leaves Earth. Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, launched him into spaceflight history, riding in the inaugural human crew of the New Shepard rocket. Adam Jones, Morgan Stanley Head of Global Autos and Share Mobility discusses the investment implications of the Blue Origin launch and the road ahead for space tourism. New Covid-19 cases are up in the U.S., as the highly-con...

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman’s blank-check company Pershing Square Tontine Holdings has dropped a deal to buy 10% of Vivendi’s flagship Universal Music Group, following regulator concerns. Ackman discusses why he decided to pull his SPAC deal -- but is still investing in Universal Music -- the markets and his thoughts on Covid. He says the spread of the Delta variant doesn’t pose a significant...

As Jeff Bezos prepares for his upcoming spaceflight, the Franklin Institute’s chief astronomer Derrick Pitts discusses details of the unpiloted Blue Origin craft and the differences between this billionaire’s trip to space and Sir Richard Branson’s. A Covid outbreak in California has prompted L.A. County to reinstate its mask mandate. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb identifies who’s at...

Activist short seller Spruce Point Capital Management is accusing Oatly of shady accounting and greenwashing, claiming the stock is up to 70% overvalued. Spruce Point Founder and CIO Ben Axler explains his short position on the oat milk brand and defends the allegations. Netflix is making moves to enter the gaming space, but not without some watch list and content suggestions from Joe Kernen. Plus...

Founder, chairman, and CEO of the world’s largest asset manager, Larry Fink discusses inflation and the Delta variant as they impact the global economic recovery in an extended interview. With $9.5 trillion in assets under management, Fink’s BlackRock has participated in the Federal Reserve’s efforts to buoy the American economy--during the Covid-19 pandemic and during the financial crisis of 2008...

Pfizer executives shared data about vaccines and Covid-19 boosters with government agencies this week. After attending the meeting, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci shares his expected timeline for boosters, confidence in vaccines, and global health outlook. CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn unveils the network’s annual ranking: America’s Top States for Business. All 50 states are measured aga...

Virgin Galactic successfully brought founder Sir Richard Branson and three other crew members in a suborbital space flight, its fourth spaceflight to date. Joe, Becky, Andrew, and discuss the trip’s implications for the space race and for aviation with CNBC’s Morgan Brennan, who was on the ground in New Mexico for the launch. Former Astronaut and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shares his perspecti...

In the final episode in Squawk Pod’s Berkshire Hathaway series, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger share their combined 187 years of wisdom, both in life and in finance. The two consider history’s patterns, from fiscal stimulus to global pandemic, and offer perspective on today’s economic and social problems. Buffett and Munger discuss wealth’s impact on character, both for individuals getting rich...

In part three of the Squawk Pod Berkshire Hathaway series, CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger share lessons learned from investing through nearly 7 decades of economic history. In conversations with Becky Quick, the two share their perspective on axe murderers, “swingers,” and the costs of a free market, and the two speak candidly on the dangers of Robinhood, bitcoin, and stock ma...

In part two of a special series of Squawk Pod episodes, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman and long-time partner Charlie Munger recount their humble origins at a Nebraska grocery store, tracing their nearly 70-year-long journey through their worst trades and best influences. The two discuss Berkshire Hathaway succession plans and the links between being the bigger person and m...

In the first of a special series of Squawk Pod episodes, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger speak with CNBC’s Becky Quick about their 60 years of friendship and their journey building Berkshire Hathaway. Hear archival footage of Buffett through the ages: from the 1960s, the early 2000s, and just last month. Buffett and Munger reminisce on how Berkshire got into the insurance business, how the two b...

Disruptor investing app Robinhood has finally filed to IPO after years of upending the retail trading industry and months of regulatory and legal scrutiny. Founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Bedrock Capital Geoff Lewis shares his outlook for the company, its roadshow, and all the investors who want a piece. Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson is headed to space, just days...

One of 18 IPOs this week alone, donut chain Krispy Kreme has debuted for public trading on the Nasdaq. Joe, Becky, and Andrew snack their way through the morning coverage, and Krispy Kreme CEO Mike Tattersfield shares the company’s 84-year journey to its second IPO. As China celebrates the 100th anniversary of its Communist Party, President Xi Jinping resolved to stand up to foreign powers who may...

The Covid-19 Delta variant is on the rise, but travel is, too. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel discusses activity on his portfolio of travel and activity sites, from Kayak and Priceline to OpenTable. Billionaire investor and philanthropist Leon Cooperman reveals his concerns for the market, taxation, and inflation as we enter the second half of 2021. The Biden administration is preparing an execu...

United Airlines has placed the biggest aircraft order in its history; CEO Scott Kirby and CNBC’s Phil LeBeau discuss what the 270 jet purchase means for a post-pandemic travel rebound and for passenger comforts. After a standout year at Ark Invest and a rocky start to 2021, Wall Street’s star stock picker Cathie Wood is launching a bitcoin ETF. Plus, Facebook has joined the $1 trillion club, Juul...

The Covid-19 Delta variant is now the dominant strain of the virus in the UK, and other countries may not be far behind. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb discusses vaccine efficacy against the strain, in light of data suggesting that the Delta variant is more contagious than other strains. As part of a major economic package proposal, Democrats are considering changes to the state and lo...