Open AI x Jony Ive, and BYD beat Tesla |
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Hi John, here's what you need to know for May 23rd in 3:08 minutes.

  1. OpenAI bought the hardware startup cofounded by Jony Ive, designer of the iPhone (and the rest) – so forgive Apple for hiding under the covers
  2. Sports fans love a comeback story, and Nike’s got all the makings of one – Read Now
  3. Chinese carmaker BYD outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time in April, after more than doubling its sales from the same time last year

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Here’s Jony
Here’s Jony

What’s going on here?

OpenAI is buying hardware startup io – you know, the one cofounded by legendary iPhone and iMac designer Jony Ive – creating a union straight out of Apple’s nightmares.

What does this mean?

OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman started collaborating with Ive two years ago. And now, they’re making that partnership official, with Altman’s OpenAI buying Ive’s io for $6.5 billion in an all-stock deal. The duo said they want to develop a “new family of products”, marking the industry’s first real shot at creating hardware built for AI (rather than simply enhanced by it). And with a product launch expected sometime next year, tech heads could get their hands on the pioneering gadgets pretty soon.

Why should I care?

For markets: Here comes the ioPhone.

Apple’s stock dipped after the announcement, and it doesn’t take a genius to see why. Ive – once Steve Jobs’s “spiritual partner” – is credited for designing many of Apple’s breadwinners, including the iPhone, iPod, iPad, iMac, Apple Watch, and AirPods. Essentially, anything with “i” in the name – and then some. With Ive’s iconic design expertise and OpenAI’s industry-leading technology, io could create a direct competitor to the iPhone: Apple’s biggest moneymaker.

The big picture: Apple needs more “i”s on AI.

This news comes at a bad time for Apple. After decades of dominating the personal computing space, AI seems to have thus far stumped the firm. Apple’s missed many of its own deadlines, with only a half-cooked integrated AI system and stalled Siri upgrades to show for its efforts. So now, the firm’s opening the lab: Apple will soon let third-party developers work from its AI models, hoping all those fresh pairs of eyes will restore its famous innovation streak.

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💬 Anthropic made its own announcement on Thursday: OpenAI's rival revealed Claude 4 (along with a suite of other releases). According to Anthropic, it's the "best coding model in the world" – which, as an editor here, I'll bring up with our engineers over the next pint.

FROM OUR RESEARCH DESK

After Its Latest Stumble, Nike’s Stock Could Be Ready To Sprint

Theodora Lee Joseph, CFA

After Its Latest Stumble, Nike’s Stock Could Be Ready To Sprint

​Back in October, I called Nike a comeback story in the making. The stock was down 22% for the year, sentiment was in the gutter, and Wall Street had pretty much moved on.

But I saw something appealing: a brand with serious staying power, a 40% market share, and a track record of bouncing back from strategic missteps.

Fast forward to now: the stock has fallen even further, testing investor patience. But the long-term picture hasn’t changed, and neither has my outlook.

I’m still holding my position – and recent developments (like the Dick’s-Foot Locker takeover deal) suggest Nike’s rebound might finally be taking shape.

That’s today’s Insight: what’s changed, why I’m still running with Nike, and what I’m watching next.

Read or listen to the Insight here

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Crypto or crypt-oh no

The US president has openly supported cryptocurrencies – heck, he even made his own.

Digital traders, though, have been let down by the slow pace of supportive policies. Maybe you’re still optimistic, but wary of backing volatile crypto coins themselves.

If so, you might like Direxion’s Daily Crypto Industry Bull 2X Shares (LMBO). The fund tracks businesses building the wider crypto ecosystem: blockchain builders, pick-and-shovel plays, fintech disruptors, and more.

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LMBO and REKT seek daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 200%, or 100% of the inverse, of the performance of the Solactive Distributed Ledger & Decentralized Payment Tech Index.

So whether you predict (and want a piece of) a future financial system run on digital currencies, or think fiat will rule the day, Direxion could have the ETF for you.

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Drive To Surprise
Drive To Surprise

What’s going on here?

BYD’s formula won: the Chinese firm became Europe’s biggest EV seller last month, beating Tesla in a photo finish.

What does this mean?

BYD outsold Tesla globally last year, securing 777 billion yuan ($107 billion) in revenue versus Tesla’s $98 billion. That was mainly thanks to the Chinese carmaker’s home market: 90% of BYD’s 2024 sales were made in China. But the firm’s big in Europe now, too. It sold 7,231 fully electric cars there last month, beating Tesla’s 7,165 by a hair. And get this: while BYD’s figure was 169% higher than last April, Tesla’s was down 49% – despite the US carmaker launching its new Model Y vehicle.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: Ten points to BYD’s playbook.

BYD has focused on rolling out new products at full-tilt Ferrari speed, while designing and producing almost everything itself. Importantly, the firm sells its flashy cars at humble prices. BYD’s cheapest available EV in Europe is the €20,000 ($22,564) Dolphin Surf, which has many similar features to Tesla’s most affordable option: the much more expensive $42,000 Model 3. But while cheap(er) and cheerful pricing has helped BYD gain customers, it’s also kept margins razor-thin. And if the firm loses market share to a fierce competitor, or if tariffs exacerbate costs and complicate international sales, BYD may not have enough financial padding to cushion the blow.

For markets: The great sprawl of China.

BYD may be the pearl of China’s carmaking industry, but the whole oyster’s worth watching. As a collective, the country’s EV makers sold 59% more vehicles this April than last. You can zoom out further from there, too. Many Chinese companies – from carmakers to AI innovators and battery manufacturers – are now setting the pace in the global tech sector. They have cheap credit, supportive government policies, and a protected home market on their side, helping them produce world-leading creations at (relatively) bargain-basement prices. That’s enough to trump the legacy and loyalty that Western brands often rely on.

You might also like: How to value Tesla.

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📈 SQUIGGLY LINES OF THE DAY

Tesla vs BYD

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be."

– Khalil Gibran (a Lebanese-American writer and poet)
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🎯 On Our Radar

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2. I love you… when you’re quiet. Sometimes friendship pushes the mental load a little too far.

3. It’s not who you know, it’s what you know. You don’t need to be in the inner circles to invest in private assets anymore.

4. When mindfulness met restlessness. These tips will help you settle your brain when your body can’t stop.

5. You're invited. Grab your ticket for this year's Modern Investor Summit to mix and mingle with finance's inner circle.

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