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The $20 billion boss

After its best ever day as a public company, Starbucks added the equivalent value of one of America's most read newspapers (NYT $9B), the biggest name in jeans (Levi's $7B), the nation's largest cinema chain (AMC $2B), with about $3B left in change... all because it announced a burrito chain expert as its new CEO.

Comparative chart of Starbucks' market cap. growth
Sherwood News

Investors seem delighted with the news that Brian Niccol, current CEO at Chipotle and a former exec at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, will take the reins in September, replacing Laxman Narasimhan who served as CEO for ~16 months.

The 24.5% rise in SBUX's share price equated to the coffee chain’s market cap. soaring to just shy of $109 billion at the end of yesterday, as people wait to see if "Chipotle's redeemer" has the Schultzian credentials. But, after such a positive coronation, the new SBUX boss has their work cut out, with the company facing pressure from activist investors, a consumer base that’s getting fed up with price hikes, and a China business that has to run just to stay still.

Comparative chart of Starbucks' market cap. growth
Sherwood News

Investors seem delighted with the news that Brian Niccol, current CEO at Chipotle and a former exec at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, will take the reins in September, replacing Laxman Narasimhan who served as CEO for ~16 months.

The 24.5% rise in SBUX's share price equated to the coffee chain’s market cap. soaring to just shy of $109 billion at the end of yesterday, as people wait to see if "Chipotle's redeemer" has the Schultzian credentials. But, after such a positive coronation, the new SBUX boss has their work cut out, with the company facing pressure from activist investors, a consumer base that’s getting fed up with price hikes, and a China business that has to run just to stay still.

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Hims to stop offering copy of Wegovy pill following FDA scrutiny

Hims & Hers said it has decided to stop offering its newly launched copycat version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, after the telehealth company drew criticism from the Food and Drug Administration. 

“Since launching the compounded semaglutide pill on our platform, we’ve had constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry. As a result, we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment,” Hims wrote on X.

Shares of Hims are down double digits in premarket trading on Monday, while Novo Nordisk ADRs are up more than 6% as of 5:20 a.m. ET.

On Friday afternoon, the FDA said it would take “decisive steps” to restrict GLP-1 compounding. Department of Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart said on social media Friday he had referred Hims to the Department of Justice “for investigation for potential violations by Hims of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable Title 18 provisions.”

Hims launched the product last week, a seeming copy of a recently released and patented drug, which immediately drew fire from Novo Nordisk and regulators.

Shares of Hims are down double digits in premarket trading on Monday, while Novo Nordisk ADRs are up more than 6% as of 5:20 a.m. ET.

On Friday afternoon, the FDA said it would take “decisive steps” to restrict GLP-1 compounding. Department of Health and Human Services General Counsel Mike Stuart said on social media Friday he had referred Hims to the Department of Justice “for investigation for potential violations by Hims of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable Title 18 provisions.”

Hims launched the product last week, a seeming copy of a recently released and patented drug, which immediately drew fire from Novo Nordisk and regulators.

Hims oral semaglutide

Hims, long flying under regulators’ radar, finally strikes a nerve with its Wegovy pill copy

It’s unclear if the pill Hims is selling works or if the FDA will allow it.

$1.3M

There’s still plenty of money to be made in brainrot. The top 1,000 Roblox creators earned an average of $1.3 million in 2025 — up 50% from the year prior — according to CEO Dave Baszucki on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

Roblox paid out $1.5 billion to creators last year, meaning its top 1,000 creators took home about 87% of the total pool.

Like other creator economy giants, Roblox rewards its biggest creators for their contributions to user engagement. Creator-made titles like “Grow a Garden” and “Steal a Brainrot” substantially boosted playing time over the course of the year. In September, the company increased its developer exchange rate, or the ratio of in-game currency to cash payout, by 8.5%.

Texas Governor Abbott And Google Make Economic Development Announcement In Midlothian

Alphabet could buy some pretty huge businesses with the amount of money it plans to spend this year

AI outlays have gone full nut-nut. Even Google, one of the most capital-efficient businesses of all time in its heyday, is spending like there’s no tomorrow.

Tom Jones2/6/26

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