🀄👵 “Crazy Rich Aces” — Mahjong’s “GrannyCore” surge. Elon’s record bonus. NY Post’s Californiacation. Hennessey’s rap biz.

0:28This is Nick. Sounds like you lost. No, I finished. I finished. And I'm not sore. Yet. By the way, Yetis, thank you so much for the baby. Congratulations. Is it an easy process to get pregnant? Hasn't been an easy pregnancy. Molly's doing fantastic, by the way. But thank you for your comments, guys. For those who didn't listen to yesterday's show, Nick announced that he and Molly are expecting their second baby. It's an IBO baby. Initial baby offering. We're very excited. We got a fantastic show today for the besties. What do we got on today's pod? For our first story, the hot new networking activity for ambitious American women is a 200-year-old Chinese tile game.

1:07Mahjong ain't just a game yet, as Mahjong is a wild business. For our second story, Tesla announced yesterday it's letting Elon Musk buy 96 million shares of Tesla at 2018 prices. What does that mean, Jack? It means Tesla just gave Elon Musk the biggest bonus in human history. In the most awkward timing ever. And our third and final story is the New York Post. The iconic tabloid newspaper is expanding to Los Angeles with the California Post. But few know that the New York Post actually began with Alexander Hamilton taking his shot. But yet is before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. Whoa, I mean, what a mix of stories for T-Boy Tuesday.

1:53Whoa is the appropriate reaction to that rundown. Yes, it is. Yetis, yesterday we hit you up with some trivia. What product is referenced in more rap songs than any other product? This brand has the most rapper name drops of all time. We even gave you a fill-in-the-blank hint from a Tupac song. Yeah, here it is, here it is, here it is. Forget that gin and juice, just pour me a glass of that blank. The answer is Hennessy. Hennessy. Today, Hennessy is the biggest cognac brand in the world. And Henny is Rick Ross's muse. Get this. Hennessy controls 60 % of the U.S. cognac market, and it's owned by Louis Vuitton.

2:36But here's what's wild. What's beloved today by rappers was originally for French royalty. So how did Hennessy go from French castles to American rap recording studios? How did it go from Kings and Queens to Nas and Biggie? and then get acquired by LVMH along the way. Well, Bessies, Hennessy is the wildest brand journey Jack and I had ever heard of. And core to the story is Aretha Franklin's famous song. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect. So we'll tell you all about it in our weekly show, The Best Idea Yet. Because this week's episode reveals Hennessy's pivot to become a symbol of black ambition. We drop the link in the episode description to make it easy for you.

3:16And you're gonna love it. But Jack, in the meantime, today's show is fantastic. What do you say we hit our three stories? I'm ready, dude. 15 years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in a dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet, but the best is the norm. Jack Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip. T-Boy City on your at list. If you know, you know, because we ready to go. We can't wait no more, so just start the show.

3:48Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

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4:54Indeed.com slash podcast and mention T-Boy. Terms and conditions apply. Need a hiring hero? This is a job for Indeed-sponsored jobs. Monarch. Yeah, it is. You know my first money lesson? It was where to put our lemonade stand. I was wondering. It was on the Upper East Side. Do we do it on Lexington Avenue or Park Avenue? Wait a second. New York City has lemonade stands on the sidewalk? They didn't. We were pioneers, Jack. Lexington Avenue is more commercial. So park is more residential. So what did we learn, Jack? Families are willing to pay more for lemonade. So you set it up on park. Yeah, we did it on park.

5:24Besties, no one gives you financial lessons in life. You end up figuring most of it out as you grow up. But we love Monarch because it's like a financial advisor in your pocket. Because every minute it's tracking your savings, spending, investments, and more. For instance, Monarch's goal tracking feature shows if you're on track for that summer trip to Santa Fe. And it tells you what percent of your income is going somewhere that's a surprise. I open Monarch all the time because it takes the mental load off tracking my finances. And whether you're single, you're in a family, or you're dinking it up, Monarch's the way.

5:48Our personal fave, the AI Weekly Recap, a once-per-week gut check on what you did with your money. Hey, Nick, you've spent 96 bucks at kids' lemonade stands since July. Because we pioneered it for him, Jack Resties. Write your own story with Monarch. Use code T-Boy at Monarch.com to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just 50 bucks. It's 50 % off your first year at Monarch.com with code T-Boy. This is Hannah Berner, the co-host of Giggly Squad. We could all just stay in bed scrolling through other people's vacations forever, but where is the fun in that? The best memories come from stepping outside of your little bubble and being open to the unexpected.

6:25And what better way to be open to the unexpected than finally booking that trip to Europe? You guys know I'm a Delta girly. Every time I go, I get my Delta headphones. And when I fly to Europe, Delta treats me like a queen and they'll treat you to. I was always a little nervous about navigating a foreign country but then I realized it's so important to grow and see different cultures and to put yourself in different situations and Delta held my hand the whole time. Being away just helps you put life into perspective and your little worries are not so bad. Travel really is the best way to discover something new about yourself and grow from the experience.

7:05Step outside your comfort zone this summer, get some Delta headphones, and fly with Delta Airlines. They truly are the best way to get to Europe, and they just make the whole journey feel so comfortable and seamless. Go book your next chapter right now at Delta.com.

7:23For our first story, the hot new networking trend for women in their 20s is a 200-year-old Chinese game. Mahjong is surging right now in America, and it's got the most unique business model we've ever seen. Ah, Mahjong. Yeti's long considered a game for grandmothers. But yeah, could I brag for a second here? My mother-in-law is the top-ranked Mahjong player on Nantucket right now. I know. That's what I heard. If you see Meg in Naples, you do not want to challenge her to a Mahjong game. She will take your money. What is Mahjong? Yeti's, it's a tile-based game. It's basically a mix of like rummy and poker.

8:03Yeah, like if Uno and Chess had a baby, but it turned into an East Asian soap opera. That's Mahjong. It was invented in China in the 1800s. And in the 1900s, then outdoorsy company Abercrombie & Fitch imported Mahjong to the United States for the first time and marketed it as an exotic game. In the 1950s, Mahjong was banned in communist China, although now it is unbanned and very popular again. In the 1920s, the American Jewish community adopted this game as a social ritual in New York City. And in 2018, Mahjong took off with its most viral moment yet. Crazy Rich Asians. Yes. Everyone's finally like, oh, that game.

8:40Yes, the game at the end of Crazy Rich Asians. You don't mess with a Mahjong grandma, do you, man? Now, Mahjong is seen to have brain-boosting benefits that could potentially combat dementia for old people. And during the pandemic, during the board game boom, what did we see happen with Mahjong, Jack? It was Mahjong mayhem. But here's what we find fascinating, Eddies. Mahjong has only accelerated out there. The game of Mahjong, the game of grandmas, is everywhere you look here in America. And the next time you go to a DJ dance party, it's probably going to have a Mahjong table. According to data from Eventbrite, events with the word Mahjong in the description are up 180 % nationwide in the last year.

9:23It's granny core. People are freaking out. You're doing your hair in a bonnet and you're playing Mahjong. And San Francisco is where Mahjong is most popular because it's become the new female founder networking activity. Here's the plot twist. Inc. Magazine interviewed dozens of female founders on how they're making business connections. And Jack, how are they making business connections? Not through pickleball, Nick. Through Mahjong. Forget the conferences and cold intros. Mahjong is the new IRL LinkedIn for ladies. Inc. spoke to the founder of Parachute, the home goods company, and she hosts a Mahjong night with 20 other female founders.

9:58at our house. And down in Austin, founders are ditching VC mixers and instead going to Mahjong tournaments. There's even a startup in Los Angeles that hosts 14 Mahjong events a month, inviting up to 200 people. Some nights are so big, they got to rent a warehouse for this thing with a disco ball. 10 bucks a ticket, 200 people show up. Yes. 14 events per month. Calculating. That's a 28 ,000 a month business. Sit down, stand up and pass the tiles, Jack. And it brings the game full circle. Because 100 years ago, Mahjong was considered the first socially acceptable way that Chinese-American women could bring money into the family by betting on Mahjong.

10:35Well, today, a century later, 27-year-old female techies are meeting their co-founder over Mahjong. And it turns out the$2.6 billion Mahjong industry has at its core one all-powerful company. So Jack, In deference to my mother-in-law, what's the takeaway for our buddies playing Mahjong? Mahjong is actually a codebreaker product. Yetis, the game of Uno is owned by Mattel. The game of Monopoly is owned by Hasbro. But there is no corporate owner of Mahjong. However, there is one non-profit who makes huge revenue on this game. The National Mahjong League. Ah, the league. This league manages the rules for Mahjong for 350 ,000 players in America.

11:21They don't sell the tiles or the board you need to play, but they do sell a trademarked rule card, which is essential if you want to play the game. And here's the key. That$14 rule card, it changes every year. So each year, 350 ,000 people have to pay 14 bucks for a brand new card. That's$5 million in revenue just from a card that costs next to nothing to print and sell. Now, this is a profit puppy product. Although we should point out, the nonprofit donates the proceeds to health and humanitarian charities. But the business model of selling a rule card that unlocks the game for all? That reminds us of a codebreaker.

11:56Codebreakers. Encrypted messages are worthless unless you have the code. Just like these tiles are worthless without this year's rule card. That's how this nonprofit generates$5 million in revenue, simply by printing new cards each year. Ah, the Mahjong League. It makes millions without any innovation. And that is one of the most unique things we've ever seen in business.

12:22For our second story, Tesla just announced it's hooking up Elon with$30 billion, the biggest bonus for any CEO ever. Here's why Tesla thinks the world's richest man also now needs the world's biggest bonus. All right, Jacob, we're going to tell this story. I'm just going to pull a book off the shelf. One second, one second. Elon Musk and the Delaware Chancery Court. It does sound like the eighth Harry Potter, doesn't it? But it's actually just the context you need to understand Monday's news. Because yet he is as CEO of Tesla. Elon Musk has made his shareholders incredibly rich. We're talking Draco Malfoy rich.

13:03Because the stock has risen from$23 in 2018 to$300 today. Tesla went from$50 billion valuation to a$1 trillion valuation. And here's the shocker. Elon was not paid a single dollar from Tesla since 2018. He's arguably the full-time CEO, and yet Tesla pays him no salary, zero annual bonus. Why are they not paying the CEO? Here's why. In 2018, the board of Tesla gave Elon the ultimate put-up-or-shut-up pay package. Put up or pay up? What does that kind of a pay package look like, Jack? Elon would only get paid if the stock rose. And rise it did. Faster and further than any stock in history, except Nvidia, ever.

13:51But you probably remember last year when the court in Delaware blocked his unique bonus twice. And that is why furious Tesla abandoned Delaware as its corporate home and moved on down to Texas. Which brings us to today. Tesla is trying to make good on the money Elon is owed. And this time, Delaware can't stop them. So on Monday, Tesla's board announced they're giving Elon 96 million shares of Tesla two years from today. Okay, that's the news. Let's dive in T-boy style. Jack, can we break down this paycheck, please? In two years, Elon Musk will get the right to buy Tesla stock at 2018 prices because 2018 is when he agreed to that big compensation plan.

14:35Okay, we got to sprinkle on even more context here, Jack. How much exactly is 96 million shares of Tesla worth today if it was bought at 2018 prices from seven years ago? That would be a bargain worth$30 billion. $30 billion. Besties, 30 billion bucks is as big as Kraft Heinz. It's as huge as Lululemon. With that much money, you could buy Snap twice. You could buy Lyft six times. Jack, this is the biggest bonus in human history since Genghis Khan treated himself to the Balkans. I'd fact check that, but I don't know anything about Genghis Khan. Trust me, he just took. Seriously, Yetis, buying Tesla shares in 2018, that's like buying a cottage in the Hamptons in the 1950s.

15:20That's a good deal. So the pay package is gonna be voted on by Tesla shareholders at their November shareholder meeting. But here's what Jack and I find fascinating. Jack, can you share it with the Yetis, please? The board said yesterday that they're not paying Elon this gigantic bonus for his past performance. They're paying him to incentivize him to remain at Tesla. Which leads to a question that led to our takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Tesla? Does a little more money incentivize the already richest person in the world? Yetis, to be clear, Elon got rich on Tesla just like everyone because he is Tesla's biggest shareholder.

15:59Which brings us to the incredible headline of yesterday. Tesla is paying the richest man in the world, the biggest bonus ever, while the company is doing worse than ever. Now remember, besties, Elon splits his time as CEO of X and XAI and SpaceX and the boring company and Neuralink and Tesla. And the most active Twitter user of all time. So we're not sure increasing his ownership in Tesla from 13 % of the company to 16 % is going to change many things. We're also not sure that keeping Elon as the CEO for the next two years is the best thing for the company. But the board does think so, don't Jay Jack?

16:35They're offering him 96 million shares to stick around for two more years. And you know what? Shareholders agree. The stock rose 3 % on Monday on that very decision. But only time will answer the question. Can a little more money incentivize the already richest person in the world? May have worked with Genghis Khan. Don't know if it's going to work with Elon. Now a quick word from our sponsor. NetSuite Next. Yeti, they say time travel is not possible, but have you heard of this theory? Every day your business is late to AI, you fall two days behind. Therefore, if you get ahead of AI, that means you're basically traveling two days into the future.

17:13I'm actually fact-checking that math with Christopher Nolan right now. Yeah, we gotta double-check that. But that is definitely how NetSuite Next works, because the next leap in how business gets done is by sticking AI into everything you do. NetSuite by Oracle helps you do that. It automatically surfaces custom insights because their AI has the context of all your business data. AI agents work with you to solve daily problems, saving you time and money. And anytime you have a question, you just ask them like they're your colleagues. So besties, if you aren't sure how to use AI for your company, this is honestly the perfect place for you to start.

17:41NetSuite. And once you use it, it'll feel like time travel with Michael J. Fox. In a good way. So yeah, it is for the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to netsuite.ai slash tboy. Built for every industry, ready for every boardroom. netsuite.ai slash tboy. This episode is brought to you by Bill, the intelligent finance platform that helps businesses scale with proven results. Yet he's paying and getting paid. That is a pain for small and medium-sized businesses. Jack, did you send the invoice? Did they see the invoice? Did you remember to remind them to see to pay to remember to pay the invoice?

18:16If you drop the ball in any one of those steps, you don't get paid. Nope. And you're missing out on cashflow. You should not have to chase your customers. This isn't tag. So powered by AI, Build does all that simply and automated so that you don't have to. ACH, credit card, check, international wire transfers. They probably do carrier pigeon Bill Pay if that's how you want to get paid. Bill is the intelligent finance platform trusted by nearly half a million businesses and 98 of the top 100 US accounting firms to manage, move, and maximize your money. They have securely processed over a trillion dollars in real transactions.

18:48That is proven infrastructure you can actually trust. So besties, talk to an expert at bill.com slash proven and get$150 gift card as a thank you. That's bill.com slash proven. Terms and conditions apply. See offer page for details. For our third and final story, America's oldest newspaper, the New York Post is launching its second newspaper, the California Post. Newspaper or tabloid, we'll discuss the difference and connect it all to Alexander Hamilton. Yeah, that Alexander Hamilton. But besties, funny thing about the New York Post, that print newspaper actually made its way all the way up to Vermont when Jack was growing up to your front porch, right, man?

19:30Not to my front porch, but my dad would buy it at the store every day. I knew they couldn't make it all the way there. Dude, every road trip, I was reading like baseball statistics from the backseat. Oh, I can understand, I can understand. When I would wake up in the morning, Jack, there'd be a stack of newspapers in our elevator. New York Post was honestly the biggest one. You know, my favorite headline ever. This is so good. Headless body found in topless bar. That is the most epic New York Post headline. Yeah. Like the New York Times probably covered the story, murder at gentlemen's club. But the New York Post?

20:02But the New York Post said, headless body found in topless bar. The New York Post. The headlines are poetry. The sports page has a cold following in page six. Oh, that is the world gossip column, baby. If the New York Times is the straight A student sitting in the front row of class, the New York Post is in detention. But it's the most popular kid in the whole class. Get this, Yetis. The New York Post actually is America's oldest still running newspaper. Because it was founded by Alexander Hamilton. I feel like Lin-Manuel forgot to mention this in the play. It could have been a whole nother act in the musicals yet.

20:39I know. Founded in 1801 by Alexander Hamilton, the New York Post was used to oppose Thomas Jefferson's presidential run. So it began as propaganda. Right. The whole point of the Post was to advocate for federalism, which won out as a way of evidence, by the way, instead of Jefferson's state-dominated union that he wanted. Alexander Hamilton, my name is Alexander Hamilton, and there's a million things I haven't done except start a newspaper, which still exists today. It's the New York Post. Now, some would argue that the New York Post is still engaged in propaganda because it's owned by Rupert Murdoch.

21:13Rupert Murdoch, the Australian right-wing billionaire who owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal as part of News Corp. News Corp did$8 billion in revenue last year, and they actually report earnings today. But besties, despite all the attention on Trump right now, the New York Post has actually seen a surprising slowdown. They announced last quarter that their digital reach fell by 25%. So, Yetis, the New York Post is doing what anyone uncertain of their future does. They move to California. I thought you were going to say they're doing what the Brooklyn Dodgers did, but I like yours better.

21:46The New York Post is expanding to California with a print newspaper, taking their talents to lovely Los Angeles in 2026. It's going to be called the California Post. So, if you're wondering who is Leonardo DiCaprio dating these days, check the New York Post if he's currently at his New York condo. But check the California Post if he's hanging out at his Beverly Hills mansion. Here's the strategy. Rupert Murdoch thinks that the decline of the Los Angeles Post leaves a void in the newspaper market. This is just before the World Cup, the Olympics, the governor's election. The next year is going to be really big in Cali.

22:19Plus, 90 % of the Post's digital readers are outside of New York. And the biggest market is the 7 million readers from California. So add it all up and real life Logan Roy is leveraging his famous New York Post brand for a California Post brand. Starting next year. Not just digital, it's going to be in print as well. Can you believe a new daily print newspaper just launched? So besties, here's the question we're wondering. Do you call this new creation a newspaper or do you call it a tabloid? Because there's actually a difference. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at the California Post?

22:56LA is a tantalizing target for a tabloid. Yetis, few realize this, but technically a tabloid just means it's printed on smaller paper than a newspaper. There's one fold instead of two folds in the paper. Whereas the New York Times is a newspaper. To open that thing up completely, you need an entire, like, library table. It's huge. Better reason why the Post is known as a tabloid. What is it, Jack? It's that the Post is not known for deep investigative journalism, like their crosstown rivaled the New York Times. The Post is more known for gossip. And where there are powerful, famous, and beautiful people, therein lies gossip.

23:32Look at what Los Angeles offers in terms of gossip. You got two NFL teams, two NBA teams, two MLB teams, and two NHL teams. But you also have a bit of news there, like in entertainment. The Beverly Hills Hotel at 8 a.m.? That restaurant is the source of eavesdropping on whatever Hollywood studios are about to merge. And then in tech, SpaceX is based in L.A. County. and every AI company is somewhere between LA and the Bay Area. So this is what we find fascinating. Even in a digital and fractured media landscape, one physical paper with a reputation for gossip and some news could actually become the one source to check.

24:07Plus, E! News just shut down, leaving an even bigger void in the market. So besties, the way we see it, the New York Post's first expansion in 225 years, it's actually long overdue.

24:22Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T-Boy Tuesday? Mahjong is the tile and card game from Crazy Rich Asians that's now played by female founders in America. But at its core is a code-breaking non-profit that makes 5 million bucks a year selling rule cards. For our second story, Tesla is awarding Elon Musk with a$30 billion bonus to incentivize him to focus on Tesla. But the big question, will boosting Elon's ownership of Tesla from 13 % to 16 % really motivate him on Tesla. And our third and final story, the New York Post is expanding to LA with the California Post, a daily print tabloid starting next year.

25:03Lovely Los Angeles with its sports, celebs, and power people is the perfect headline for a tabloid. But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, American Eagle stock is MAGA memeing right now, something we have never seen before. First, American Eagle stock surged 15 % on a jeans collaboration with Sidney Sweeney. But then the stock fell 10 % on backlash about the genetics undertones of her good jeans. But then it surged yesterday 17 % after American Eagle doubled down and defended the ad. And Trump weighed in, praising the ad, and reports that Sidney Sweeney is registered as a Republican.

25:40Second, Amazon is reorganizing the Wondery podcast studio that it owns, including, sadly, with over 100 layoffs. As Amazon put it, podcasting is shifting to video and creators, so Wondery will too. As many of you know, Wondery manages the ads for this show and is a production partner for our other show. But we want to let you know that neither of our shows is affected by this news from everything we know so far. But we have worked with many Wondery people. They're extremely talented, they're hardworking, they're impressive, and we feel terrible for any of the layoffs. It's an amazing group of people.

26:12We've been so impressed with everyone who works there, so really terrible to see the news. We will vouch positively for all of them in the future. And finally, the Points Guy is turning from a website into a hotel booking app. The Points Guy became famous for hacks about how to optimize your credit card points. But now points fatigue has gotten so bad, he's building his own hotel booking system. It's basically an alliance of independent hotels, and it ensures you get a discount just by booking directly with the website. What we're saying here, Jack, I think is the Points Guy is disrupting William Shatner.

26:44Finally. Now time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by Jack and me for T-Boy Tuesday. Happy birthday to the traffic light. Yeah, happy 111th birthday. You don't look a day over, I want to say 56. The first ever traffic light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio. So it was red, it was yellow, and it was green. Yeah, it actually hasn't changed that much. So we actually did a story on AI traffic lights that are coming soon. and if you remember that story, then you know how big a deal today is. By the way, we got a link in the episode description for you to submit your best fact yet and get on the pod.

27:22Or leave us a voicemail and we can get your fact and your voice on the pod. Yetis, you look fantastic today. And if you're looking to pour yourself a little post-pod beverage, I think Jack and I know exactly what you should be serving. I'm not Tupac, but the lyric to fill in here is Hennessy. We got a whole episode on the story of Hennessy. It's wild. It starts with the French kingdom. It ends in a rap studio. There's a link in the episode description. Check it out. And Nick and I will see you right back here tomorrow. Can't wait.

27:56And before we go, a happy 50th birthday to Augusto Perez celebrating over in lovely Madison, Wisconsin. Happy birthday to Farrah Asmussen in Wayland, Massachusetts. And Jeff Rodriguez is enjoying some wall ball in Baltimore. Happy birthday, Jeff. And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a T-boy. Celebrate the Mahjong wins.

28:20This is Jack. I own stock of Amazon and Nick own stock of Lululemon. This is Hannah Berner, the co-host of Giggly Squad. We could all just stay in bed scrolling through other people's vacations forever, but where is the fun in that? The best memories come from stepping outside of your little bubble and being open to the unexpected. And what better way to be open to the unexpected than finally booking that trip to Europe? You guys know I'm a Delta girly. Every time I go, I get my Delta headphones. And when I fly to Europe, Delta treats me like a queen and they'll treat you too. I was always a little nervous about navigating a foreign country.

28:59but then I realized it's so important to grow and see different cultures and to put yourself in different situations and Delta held my hand the whole time. Being away just helps you put life into perspective and your little worries are not so bad. Travel really is the best way to discover something new about yourself and grow from the experience. Step outside your comfort zone this summer, get some Delta headphones and fly with Delta Airlines. They truly are the best way to get to Europe and they just make the whole journey feel so comfortable and seamless. Go book your next chapter right now at delta.com.