A Columbia Lawsuit & a Starbucks Spill 05/01/24

VaynerX Chairman and branding expert Gary Vaynerchuk discusses the evolution of media and advertising as upfront season kicks into gear. Federal prosecutors at the Department of Justice say Boeing breached its 2021 settlement protecting the company from criminal prosecution for the two fatal 737 Max crashes. CNBC’s Phil LeBeau discusses the implications for Boeing and the importance of the company for the industry at large. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is honing in on risks for the 2024 election, less than 6 months away. Plus, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang made over $30m last year, a 60% hike from the year prior, Vanguard hired a former BlackRock executive as CEO, and the meme stock rally continues! But it might be fizzling out.  Phil LeBeau - 07:28Sen. Mark Warner - 15:57Gary Vaynerchuk - 23:43 In this episode:Gary Vaynerchuk, @garyveeSen. Mark Warner, @MarkWarnerPhil LeBeau, @LebeaucarnewsJoe Kernen,@JoeSquawkAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer,@Kramer_Katie

In a rare extended interview, Saba Capital Management founder and CIO Boaz Weinstein explains his campaign against the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock. Weinstein, a renowned risk-taking trader on Wall Street, takes on BlackRock’s closed end funds over a decade after he famously “harpooned” the London Whale in 2011. Plus, meme stocks like GameStop are still surging, thanks to “Roaring Kitty,” the Biden administration is ramping up China tariffs, and Kraft Heinz is reportedly exploring an Oscar Mayer sale. Boaz Weinstein - 16:10 In this episode:Joe Kernen,@JoeSquawkBecky Quick,@BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer,@Kramer_Katie

The Biden administration is planning to quadruple tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Investment banker and former Treasury official Roger Altman discusses fiscal policy’s impact on inflation and the road ahead for the American economy. Warby Parker co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa are doubling down on their brick and mortar strategy, despite starting as an e-commerce brand. The two discuss their company’s journey since IPO, their history of monetization, and their omnichannel approach to driving revenue. Plus, OpenAI is launching a new product, Apple workers at a store in New Jersey have voted against unionization, GameStop is on the rise again, and some Duke students walked out of Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement speech in protest.   Roger Altman - 12:47Neil Blumenthal & David Gilboa - 24:02 In this episode:Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie 

Microsoft is investing $3.3 billion in an AI strategy in Wisconsin. Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chairman and CEO of Revolution, discusses his own investments in projects in middle America and his optimism about big tech’s opportunities for economic growth outside of Silicon Valley. Happiness expert, author, AEI president emeritus, and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks weighs in on the turmoil across American college campuses. He’s optimistic about America’s period after unrest, and encourages listeners to love challenges to their perspectives, and to view the world beyond a good/evil binary. Plus, Chinese EV company Zeekr is ready to IPO, and Target is reportedly scaling back its Pride collections this summer.   Steve Case - 12:04Author Brooks - 24:45 In this episode:Arthur Brooks, @arthurbrooksSteve Case, @SteveCaseJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY 

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) discusses his own party’s push to oust him from his role. He says, lawmakers cannot afford to play petty politics with tensions high at home and abroad. Journalist Johann Hari has taken Ozempic for a year. He says it’s changed his life, but his new book “Magic Pill” details the dangers of weight loss drugs as well as their benefits. Plus, President Biden has given Israel an ultimatum, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are set to bundle their streaming content, and China’s electric vehicle race is speeding up.  Mike Johnson- 14:12Johann Hari - 27:54 In this episode:Mike Johnson, @SpeakerJohnsonJohann Hari, @johannhari101Joe Kernen,@JoeSquawkBecky Quick,@BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinCameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY

Electric vehicle maker Rivian reported a quarterly revenue beat and a cut to its capital spending forecast. CEO RJ Scaringe explains his vision for the future of EVs, the total addressable market, and Rivian’s charging station partnership with Tesla. NBCUniversal Vice Chair Bonnie Hammer has compiled the best–and worst–advice for workers new and seasoned in her new book, “15 Lies Women Are Told at Work…and the Truth We Need to Succeed.” After years in the business, Hammer shares her favorite moments of mentorship, and encourages younger generations to differentiate “personal worth” from “professional worth.” Microsoft will make a $3.3B AI investment in Wisconsin, and the Biden administration has revoked certain licenses to export chips to Huawei, the Chinese tech company. Plus, Disney stock is under pressure, and FTX is officially able to pay its customers back…with interest.   RJ Scaringe 16:00Bonnie Hammer 22:54 In this episode:RJ Scaringe. @RJScaringePhil LeBeau, @LebeaucarnewsJoe Kernen,@JoeSquawkBecky Quick,@BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer,@Kramer_Katie

Duquesne Family Office CEO Stanley Druckenmiller says he was perplexed by the Fed’s pivot, and that the Federal Reserve “fumbled on the five yard line with the game on the line.” In an extended interview, Druckenmiller discusses his famously successful investing track record and his bets on AI. SEC Chair Gary Gensler has put pressure on crypto, recently delivering “Wells Notice” to Robinhood and Consensys; the crypto community is firing back, and he’s ready to defend the SEC’s perspective on Ethereum and its role in protecting investors. Plus, Hims & Hers CEO walked back some of his comments on hiring pro-Palestinian protesters after Wall Street and Main Street pushed back on him and his stock.  Stanley Druckenmiller - 4:15Gary Gensler - 38:40 In this episode:Gary Gensler, @GaryGenslerJoe Kernen,@JoeSquawkBecky Quick,@BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer,@Kramer_Katie

We bring you part two of CNBC’s trip to Omaha, Nebraska for the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, where tens of thousands of Berkshire shareholders convene to hear from Warren Buffett every spring. It’s part shareholder meeting, part shopping spree, and for Bertie Buffett Elliott, part family reunion. Warren Buffett’s little sister Bertie sits down with Becky Quick in a special conversation about the Buffett family upbringing and her own Warren memories. The highlights of the 2024 meeting include Warren Buffett’s take on AI, his plans for Berkshire’s $182 billion cash pile, and his pieces of advice for all listeners, old and young. Plus, catch a cameo from the Harlem Globetrotters and celebrity shareholder Bill Murray, as well as a conversation between venture capitalist Ann Winblad and CNBC’s Mike Santoli and Becky Quick. 

We bring you to Omaha, Nebraska, with the tens of thousands of Berkshire shareholders that make the pilgrimage to Warren Buffett every spring. Hear the best of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, including why Buffett trimmed his stake in Apple, how he made a losing bet on Paramount, and what Berkshire looks like, after he’s gone. Plus, the highlights from the convention center floor, where Berkshire’s 60+ portfolio companies sell their wares to fans. See’s Candy CEO Pat Egan, Lubrizol CEO Rebecca Liebert, and Pilot CEO Adam Wright are all ready to dazzle the Berkshire attendees. Plus, hear from shareholders themselves! The 14-year-old Warren Buffett fan Daphne Kalir-Starr is back for her 7th annual meeting, and she’s more “invested” than ever. 

“I’m an accidental guru.” He was irreverent, he was focused, he was one of the world’s most successful investors, and he was one of a kind. Billionaire investor Charlie Munger, the longtime right-hand man and close friend of Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, died a few weeks shy of what would have been his 100th birthday. Becky Quick, Squawk Box co-host, interviewed Munger two weeks before his death in his home in Los Angeles. In this special conversation, Charlie Munger reflects on his century of life, the childhood traumas that shaped him, the investing wins and losses that made his career, and the perspective and knowledge he gained in his final years. For more, revisit our 2021 Squawk Pod series, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger: A Wealth of Wisdom. Squawk Pod is produced by Katie Kramer, Cameron Costa, Karoline Rouhotas and Zach Vallese.  CNBC’s Managing Editor is Lacy O’Toole. John Lazration edited this podcast series.