Dear members—
Whether you love him or hate him, Elon Musk wants to change your world.
This week, our presentation for members focuses on Musk’s sprawling business empire and his futuristic ambitions. The presentation covers everything from how he became a millionaire at age 27 to his dream of dying on Mars (and what he’s doing to make that happen).
But Musk is a polarizing figure, and critics say his hype exceeds his admittedly significant accomplishments. His companies are ambitious, but don’t always hit the goals he publicly sets for them. For example, here’s a slide showing Tesla’s struggles to achieve consistent profitability.
You can view all of our presentations, which we produce exclusively for members, here. They’re designed to give you a quick read on a topic, which you can reformat and edit as you wish.
EXPORTING CBD
“Cannabis is becoming the world’s newest cash crop,” reports the latest episode of Because China, “even in places where it’s extremely illegal.” Despite the fact that using marijuana is against the law in China—selling it can get you the death penalty—the country is poised to become one of the world’s leading exporters of CBD.
We visited the Yunnan province of China, where a mix of loose regulation, inexpensive labor, and a long history of growing cannabis are fueling the rapid expansion of hemp farming.
China’s cannabis industry is following a familiar pattern. As companies rush to take advantage of a new opportunity, the national government initially takes a fairly hands-off approach. But the bigger the industry gets, the more likely it is that the government will step in. That’s what happened in China with mobile money and crypto.
You can watch the episode here, and you can watch other episodes in our Because China series here. If you want to go deeper on these topics, check out our field guides on CBD and on cannabis.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ETFS
I hope you’ve enjoyed our field guide on exchange-traded funds this week. The ETF explosion has its benefits, but it’s creating new risks and changing how markets work.
Join us at 11am ET for a discussion on ETFs with Elizabeth MacBride, author of the field guide. I’ll be asking her why ETFs became so popular, and what can be done to limit their downsides.
We’ll be taking questions and comments live on the video conference call at this time, accessible at the usual location. You can also send questions in advance to members@qz.com.
If you’d like to dial in, use the following numbers:
UK: 0800-014 8469
USA: 866-226 4650
For all of the numbers, the access code is 722 994 440. And you can find recordings of our past video calls here.
With best wishes for a relaxing and thought-filled weekend.
Walter Frick
Membership editor, Quartz