Apple/tech analysis. Founder/author https://nitter.cf/t.co/lPSav2ULYE (@AboveAvalon) & https://nitter.cf/t.co/aUaEhWriFN (@InsideOrchard). Producer/host AVALON (@AvalonPod).
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Little surprises here and there with HomeView. Easily turn articles and such found in Safari into an impromptu podcast episode in the kitchen while cooking or doing dishes.
A closer look at HomeView. I have to say - the setup had Apple Vision Pro vibes. There’s a certain coolness factor here.
Here’s a quick HomeView unboxing. This was actually the first time I lifted a HomeView. It’s much heavier than it looks. Also, A+ packaging.
One takeaway from the U.S. midterms was that Elon Musk is facing a "now or never" situation regarding merging SpaceX and Tesla. No one involved is going to take the risk of a less friendly administration taking power in January 2029. Assuming no hiccups, a 12-16 month timeline is realistic. If we use an October 2028 end date, that pegs April 2027 as a deadline for announcing a merger. In classic Musk style, things will be fast-tracked so Dec 2026 to April 2027 is the announcement window.
Two weeks ago during SpaceX’s second earnings call as a public company, Elon Musk was asked about a SpaceX and Tesla merger.
For someone not known to shy away from bold predictions, Musk didn’t use the opportunity to talk up a merger. Instead, Musk went so far as to throw some cold water on the idea.
To me, such rare narrative control from Musk spoke to the seriousness of a SpaceX and Tesla merger. In my newest Inside Orchard essay, available below, I lay out the reasons why I think a SpaceX and Tesla merger is likely. I discuss timelines, deal terms, and why SpaceX will need to put in some work in crafting a compelling story for the merger.
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Looks like the Tesla / SpaceX boards are leaking to the press that a merger may be announced within the next month.
No surprise.
My newest Inside Orchard essay, found below, went over why I think a Tesla & SpaceX merger is likely.
Two weeks ago during SpaceX’s second earnings call as a public company, Elon Musk was asked about a SpaceX and Tesla merger.
For someone not known to shy away from bold predictions, Musk didn’t use the opportunity to talk up a merger. Instead, Musk went so far as to throw some cold water on the idea.
To me, such rare narrative control from Musk spoke to the seriousness of a SpaceX and Tesla merger. In my newest Inside Orchard essay, available below, I lay out the reasons why I think a SpaceX and Tesla merger is likely. I discuss timelines, deal terms, and why SpaceX will need to put in some work in crafting a compelling story for the merger.
It is natural for people to look at Apple executives as possible candidates for NVIDIA CEO. Apple executives, including Tim Cook, are best-in-class. Any SVP rank or equivalent at Apple is equivalent to CEO at any other company. Most VPs at Apple can be CEOs at other tech firms.
With that said, Apple is the most unique company in the world. Executives became best-in-class in part because of the team around them.
A number of Apple executives have / are gone on to lead troubled companies with little to no success as those other companies lacked the needed ingredients and culture for success.
An Apple -> NVIDIA leadership move doesn't pass the smell test for me. Two very differnet companies, two very different cultures. NVIDIA is going to need to go through some very difficult times given what Jensen and the board did to that company (no proper succession plan). For many / most outsiders, the NVIDIA CEO role is going to be labeled as untouchable given the difficult environment one would be jumping into.
1) NVIDIA’s board (rightly) fires Jensen Huang. Anyone suggesting the board should have turned a blind eye to clear policy violations (and more) on Jensen’s part is not being intellectually honest with themselves.
2) The board appoints the CFO as interim CEO largely for continuity purposes regarding Wall Street. Very unlikely she stays on as CEO.
3) The board will conduct a full-fledged CEO search, claiming external and internal candidates will be considered. All of that is boilerplate actions that are 100% by the book. Next CEO will likely come from within. However, given lack of succession, things can get ugly.
In summary, NVIDIA’s board is finally showing proper corporate governance, thanks to outside consultants and teams telling them what to do. Board members will also prepare their own legal defense. Many of these board members will eventually be forced out / resign due to their incompetence leading up to this.
My assumption is that NVIDIA's board has already lined up its own legal defense. The shareholder lawsuits alleging inadequate corporate governance are coming. This will undoubtedly impact how the board will handle CEO succession as well. They are going to do things by the book. The right thing to do in the face of not having a succession plan in place is to appoint an interim CEO to take over immediately. A full-fledged CEO search would then take occur over a number of weeks / months.
I can't believe how few people are willing to call out NVIDIA (both Jensen Huang & the board) for not having a proper succession plan in place. Folks, that is one of the biggest no-nos in modern corporate management and governance.
I always knew the grift was strong with many FinTwit accounts, but this NVIDIA news really is putting a spotlight on just how fraudulent so many of the popular market accounts are. Zero understanding of public boards, why companies have ethics policies, and company processes.
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Elon Musk advocating for submissive boards that work on behalf of celebrity founders / CEOs. He would certainly know what that’s like.
Elon Musk backs calls for Nvidia's board to wait for the investigation's findings before ousting Jensen Huang.
Investor Gavin Baker also suggested a $NVDA shareholder vote.
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My assumption is that NVIDIA's board has already lined up its own legal defense. The shareholder lawsuits alleging inadequate corporate governance are coming. This will undoubtedly impact how the board will handle CEO succession as well. They are going to do things by the book. The right thing to do in the face of not having a succession plan in place is to appoint an interim CEO to take over immediately. A full-fledged CEO search would then take occur over a number of weeks / months.
Call me crazy, but this clip of Jensen Huang lying through his teeth to Joe Rogan last year was a precursor for what was to come. Jensen Huang was a storyteller. Truth wasn't prioritized. Instead, everything was said and done to promote a story that positioned NVIDIA as the sun.
Jensen Huang told Joe Rogan that he reads several thousand emails in the morning. Every day. Including holidays. He framed the behavior as an example of why NVIDIA has a certain corporate culture.
I have some thoughts about this.
Do the math and you would need to read an email every two seconds for two hours to reach 3,600 emails. I can’t even open emails that quickly. “Maybe Jensen meant he scans or organizes thousands of emails every day.” If that’s what he meant, he's clearly not reading the emails, and his whole point in bringing the email thing up was to talk about paying attention.
Why does this matter? Isn’t Jensen just having fun with Joe Rogan with some exaggerated stories? Who cares, right?
That’s the whole point.
Jensen Huang needs to be a compelling storytelling because he needs AI mania to continue so that NVIDIA’s customers have the confidence to continue buying what NVIDIA is selling. You can also make the argument that Jensen needs to sell NVIDIA to shareholders etc. to maintain a certain multiplier that would be placed against the company’s earnings.
Most household names in AI are in the same boat. Their storytelling needs to be good to keep people excited and optimistic about all things AI (to keep funding rounds greased, user metrics elevated, etc.)
Elon Musk fits the same mold. Elon needs compelling stories to keep things going. EV sales not great / autonomous competition heating up = not a problem for Tesla as Musk shifts to talking about how Tesla humanoid robots will save humanity. He has the captive audience who will eat the stories up too.
To a certain degree every CEO / founder / company needs to be a good storyteller. The problem is found when people actually believe the stories. If Jensen exaggerates his email reading habits, what else is he exaggerating?
Look at the comments to Dr Magoo’s tweet and some people legitimately believe Jensen Huang reads several thousand emails every day, 365 days a year.
A small fib about email reading habits may seem innocent enough. However, it ends up saying a ton about how manias form, grow, and are then nurtured.
Moral of the story: Don’t fall victim to exaggerated storytelling.
NVIDIA's board plans to fire Jensen Huang.
A company with no discernible succession plan in place, partly because the thought of not having Jensen Huang as CEO was unthinkable to so many people within NVIDIA, finds itself in need of a new CEO.
Breaking: Nvidia’s board is preparing to oust CEO Jensen Huang, its founder and chief executive after he had two extramarital affairs, including one with a suspected Chinese spy. on.wsj.com/4jcpr01
There's a new version of this post
It's been a few weeks, and the Verge continues to do damage control for their off-the-mark iPhone Duo review. This new article from them (not worth reading - trust me) consisted of the Verge reaching out to a grand total of three people who returned an iPhone Duo to ask them why they returned the device. The Verge, linking to their ridiculous review, then tried to say how they saw these complaints coming. The best part is that no one named in the article mentioned the items the Verge said were going to be Duo dealbreakers for people. Oops. As for those of you who enjoy using the Duo, I'm sure the Verge will be reaching to you to get your reasons any minute now.
New day, new Cybertruck strategy. This is all so tiring.
Musk clearly wants to change the "Cybertruck flopped" narrative so he's now making it seem he is killing a thriving car model.
As I write in my newest Inside Orchard essay, found below, a SpaceX / Tesla merger stands to be a legitimate good thing for Tesla as new leaders are brought in to put this company on the right track.
insideorchard.com/essays/why…
In order to work through more of the Cybertruck order backlog, production will be extended through the end of summer 2027
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