On Monday (9/21), SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce resigned her post effective October 2. That means there’ll be only 2 SEC Commissioners, out of the 5 mandated by law. Investors are best protected by an active vibrant SEC. I hope those 3 vacancies get addressed in the near term.

What a privilege to host the black tie Royal Performance and World Premiere of Tom Cruise’s new movie Digger, at our Odeon Luxe Leicester Square cinema in London. Attending: William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Today was an important day in the history of Hollywood. State Attorneys General settled their anti-trust case, so Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Brothers will proceed. I signed on to this transaction back in April because David Ellison pledged to make at least 30 movies per year (66% more than the number made by the two studios last year) and promised to respect theatrical windows. Now with the AG action, those commitments and more will be backed up by a binding five year “Consent Decree.” But I never had any doubt in David Ellison’s desire to support theatrical exhibition. In his heart, he is a consummate movie maker. Want proof? Again watch Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick, as I did this weekend. And he has a highly able team of executives in place at both studios. My prediction: Paramount and Warner will be in extraordinarily capable hands.

Hey there @dangallagher, in the past week you and @vladtenev CEO of Robinhood have made public comments defending your use of and “standing behind” your relatively new Stock Token concept. I think this practice is abhorrent. It defeats the very ethos of share ownership. Public financial markets were created so that companies could raise capital, and so that investors could share in the wealth created as a result. Not to turn investing instead merely into some gamified business-oriented casino. If by your own admission you can’t offer or sell Stock Tokens to “U.S. persons” why does your U.S. web site talk about them so much and so favorably? Vlad: How can a U.S. brokerage firm be proud of creating an offshore Channel Island operation in far off Jersey specifically with the intent to operate outside U.S. securities laws? Is there potential confusion that Stock Token purchasers are getting less than all the rights accorded to real shareholders, and if so do you care? If those tokens are theoretically backed 1:1 by real shares, but hypothetically some of those underlying real shares are in turn lent out to short sellers, are the Tokens really backed 1:1 in fact? Dan: I think U.S. securities laws have protected the public very well over the past century. You spent much of your career at the SEC. Deep down, in your heart of hearts, how can you really think a world without the precautions imposed by U.S. securities laws creates a better, safer environment for investors? Choose whatever descriptors you think best make sense under the circumstances: Non-regulated, derivative, synthetic, sham, debt-backed securities trying to simulate actual real stock, or pick your own words if these don’t fit. Stock Tokens may make you an innovator in your own eyes. In my eyes, they bring your firm dishonor.