Vietnam’s population hit the 100 million milestone. Where’s it headed? 
Morgan Stanley Says China’s Reusable Rocket Progress Poses Long-Term Challenge to SpaceX 
Nippon Paint Reportedly Offers Up to €7.5 Billion for Akzo Nobel Decorative Paints Business 
Stripe, Advent Offer $53 Billion Deal to Acquire PayPal: Reuters 
Rio Tinto Reports Strong Q2 Iron Ore Sales, Maintains 2026 Production Outlook 
Citi Raises TSMC Price Target as AI Chip Demand Strengthens Growth Outlook 
SoftBank Corp Partners With Sierra to Expand AI Customer Support Across Japan 
DOJ Grand Jury Investigates UAW President Shawn Fain Ahead of Union Election 
Goldman AM Sees Strong Buyout Opportunities in Japan, South Korea and Australia 
Taiwan Mangoes Head to Europe as Premium Fruit Exports Expand 
Muji Owner Ryohin Keikaku Stock Soars After Raising Full-Year Earnings Forecast 
Goldman Sachs Flags 3 Key Risks Ahead of Europe’s Earnings Season 
Morgan Stanley Names Marks & Spencer Top European Retail Pick, Sees Strong Upside 
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel has reportedly advised Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to withdraw from the Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative co-founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages billionaires to donate most of their wealth to charitable causes.
According to lecture recordings obtained by Reuters, Thiel told audiences in San Francisco that he warned Musk his fortune could end up “in the hands of left-wing nonprofits chosen by Bill Gates.” Musk, currently the world’s richest man with an estimated net worth of $486 billion, joined the Giving Pledge in 2012. Thiel claimed Musk took his warning seriously.
The PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor shared the anecdote during an eight-hour lecture series in which he explored theology, global politics, and his belief in the emergence of an “Antichrist” figure—someone who, he suggested, could rise to power by exploiting fears of global crises like nuclear war, artificial intelligence, or climate change. Thiel warned that such a leader could impose a “one-world government” and suppress human freedom and innovation.
Thiel reportedly linked his conversation with Musk to broader concerns about how immense wealth might be used—or misused—after death. He said he calculated Musk’s annual probability of death, equating it to “giving $1.4 billion to Bill Gates.” Musk allegedly replied, “It would be much worse to give it to Bill Gates than to my children.”
Thiel argued that billionaire fortunes could serve as a safeguard against the rise of authoritarian global systems, provided they aren’t seized through taxes or charitable foundations. He even speculated on whether political figures like Donald Trump could serve as checks against an Antichrist, adding that perspectives on such figures depend largely on ideology.
