The Stupid Awesome Game: Nestle’s CEO fired, sharks are woke, Tesla’s shareholder proposals

What this episode covers

How Are the Very Rich Feeling About New York’s Next Mayor? “The Hamptons is basically in group therapy about the mayoral race.” “Even overpriced lobster salad can’t seem to make people out here feel better,” said Robert Zimmerman, a veteran political fund-raiser who has yet to back anyone in the race. Greg Kraut, the chief executive of KPG Funds, a real estate investment firm, has called Mr. Mamdani’s supporters WHAT “Trust-fund Trotskyites” “iPad insurrectionists” “Moron Millennials.” “LinkedIn Leninists” “Avocado-toast anarchists” Which headline is real? Nestlé Fires CEO Over 'Undisclosed Romantic Relationship' Nestlé on Monday dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe after only a year on the job following "an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate" that breached its Code of Business Conduct.1 "This was a necessary decision," Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said. "Nestlé's values and governance are strong foundations of our company." Freixe, a company veteran, was appointed last year to replace CEO Mark Schneider as the maker of Toll House cookies and Nespresso coffee struggled with slowing sales. The Swiss company tapped Philipp Navratil, the head of Nestlé's Nespresso division, to succeed Freixe. Earlier this year, department store chain Kohl's fired CEO Ashley Buchanan after an investigation found he directed the company to enter a multi-million-dollar agreement with a group that included a personal contact. Nestle: -21% gender influence gap; led by: Paul Bulcke 20% Mark Schneider 17% Renato Fassbind 11% Pablo Isla Alvarez de Tejera 10% Patrick Aebischer 10% Nestlé Fires CEO After Pushing Cost-Cutting Plan That Included Charging for Office Coffee Executive Pushed Out Amid Backlash to Marketing Campaign That Accidentally Insulted All of France Top Executive Removed Amid Fallout From Supply Chain “Efficiency” That Turned Out to Be Child Labor Nestlé Fires CEO After Boardroom Dispute Over Aggressive Cost-Cutting Plan Which is the real headline about sharks going woke? “Climate change could be causing sharks to develop a taste for kale” “Climate change could be causing sharks to lose interest in humans” “Climate change could be causing sharks to starve because they forgot how to hunt” “Climate change could be causing sharks to develop social anxiety around prey” Climate change could be causing sharks to lose their bite Which headline is real? Delta Air Lines Boss Issues Apology After Taking First-Class Seat From Child Passenger Polish CEO Piotr Szczerek issues apology for stealing Kamil Majchzrak's hat from US Open fan Piotr Szczerek, founder of paving company Drog-Bruk, has apologised for stealing Kamil Majchrzak's cap from the young fan it was intended for at the US Open. Footage of the Polish CEO ripping the cap out of the boy's hand went viral over the weekend, as did tone-deaf statements attributed to Szczerek that he says were fake. "I take full responsibility for my extremely poor judgment and hurtful actions. It was never my intent to steal away a prized memento from the young fan. I became caught up in the heat of the moment and the joy of the victory, and I believed Majchrzak was handing a hat to me to give to my sons, who had previously asked for autographs. “For years, my wife and I have been involved in supporting children and young athletes, but this incident has shown me that a moment of inattention can undo years of work and support. It is a painful but necessary lesson in humility. “Going forward, I will engage even more actively in initiatives that support children and youth, and I will take actions against violence and hate. I believe that only through actions can I rebuild the trust I have lost.” Yeti Coolers Boss Issues Apology for Being Spotted Using an Igloo at Company Picnic Crocs CFO Issues Apology After Referring to Product Line as “Ugly But Profitable” Beyond Meat CEO Apologizes After Being Seen Eating a Cheeseburger More What Has Been Showing Up in Random Workplace Tests More Fentanyl Shows Up in Random Workplace Tests The positive rate for urine tests indicating the presence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl was 1.13% in 2024. That is up from 0.91% in 2023 and double the rate in 2020, according to a recent analysis of more than eight million drug tests by Quest Diagnostics, one of the U.S.’s largest drug-testing labs. “We’re seeing trends that are outside of the norm that we see for other drugs historically,” said Suhash Harwani, senior director of science for workforce-health solutions at Quest Diagnostics. More Adderall Shows Up in Random Workplace Tests More Kombucha Shows Up in Random Workplace Tests More Xanax Shows Up in Random Workplace Tests More Melatonin Shows Up in Random Workplace Tests Which headline is real? CEO of Japanese drinks giant Suntory resigns “over an unauthorized office sake brewing operation” CEO of Japanese drinks giant Suntory resigns “following questions about executive karaoke competitions” CEO of Japanese drinks giant Suntory resigns “amid concerns about boardroom drinking habits” CEO of Japanese drinks giant Suntory resigns “following a controversial marketing stunt gone wrong” CEO of Japanese drinks giant Suntory resigns after he purchased supplements containing illegal substances Suntory Holdings chairman and CEO Takeshi Niinami has resigned following allegations he purchased supplements containing illegal substances, the company confirmed Tuesday. Niinami, 66, one of Japan’s most prominent and outspoken business leaders, said he believed the supplements he bought were legal. He has often served as the face of corporate Japan and frequently appeared on CNN. Investigators had previously searched Niinami’s Tokyo home on suspicion he had received products containing cannabis-derived substances from an acquaintance overseas, according to public broadcaster NHK, citing investigative officials. The real headline: “Don’t worry about the job market on Earth, Gen Z: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk say you’ll be herding robots on Mars.” “Don’t worry about the job market on Earth, Gen Z: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk say you’ll be delivering 24/7 ads directly into people’s dreams.” Don’t worry about the job market on Earth, Gen Z: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk say you’ll be working in space soon “Don’t worry about the job market on Earth, Gen Z: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk say you’ll be moderating AI-generated content for companies.” “Don’t worry about the job market on Earth, Gen Z: Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk say you’ll be maintaining subscription-based virtual reality platforms.” Tesla rejected 11 shareholder proposals on sustainability and accountability ahead of its annual meeting How many proposals were rejected? 2 7 11 17 21 What does Elon Musk want Tesla's shareholder meeting to focus on instead? Solar xAI Batteries Optimus Grok Which of the following proposals was real and was rejected? Ask Tesla to disclose how many veterans it hires Pledge to use AI in a way that supports renewable energy Look into sustainable tires Ensure workplace rights in Tesla's factories, such as the freedom to unionize Increasing oversight on Tesla's HR practice OpenAI Chairman Says AI Is Destroying Confidence in Making Decisions Understanding of What’s Real and What’s Generated His Ability to Keep Up With Industry Trends His Sense of Who He Is "The thing I self-identify with is just, like, being obviated by this technology." "You’re going to have this period of transition where it's saying, like, 'How I've come to identify my own worth, either as a person or as an employee, has been disrupted.' His Perspective on Human Creativity