Business Pants
Whether you love business news or feel like you’re supposed to know it but hate it, Business Pants is business news for humans. Snarky and irreverent, deeply researched and factual, a podcast devoted to market quirks and the humans that make up companies. Investing isn’t a what, it’s a who.
Kohl’s romantic CEO, Meta’s pony tail fetish, CEO pay confusion, and Goldman hates the word “black”
DAMION1
Kohl’s CEO Fired for Funneling Business to Romantic Partner 10
Kohl’s boss Ashley Buchanan tried to funnel business to a romantic partner and lost his job. It wasn’t the first time their personal and professional lives had crossed.
Kohl’s fired Buchanan on Thursday after it discovered he had instructed the retailer to enter into a “highly unusual” business deal involving a woman with whom he has a romantic relationship, according to people familiar with the situation. The pair currently live together in an upscale golf community in the suburbs of Dallas.<...
Blame game: Amazon’s tariffs, ChatGPT’s personality, Starbucks’ union negotiation, Novavax’s new board member
DAMION1
White House blasts Amazon over tariff cost report: ‘Hostile and political act’
The White House on Tuesday slammed Amazon for reportedly planning to display the cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs next to the total price of products on its site.
“This is hostile and political act by Amazon,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “Why didn’t Amazon do this when the Biden administration hiked inflation to the highest level in 40 years?” Leavitt asked.
The Trump administration’s aggressive swipe came in response to a report that Amazon will soo...
Business Roundtable wants to end shareholder proposals, Subaru’s knobs, OpenAI hate humans, and Ralph Lauren’s line of 2x4s
Story of the Week (DR):
CEOs to the rescue?
Trio Of Top CEOs Warn Trump Tariffs Will Empty Store Shelves
During a private meeting in the Oval Office on Monday, the CEOs of Walmart, Target and Home Depot reportedly told the president that supply chains could freeze and prompt stores’ shelves to go barren if he doesn’t rein in his sharp tariff plans, and meddles with the Federal Reserve.
Target CEO Brian Cornell (25%): Mr. The Gay Pride Display Is Too Expensive Because THere are Too Many Colors (719:1)
Home Depo...
ICYMI: Baby boys want all the energy and books, Google/Meta lawsuits, and shareholders cower before Exxon
Tech Bro Nonsense
Former Google CEO Tells Congress That 99 Percent of All Electricity Will Be Used to Power Superintelligent AI
billionaire tech tycoon and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt comments to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: "What we need from you is we need the energy in all forms, renewable, non-renewable, whatever. It needs to be there, and it needs to be there quickly."
"Many people project demand for our industry will go from 3 percent to 99 percent of total generation... an additional 29 gigawatts by 2027 and 67 more gigawatts by 2030. If [China] comes...
Sam Altman says Miyazaki should get over it, AI vs A1, and Zuck testifies
Sam Altman says Miyazaki should get over it, AI vs A1, and Zuck testifies
Adverbs are bad, tariffs are bigly, Enron’s desk gets pardoned, cybertruck flipoff metrics
Adverbs are bad, tariffs are bigly, Enron’s desk gets pardoned, cybertruck flipoff metrics
CEO chokes, Trump’s tariff penguins, ESG needs a spine, chicken nuggets, and Starbuck at Heritage
CEO chokes, Trump’s tariff penguins, ESG needs a spine, chicken nuggets, and Starbuck at Heritage
France is for DEI, Primark CEO #MeToo, Tesla rage, Fink’s new-old letter, and Bill Burr needs a job at ISS
France is for DEI, Primark CEO #MeToo, Tesla rage, Fink’s new-old letter, and Bill Burr needs a job at ISS
Nikola investors lose, climate targets accelerate, oil execs buy Teslas, and ISS can’t find ANYTHING WRONG at BP
Nikola investors lose, climate targets accelerate, oil execs buy Teslas, and ISS can’t find ANYTHING WRONG at BP
Who to blame: Hormel’s CEO search, “eat now pay later”, DOI vs. DEI, and Signal’s woke board
Who to blame: Hormel’s CEO search, “eat now pay later”, DOI vs. DEI, and Signal’s woke board
Tesla neglect, Musk’s hurt feelings, anti-woke boohoos, and Ben & Jerry’s mission governance
Introduction
LIVE from a bottomless pit of CEO pay, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at March 21st Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: Nelson Peltz hates woke ice cream, Self-hating Cybertrucks, and anti-ESG manbabies
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
‘Incompetent:’ Jamie Dimon unloads on proxy advisor ISS
Jamie Dimon said Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) shou...
Jamie Dimon says death to ISS, billionaire snowflakes, board burnout, CEOs feel “stuck” by Trump
Jamie Dimon says death to ISS, billionaire snowflakes, board burnout, CEOs feel “stuck” by Trump
ISS’s Disney flip flop, EPA sells cars now, OpenAI demands no guardrails, and CEOs get $$$
ISS’s Disney flip flop, EPA sells cars now, OpenAI demands no guardrails, and CEOs get $$$
Conservative snowflake word policing, illegal to boycott Tesla, Qantas’ chair, and nepobaby merit in Biz Nuggets
Conservative snowflake word policing, illegal to boycott Tesla, Qantas’ chair, and nepobaby merit in Biz Nuggets
Kroger’s CEO fired, State Street’s ESG loss, meritocracy is fake, and corporate blame games
Kroger’s CEO fired, State Street’s ESG loss, meritocracy is fake, and corporate blame games
GOOD GAME: ESG is now “resilience”, Kroger’s CEO leaves, Tesla owners hate Musk, State Street loves nominating committees
GOOD GAME: ESG is now “resilience”, Kroger’s CEO leaves, Tesla owners hate Musk, State Street loves nominating committees
The WWEification of the US, Capital One’s keeping the interest, and DEI “wins” at Apple
The WWEification of the US, Capital One’s keeping the interest, and DEI “wins” at Apple
Blame Game: Buffett’s genetic skill, United Health’s shareholder pushback, JPM Dimon’s flip floppery
Blame Game: Buffett’s genetic skill, United Health’s shareholder pushback, JPM Dimon’s flip floppery
The joke of meritocracy, unhalted engagements at Blackrock, and Coca-Cola's DEI double down
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG and DEI Teeth Bleaching Kit, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at February 21st Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: Canada still cares, Rupert Murdoch knows how to text, the illusion of meritocracy, and an important new announcement from YouTube
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
ESG Week MM
BlackRock and Vanguard halt meetings with companies after SEC...
Blackrock and Vanguard “pause” corporate meetings, SEC’s boardroom power shift in the sarcastic Good Game
Blackrock and Vanguard “pause” corporate meetings, SEC’s boardroom power shift in the sarcastic Good Game
Goldman: DEI has “served its purpose”, ISS: no DEI “factors”, and passive investors: stop proxy voting
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG ESG ESG ESG DEI DEI DEI Climate Change Change Climate Change Global Warming ESG DEI, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at Valentine’s Day Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: Corporate Abolitionists, The Gulf of Stupidity, The S in ISS stands for Shitty, and Denny’s Truth Bomb
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
Goldman Sa...
BIZ NUGGETS: ISS’s gender/race pivot, plastic straws, Disney’s DEI backpeddle, and WFH with a helicopter
Live from a stack of DEI-hating lead independent directors dipped in milk chocolate, it’s an all-new Whacky Wednesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's Twizzler-shaped proxy voting policy called February 12th 2025: Biz Nuggets!
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1
DEI
In our 'Hey Ma, Civil Rights Hurts My Back! And Equal Rights Gave Me a Stomach Ache!I quit! Tell Dad!' headline of the week. Diversity Is No Lo...
Musk’s DOGE is an investor problem, make the anti-DEI movement measure merit, and nanoplastic teaspoons
Musk’s DOGE is an investor problem, make the anti-DEI movement measure merit, and nanoplastic teaspoons
Who do you blame? WF’s Scharf’s pay raise, Target’s DEI drop, Ryder’s governance fail, Walgreen’s stock plunge
Live from a pile of dark chocolate-dipped kittens, it’s an all-new Terrific Tuesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's calorie free Double Big Mac called February 4th 2025: the Who Do You Blame? Game!
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1
Who Do You Blame? Game
Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf Gets Pay Bump To $31.2 Million
CEO Charlie Scharf: for being greedy. His pay ratio wa...
Deepseek’s $30 AI, negative ESG news is a buying opportunity, and the suckup economy
Introduction
LIVE from your DEI Blame Game, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at January 31st Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: a DeepSeekWeek, The Zuck Suckup Tour, Target is not the new Costco, and fecal phones
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
DeepSeek shocks AI world with 'cheap' Chinese chatbot MM
Marc Andreessen warns Chinese ChatGPT rival DeepS...
GOOD GAME: Deepseek vs. tech manbabies, Blackrock vs. Tennessee, Dimon vs. the anti-DEI
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1
The AI Tech BroBubble
‘Sputnik moment’: $1tn wiped off US stocks after Chinese firm unveils AI chatbot
Anger and Fighting Back
Walmart is facing backlash from investors after cutting DEI programs
A lawyer says he dropped Meta as a client after what he called a 'descent into toxic masculinity [and Neo-Nazi madness]' by Zuckerberg's company
BMW trolled after announcing it’s ‘no...
DEI and manflakes, CEO pay hikes, Microsoft reforests, Air Products, Will Hild’s a middle schooler, and cheese
Story of the Week (DR):
Trump signed an order ending DEI. Here’s what it means for Fortune 500 companies
Trump’s latest presidential moves mandate government agencies to specifically target companies in the private sector engaged in what it describes as “illegal DEI discrimination and preferences.”
Despite the intended chilling effect of these executive moves, multiple legal sources point out that Trump’s order and action do not constitute a change in the law. Rather, the language used in the order simply “enforces longstanding federal civil rights laws,” says Britney N.D. Torres, senior counsel...
The American Oligarchs, alpha male cosplaying tech bros, TikTok and the US company China Threat, and retiring DEI
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG EV Dipstick, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at January 17th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: The CEO takeover has accelerated; bravery for sale at Costco; and men finally have power
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
DealBook: C.E.O.s hail the chief MM
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zucke...
NUGGETS: “Retiring” DEI, Meta’s masculine energy, meritocracy of Dana White, CEO replaced by CEO, and activist action
Live from an DEI-bedazzled ESG Glowstick, it’s an all-new Terrific Tuesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's SAT Cheat Sheet called January 14th 2025: BIZ NUGGETS!
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1
Zuck
In our 'He also said corporations named "Julie" and Samantha” especially suck' headline of the week. Mark Zuckerberg praises benefits of 'masculine energy', calls corporate America 'culturally neutered'***************
In our 'He c...
2025 Predictions: goodbye shareholder rights, the anti DEI movements wins (and loses), and woke retail zones
ESG
Disclosure
The next wave of anti-ESG movement focuses on reduced disclosure
Decrease in Director/NEO bio/photo disclosure in both proxy statements and corporate websites
Anti-DEI board composition
A sharp drop in new directors that are “diverse”
An increase in overall board size; instead of outright replacing diverse directors, an increase of white male directors (who skew younger) are simply added to boards
Musk effect
Greater re-domestication push: incorporate, headquarters, employees: SHPs reflect this
CEO pay reconfigured for high...
Costco vs. racist investors, tech bro victimhood, Altman cries, and Zuck sucks up
Live from an ESG-flavored 2025, it’s an all-new Wacky Wednesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's Costco lovefest called January 8th 2025: Headlines We Missed since the end of December and the new comic book superhero named Costco!
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1Shit We Missed (in no particular order):
Tech Bros
Zuck
Dana White, UFC CEO and Trump ally, to join Meta's board of directors
...2024 News of the Year
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG Hanukkah Jesus Bush, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at December 20th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s YEARLY wrap up: Everything.
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Year (DR):
Exxon Sues Two ESG Investors [Follow This, Arjuna Capital] MM
Judge voids Elon Musk's "unfathomable" $56 billion Tesla pay package
Boeing
Boeing CEO says it was...
Walmart’s award, E.L.F.’s award, and the real top 100 methodology
Live from an ESG-scented 100% cotton unisex onesie, it’s an all-new Terrific Tuesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's anti-anti-DEI lovefest called December 17th 2024: Random ESG Headlines That I Care About Because Somebody Has To Care About Something and Changing the Methodology for Fortune 100 Most Powerful Executives!
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
DAMION1
Random ESG Headlines That I Care About Because Somebody Has To Care About Something:
Wa...
Witty’s op-ed, billionaire permitting, Murdoch loses
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG-powered Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at December 13th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: Ongoing NEO murder stuff, Rupert Murdoch fails to screw over 75% of his children, God eats McDonald’s, and hot sauce is going woke
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
NEO shooter, continued MM
Uni...
Health care fallout, plus the 100 Most Powerful People in Business dissected
All the NEO Murderer updates:
Luigi Mangione/Brian Thompson
Mangione attended elite schools
BA/MS Penn
Gilman School, an elite all-boys preparatory school in Baltimore: In his valedictorian speech, Mangione praised classmates for "challenging the world"
Mangione comes from a wealthy and influential Baltimore family
Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of the late Nick Mangione Sr., a prominent multimillionaire real-estate developer in Baltimore who died in 2008
Members of the Mangione family own the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland, and Hayfields Country Club in...
An NEO murder, Musk’s pay re-re-reversal, a woke lawsuit for BLK, and corporate cowardice
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG bath salts inhaler kit, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at December 6th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: Murder, Black women fighting back, Investor cowards, and the darkest reason imaginable for a CEO pay cut
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
The Murder of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare C.E.O. DR
M...
A Portrait in Corporate Patriotism with Greg Penner of Walmart, plus a game that gives thanks
The Business Pants Thanksgiving Special Game!
Let’s take a trip through history:
Dark ages
Walmart pulls back on DEI efforts, removes some LBGTQ merchandise from website
The nation’s largest employer, which has about 1.6 million U.S. workers, joined a growing list of companies that have stepped back from diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after feeling the heat from conservative activists.
In a statement, Walmart said it is “willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America.”
“We’ve been on a journey and...
FRIDAY WRAP: WWE government, Jaguar and the non-US anti-woke movement, airline CEO blowhards
Introduction
LIVE from Vanguard’s "Mirror Voting Policy", it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at November 22nd Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: DEI and Meritocracy Shark Jumping, no more Jaguars for blue-collar America, A-Holey (or is it A-Holy) investors, Will the real Elon Shady please stand up?
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
DOJ says Google must sell C...
Get surprised: Bakkt acquisition, investors love Air Products’ board, Vanguard’s 4 for 1 policies, and KFC China CEO’s weird fetish
The Random Ask Matt Stuff about the Headlines Game!
Donald Trump’s social media group in talks to buy crypto trading venue
Truth Social owner is close to an all-share takeover of Intercontinental Exchange’s Bakkt
Which one of these key facts surprises you the most? The least? Hoover you want to answer:
Bakkt, which has struggled for profitability since its launch, was created by ICE, and the owner of the New York Stock Exchange still holds a 55 per cent economic interest in it.
Bakkt’s first CEO was Kelly...
FRIDAY WRAP: Meritocracy RIP, Jamie Dimon’s governance take, missing 8K at Tesla, and Kraft Heinz’s bad week
Introduction
LIVE from your ESG sad sack, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at November 15th Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: The government is getting its own Facebook Oversight Board; Meritocracy is not the name of a new WWF character; and food with a 36-month shelf life is still bad for you
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.
Story of the Week (DR):
Tr...
