In the wild world of Bitcoin, there’s no telling what kind of purchases you can make with a single BTC. But in November 2021, when BTC reached its all-time high, you could have snagged yourself a shiny new Tesla Model Y for the sum of $62,190. That’s right, you could’ve been cruisin’ around town in style with some digital currency.
Now, let’s take a trip back in time to 2014. Back then, 1 BTC was only worth $465. So, dreamin’ of buyin’ a car with that? Forget about it. It just wasn’t happenin’. But fast forward to 2017, and things started lookin’ up. 1 BTC was finally worth enough to buy a new car, like the 2017 Honda HR-V, a top-notch subcompact SUV. Not too shabby, right?
But wait, it gets better. By the time November 2021 rolled around, 1 BTC had enough clout to purchase the 2021 Tesla Model Y. Talk about an upgrade! So, if you had the foresight and the Bitcoin to back it up, you could’ve been zoomin’ down the highway in an electric beauty.
In other news, Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus, also known as Shibetoshi Nakamoto, took a swing at former President Donald Trump for supposedly suppressin’ free speech. This all started when Elon Musk, the tech mogul himself, wondered how the media went from bein’ champions of free speech to villains of speech suppression. It’s a head-scratcher, that’s for sure.
And let’s not forget about Apple. They recently launched their new iPhones, and the response has been nothin’ but positive. Daniel Ives, an analyst over at Wedbush, reckon the iPhone 15 preorders are lookin’ strong, with a 10-12% increase compared to the iPhone 14 preorders. That’s gotta be reassurin’ for Apple and its investors.
But what’s on the horizon for Apple in 2024? Well, they’ve got some excitin’ stuff in store, like the mysterious “Apple GPT,” the 10-year anniversary special Apple Watch Series X, and bigger iPhones. It’s gonna be a blockbuster year for Apple, mark my words.
Now, let’s talk cars. Ford is dealin’ with a strike from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in the U.S., and now they might have another one on their hands in Canada. Unifor, a Canadian union, ain’t too pleased with Ford, and they’re ready to strike if an agreement ain’t reached by September 18. It’s a tough situation for the automaker, that’s for sure.
On the other side of the world, Starbucks is shakin’ things up in China. They’ve promoted Molly Liu to co-CEO of Starbucks China, and she’s gonna be takin’ charge on October 2, 2023. Liu has been doin’ some impressive work in the digital space, launchin’ services like ‘Starbucks Delivers’ and ‘Starbucks Now,’ which made up almost half of China’s sales in Q3 FY23. That’s what you call a cup of success.
In the world of investments, KKR & Co Inc has struck a deal with Singtel’s regional data center business. They’re slingin’ up to $807 million for a 20% stake, with the option to increase that to 25% down the line. It’s part of KKR’s Asia infrastructure strategy, and it puts Singtel’s overall regional data center business at a whopping S$5.5 billion. That’s some serious dough.
Chevron is makin’ moves in Australia with its Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility. They had a little hiccup last week with a fault that caused a 20% reduction in production. But fear not, they’ve bounced back and are now back at full throttle. The Wheatstone facility, along with the nearby Gorgon facility, is responsible for a sweet 7% of the global LNG supply. That’s a whole lotta gas.
Meanwhile, China’s property developer Evergrande just keeps diggin’ itself into a deeper pit. After failin’ to pay back its investors, Chinese authorities have detained some employees from the company’s wealth management division. This ain’t lookin’ good for Evergrande, who’s already been strugglin’ with a massive debt crisis. The hits just keep on comin’.
And last but not least, Novo Nordisk is dealin’ with some quality control issues at its Clayton, North Carolina plant. This plant plays a key role in producin’ semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s popular weight-loss drug Wegovy and type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic. To combat the problem, Novo Nordisk has brought in some help from U.S. contract manufacturer PCI Pharma Services. They’re workin’ overtime to meet the demand for Wegovy and Ozempic. Gotta keep those prescriptions filled, right?
That’s all for today, folks. Keep those wallets and portfolios lookin’ healthy, and I’ll catch ya on the next news roundup. Stay curious and stay sharp. Peace out!
