Results for “markets in everything” 1883 found
Houston alligator kill markets in everything
In Houston, where custom boots are a source of great pride and style, one local brand is taking the bespoke boot experience to a new level. Republic Boot Company, known for its elevated, hand-crafted creations, just launched a Gator Hunt Experiencewhere customers can source an alligator hide, which will be transformed into a pair of cowboy boots.
Part adventure and part traditional craftsmanship, the experience begins with a hunt in the marshlands near Anahuac, about an hour from Houston, and ends with a custom-made pair of alligator-skin cowboy boots tailored to the client’s vision by a Republic Boot Company boot specialist.
Here is the full story. Note that it costs more for a larger alligator.
Betting markets in everything
Polymarket, on the chances of a nuclear weapon being used in 2025. Currently at 17. Here is further analysis from o3.
Markets in everything
Creative powerhouse VML, genomic innovators The Organoid Company, and sustainable biotechnology firm Lab-Grown Leather have joined forces to develop the world’s first T-Rex leather made using the extinct creature’s DNA…
“This project is a remarkable example of how we can harness cutting-edge genome and protein engineering to create entirely new materials. By reconstructing and optimizing ancient protein sequences, we can design T. Rex leather, a biomaterial inspired by prehistoric biology, and clone it into a custom-engineered cell line,” said Thomas Mitchell, CEO of The Organoid Company…
While it was previously believed that dinosaur DNA wouldn’t survive for millions of years, recent discoveries have found collagen preserved in various dinosaur fossils, including an 80-million-year-old T Rex.
Last year, MIT researchers decoded how the dinosaur collagen survived for so long. Interestingly, they discovered a specific atomic mechanism that shields collagen from water’s damaging effects.
In this new work, the T-rex-based leather material creation method differs from plant-based or synthetic alternatives by focusing on growing biological structures in a lab. This bio-fabrication process directly cultivates leather-like tissue from cells.
The process of creating T-Rex leather uses fossilized dinosaur collagen as a template. Using this, the team will generate a complete collagen sequence for the T-Rex to cultivate new skin.
The collagen sequence will be translated into DNA and introduced into Lab-Grown Leather’s cells.
Here is the full story, via Mike Doherty. The actual product might be ready by the end of the year, at what price I do not know.
Markets in everything
- Authorities alleged Vong essentially rented out his U.S. identity to developers based in China who used it to get more than a dozen remote tech jobs, some of which involved contract work for sensitive government agencies.
A 40-year-old Maryland man is facing decades in prison after he allegedly worked with foreign nationals in China to get remote work IT jobs with at least 13 different U.S. companies between 2021 and 2024. The jobs paid him more than $970,000 in salary for software development tasks that were actually performed by operatives authorities allege are North Korean and working out of a post in Shenyang, China, according to the Department of Justice.
Here is the full story, via William.
Political markets in everything, Steak ‘n Shake edition
Check it out here.
Markets in everything?
Senior U.S. Officials, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, are reporting that the United States and Ukraine are on the verge of signing an “Improved” Mineral Deal and Partnership. According to the New York Times, who has read the Document, the Deal calls for Ukraine to relinquish Half of its Revenues from Natural Resources, including Minerals, Gas and Oil, as well as Earnings from Ports and other Infrastructure, without any kind of U.S. Defense or Security Guarantees. The Revenue from Ukraine’s Natural Resources will be directed to a Fund in which the U.S. holds 100% Financial Interest, and that Ukraine should contribute to until it reaches $500 Billion; while stating that for any additional Military Assistance provided by the United States, Ukraine will be required to contribute to the Fund a sum equal to twice the amount provided to Ukraine. As stated previously, the Deal does not contain any Security or Defensive Guarantees by the United States to Ukraine, but does state that the U.S. intends to provide a “Long-Term Financial Commitment to help Ukraine develop Economically.”
Link here, and more speculatively:
BREAKING: The President of Congo just offered the United States ownership of his country’s minerals to entice President Trump to put an end to the war backed by Rwanda. Congo holds more than half the world’s Cobalt and Colton. They also have substantial deposits of Gold, Copper, Tin, Lithium, etc. China currently has a considerable influence in Congo’s mineral sector, and before them, it was the Europeans.
Equilibria will be solved for.
I wonder if he enjoyed our Markets in Everything series?
Now he is in it:
A former senior adviser to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors was arrested Friday and accused of leaking inside information from the Fed to the Chinese government over a period of several years, at one point receiving a $450,000 payment, and then lying about it to Fed investigators.
After leaving the Fed, Rogers moved his family to Shanghai and began working as a professor at Fudan University, according to comments he made to the EconVue podcast last year and posted in online biographies.
Here is the full story.
Lunar spectrum markets in everything?
Private companies are staking claims to radio spectrum on the Moon with the aim of exploiting an emerging lunar economy, Financial Times research has found. More than 50 applications have been filed with the International Telecommunication Union since 2010 to use spectrum, the invisible highway of electromagnetic waves that enable all wireless technology, on or from the Moon.
Last year the number of commercial filings to the global co-ordinating body for lunar spectrum outstripped those from space agencies and governments for the first time, according to FT research. The filings cover satellite systems as well as missions to land on the lunar surface.
“We will look back and see this as an important inflection point,” said Katherine Gizinski, chief executive of spectrum consultancy River Advisers, which has filed for lunar spectrum for three satellite systems on behalf of other companies since 2021.
Here is more from Oliver Hawkins and Peggy Hollinger at the FT.
Marriage markets in everything (tax arbitrage!)
Looking to marry someone with $1m+ of short-term capital gains (LA California) for tax savings (I have $1m+ in losses) and split the savings
I (unfortunately) lost a bunch of money this year with some risky gambles and have ~$1.2m of context of capital losses.
I would like to marry someone with very large ($1m+) short-term capital gains and split the difference on the tax savings.
I am proposing keeping ~40c for every $1 of capital losses I provided for myself and offering you the remainder (~10c or so, $120k context if you are at the highest tax bracket). The formal agreement can be formalized with a lawyer in relation to the marriage
Slight preference for females but open to males too (preference is just to avoid having to explain why I (straight male) married a man in the future).
Prefer if you are in the LA / Socal Area as that’s where I’m located.
That is from Reddit, via Stephen J.
Markets in everything, personal fire hydrant edition
The latest sought-after home amenity? Personal fire hydrants. The logic is that when there’s a major disaster there may not be enough fire engines to protect every house in an area. If homeowners have their own hydrant ready to go—along with hoses, nozzles and adapters—and are trained to use it all, that could help reduce the number of homes destroyed.
Real-estate agents say mentioning a personal fire hydrant in the marketing materials now helps sell homes. “People notice it. It’s definitely a plus,” says Stephen Kotsenburg of Christie’s International Real Estate, who has the listing for a four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,388-square-foot home in Park City, Utah. It’s on the market for $2.1 million and advertises a fire hydrant, which is painted bright red and is visible as you come up the driveway.
Victoria Waldorf is the listing agent for a five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 4,691-square-foot house that is for sale for $1.775 million in Agua Dulce, Calif. She says she points out the personal fire hydrant to everyone who comes through for a viewing. “There’s relief in people’s faces,” she says.
Here is more from the WSJ, via Daniel Lippmann.
China markets in everything
This is very interesting, and I think a world first: a local government in China has just sold its sky, literally. This is the government of Pingyin County, Jinan, Shandong Province who sold for 924 million yuan (approximately $130 million) a 30-year concession to operate and maintain its low-altitude economic projects to a company called Shandong Jinyu General Aviation Co., Ltd. The “low-altitude economy” is a big trend in China at the moment. XPeng, one of China’s leading EV manufacturers, recently released a low-altitude flying car for instance. Drone deliveries are becoming increasingly common in Chinese cities, and various regions are actively developing low-altitude transportation networks. Shanghai, for instance, plans to establish 400 low-altitude flight routes by 2027. But this is the first time a local government has monetized its low-altitude airspace…
Here is more from Arnaud Bertrand. Via Jesper.
Schengen eroding, child legal arbitrage markets in everything
“We are increasing surveillance, in part to increase security, but also to prevent hired Swedish child soldiers who come to Copenhagen to carry out tasks in connection with gang conflicts,” he added.
Hummelgaard revealed on Thursday that there had been 25 incidents since April where Danish criminal gangs had hired what he called “child soldiers” to commit crimes in Denmark. In the last two weeks alone, Danish police have linked three shootings to Swedish teenagers…
Swedish police say that powerful criminal gangs often use children to commit murders as they will receive light sentences. Drug gangs — many of whom are led by second-generation immigrants now living outside the country — have infiltrated parts of the welfare, legal and political systems, meaning the fight against them could take decades, according to Swedish officials.
Here is more from Richard Milne at the FT. Elsewhere, “Brown bears are protected under EU law,” solve for the equilibrium (FT).
Houston France markets in everything
Houston First, the city’s tourism department, revealed that it is paying $90,000 per year for three years — meaning the city will invest a whopping $270,000 to have the Michelin Guide here in Houston. Holly Clapham-Rosenow, Houston First’s chief marketing officer, says the city redirected some of its budget from various departments to the guide, which is standard for opportunities that come about during the year or when business strategies shift. “Budgets have some fluidity if the right opportunities come about, and opportunities like Michelin, Top Chef, and James Beard — we’re going to jump on them,” she says, adding that the investment seemed worth it considering the culinary scene is one of Houston’s biggest traveler draws.
According to Houston First’s 2023 Strategic and Budget Summary, money spent on food and beverage accounts for around 32 percent of the money spent during day trips to Houston and 24 percent of the money spent during overnight trips — the highest cost behind lodging.
Here is the full story, via the excellent Samir Varma.
Markets in Everything: Fentanyl Precursors
Reuters: To learn how this global industry works, reporters made multiple buys of precursors over the past year. Though a few of the sales proved to be scams, the journalists succeeded in buying 12 chemicals that could be used to make fentanyl, according to independent chemists consulted by Reuters. Most of the goods arrived as seamlessly as any other mail-order package. The team also procured secondary ingredients used to process the essential precursors, as well as basic equipment – giving it everything needed to produce fentanyl.
The core precursors Reuters bought would have yielded enough fentanyl powder to make at least 3 million tablets, with a potential street value of $3 million – a conservative estimate based on prices cited by U.S. law enforcement agencies in published reports over the past six months.
The total cost of the chemicals and equipment Reuters purchased, paid mainly in Bitcoin: $3,607.18.
I don’t doubt that Reuters did what they say they did. I have trouble believing, however, that the implied profit margins are so high. A gram of cocaine costs about $160 on the street and $13 to $70 trafficked into the US and ready to sell. Thus, the street price to production cost is at most 12:1 and perhaps as low as 2.3:1. Note that this profit margin includes the costs of jail etc. I think Reuters overestimates fentanyl street prices by a factor of 2 which would still give a ratio of 415:1 which is way too high. Let’s say fentanyl sells for $1.5 million on the street then to get the ratio to a very generous 20:1 we need costs of $75,000 so my guess is that Reuters has underestimated costs by a significant amount in some manner.
Happy to receive clarification or verification from those with more expertise in the business.
I do accept Reuters point that fentanyl is cheap and easy to produce.
The whole story is excellent.
Rhino capital markets in everything?
In 2022 the World Bank priced the world’s first wildlife bond, raising $150 million that will be partially used for the conservation of black rhinos at two reserves in South Africa. Returns on those five-year bonds will be determined by the rate of population growth. It said at the time that it hoped that the structure would be emulated…
Under the rhino bond’s structure the issuer makes contributions toward conserving the animals instead of paying coupons and the buyers of the bond receive a payment based on preset targets for population growth. Black rhino numbers have dropped to about 2,600 from 65,000 in 1970, and may once have been as high as 850,000, according to documentation from the World Bank. They are smaller than the more common white rhino.
Here is more from Antony Sguazzin at Bloomberg. As the article notes, Rand Merchant Bank is considering issuing wild dog and lion bonds as well, with the exact structure still being discussed.