All-In E113: DOJ tries to break up Google, vaccine questions, Ukraine escalation & more
Episode 113 • 1/27/2023
DOJ's Google Antitrust Case
- The DOJ and 8 states filed lawsuit seeking to break up Google's digital advertising business
- Chamath argued the case is ill-founded since Google only has 26.5% market share in digital advertising, with significant competition from Meta (18.4%), Amazon (11.7%) and others
- Friedberg explained Google's success comes from running an efficient auction system that benefits both publishers and advertisers
- The group agreed the DOJ is too late, as the competitive landscape has changed significantly with Amazon and others gaining market share
- Consensus was that unwinding decade-old acquisitions creates dangerous precedent and uncertainty
Microsoft Teams Antitrust Discussion
- EU probe into Microsoft bundling Teams with Office based on Slack complaint
- Debated whether bundling is anti-competitive behavior
- Group suggested requiring transparent pricing for bundled products as potential solution
- Discussed how bundling affects startup innovation and competition
COVID Vaccine Discussion
- Extensive debate about vaccine efficacy and mandates in light of new data
- All hosts indicated they would not get further boosters
- Discussed myocarditis risks revealed in recent studies
- Called for investigation into what Pfizer knew about transmission prevention claims
- Agreed mandates were problematic given limited efficacy data
Ukraine War Developments
- US now sending Abrams tanks and considering support for Crimea invasion
- Discussed risks of continued escalation and potential nuclear threats
- Larry Fink estimated $750B reconstruction cost
- Debated whether war of attrition strategy against Russia is effective
- Concerns raised about lack of diplomatic off-ramps
Science Corner: Aging Research
- Friedberg discussed new Harvard paper on epigenome's role in aging
- Explained how DNA repair mechanisms and gene expression affect aging
- Covered potential of Yamanaka factors to reverse cellular aging
- Estimated meaningful therapeutic applications could be 10+ years away
The episode wrapped with Chamath sharing positive results from his heart scan and encouraging listeners to get preventative cardiac screening.