The Profile: America’s favorite capitalist villain & the investor betting on the rebels
This edition of The Profile features Kevin O'Leary, Bill Ackman, Sarah Guo, and Larry Culp.
Good morning, friends.
Thank you to everyone who read, shared, and reached out about my Kevin O’Leary profile.
I spent several days following him through New York City to try to understand the man behind the ruthless capitalist persona.
The response to the story has meant so much to me, and it reinforced why I love writing profiles. I am constantly reminded that the most interesting part of a person is usually the part they aren’t famous/known for.
READ THE FULL PROFILE HERE:
BOOK LAUNCH:
The paperback launch of my book, HIDDEN GENIUS, is Aug 11. Writing this book changed my life, and my hope is that it changes the way you think about your own potential.
If you haven’t read it yet, now is the perfect time.
— Polina
THE PROFILES.
— America’s favorite capitalist villain [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The investor betting on the rebels
— The billionaire working to save his daughter’s life
— The CEO who turned around GE
— The ultra-rich buying dinosaur bones (gift link)
THE PEOPLE.
America’s favorite capitalist villain: Kevin O’Leary built one of television’s most memorable personas by embracing the role of ruthless capitalist “Mr. Wonderful.” The version of him I kept encountering between television appearances and business pitches didn’t quite match the one millions of viewers knew. By the end of several days together, I found myself wondering whether Mr. Wonderful was the real Kevin O’Leary — or simply the most successful role he ever played. (The Profile)
The investor betting on the rebels: As AI power, money, and talent concentrate inside a handful of giant labs, venture capitalist Sarah Guo is betting there is still room for rebels. Her firm, Conviction, backs founders building specialized companies the labs can’t (or won’t) create themselves, from legal software to medical tools used by most American doctors. It’s a big wager against near-trillion-dollar rivals. (Colossus)
The billionaire working to save his daughter’s life: Bill Ackman has built his career on an unshakable faith in capitalism. Now, as he argues that every American should own a stake in the market, his most consequential fight is also very personal. He’s helping his 26-year-old daughter recover from a devastating brain hemorrhage. True to form, Ackman is turning his helplessness into action. He’s planning a major brain institute and redefining success by how many lives he can improve. (FORTUNE; reply to this email if you can’t access the article)
The CEO who turned around GE: When Larry Culp took over GE in 2018, the once-iconic company was drowning in debt and flirting with bankruptcy. By dismantling its bureaucracy, splitting it into three focused businesses and rebuilding its culture from the factory floor up, he transformed a $96 billion wreck into companies worth nearly $700 billion. Here’s how he pulled off what may be the greatest corporate turnaround in modern history. (FORTUNE; reply to this email if you can’t access the article)
The ultra-rich buying dinosaur bones (gift link): The ultrarich have discovered dinosaur bones as a new status symbol. But those bones are part of a largely unregulated market rife with questionable claims, legal threats, and fierce disputes over how much of a multimillion-dollar T. Rex is actually real. (Bloomberg)
