The Profile: The CEO who won a $32B deal & California’s billionaire mall king
This edition of The Profile features Assaf Rappaport, Rick Caruso, Wendy Williams, and others.
Good morning, friends!
Over the weekend, I watched the new Amazon documentary Saquon. It chronicles the last five years of Saquon Barkley’s life on (and off) the field, from his devastating knee injury to his contentious contract negotiations with the New York Giants.
Barkley said this about the film: “You’re going to see the human side of me. It lets people into my family, where I come from.”
I enjoyed watching it, but I found myself wanting more of those human moments. The documentary is compelling — especially when it dives into the business of football —but it largely centers on his contract saga and the frustrations that came with it. I would’ve loved to see more of Barkley’s everyday life, the small glimpses of who he is when the cameras aren’t rolling.
One thing the film didn’t touch on at all was Barkley’s growing world off the field—his curiosity as an investor, his thoughtful approach to money, and his desire to build generational wealth. That’s what I focused on in my profile of him: how he’s quietly become one of the most intentional athlete-investors in sports today.
If you want to understand that side of Saquon Barkley, read my profile here:
Saquon Barkley Is Playing for Equity
Saquon Barkley calls me, but he’s distracted. In the background, two little voices shout “Bye, friends!” as Barkley wrangles his kids, Jada, 7, and Saquon Jr., 3, into the car. He apologizes, then explains they’re headed to an Old Spice photo shoot tied to his latest endorsement — a Saquon-branded shampoo and conditioner called “Saquon Soar.”
PROFILES.
— The CEO who won a $32 billion deal with Google [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— California’s billionaire mall king
— The talk-show host trapped in a dementia facility
— The CEO reviving Ralph Lauren
— The tech icon fighting for its life
PEOPLE TO KNOW.
The CEO who won a $32 billion deal with Google: When Google’s Sundar Pichai first reached out to Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport, the message sat unopened for months. By the time Rappaport finally saw it, Wiz had exploded into a $10 billion startup, and Google was ready to pay double. He shocked everyone by turning down a $23 billion offer, only to sell a year later for $32 billion, marking the biggest cybersecurity deal in history. The journey from missed email to multi-billion-dollar exit is a masterclass in timing, conviction, and knowing when to say “not yet.” (FORTUNE)
California’s billionaire mall king: The January wildfires leveled swaths of L.A, but Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village stood untouched, protected by his hired private firefighters. The mall mogul-turned-civic fixer seized the spotlight, blasting City Hall and launching Steadfast LA to fast-track rebuilding with a who’s-who donor roster. Now he’s testing a comeback narrative — competent, centrist, “gets-things-done” billionaire. With polls soft and 2026 looming, Caruso is positioning himself for a gubernatorial run, casting himself as the pragmatic billionaire who can rebuild what California’s politics have burned down. (Bloomberg; alternate link)
“It looks like we’re in a Third World country here.”
The CEO reviving Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren’s fall 2025 show at Manhattan’s Clock Tower Building was a statement of revival. Under CEO Patrice Louvet, the 85-year-old designer’s empire has rediscovered its luxury roots, shedding discount racks for polished prestige and posting its strongest profits in over a decade. Louvet, a former Procter & Gamble executive, has streamlined the brand, wooed Gen Z with timeless glamour, and restored Ralph Lauren’s halo as America’s standard-bearer of style. (FORTUNE)
“Ralph founded this company as a luxury company, and what we needed to do was go back to this mindset.”
The talk-show host trapped in a dementia facility: Wendy Williams reemerged glam at New York Fashion Week, even as she lives on the locked memory floor of a luxe assisted-living facility she calls a “luxury prison.” After a chaotic stretch of guardianship, a polarizing Lifetime documentary, and a swirl of fixers, family, and lawyers, her diagnosis and capacity remain fiercely contested. Costs soar and restrictions persist under an indefinite guardianship, even as Wendy phones into radio shows to insist, “I’m not cognitively impaired.” (New York Magazine; alternate link)
“This whole thing is about money, money, money, money.”
COMPANIES TO WATCH.
The tech icon fighting for its life: When Lip-Bu Tan took over as Intel’s new CEO in 2025, employees were skeptical, and Washington was suspicious. Accused of Chinese ties, blasted by Trump, and doubted by investors, Tan faced a company on the brink. But a surprise détente with Trump unlocked billions in government funding, followed by a $5 billion investment from Nvidia. Now, Intel’s future — and America’s technological independence — hinge on whether Tan can pull off one of the greatest comebacks in corporate history and restore U.S. leadership in the chip race. (FORTUNE; alternate link)
“Intel has a lot of work to do in catching up and participating in the AI transformation.”
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