In this episode, we discuss the non-definitive definitive TikTok divestiture deal. We then examine challenges facing Chinese platforms such as Shein, Alibaba, and Baidu. Next, we track the continuing saga involving the sale of high-end chips and semiconductor making equipment by Nvidia and others to China. Following this, we delve into the regulatory travails confronting Google and Apple in countries like Korea. We conclude the podcast with a brief look at expanding moves to regulate various aspect of artificial intelligence.

In this segment of "Thirty Minutes of Tips from Top Talent," we interview Mr. Eric Sundheim, Principal & CEO, Mercovus Valuations, a Campbell, California (USA)-based valuation firm. During this episode, Eric enlightens us about the complexities and process of valuing intangible assets (e.g., stock, IP, crypto), the different ways that "politics" (global and domestic), which can manifest itself as international tensions or tax and regulatory regimes, can influence valuations, some techniques used to incorporate politics into value calculations, the types of valuations that can be given, and more.

This episode begins with a piece on Apple’s continued courting of Beijing and its harvest and the moves by others to reduce their roots in the Middle Kingdom.  It then explores China’s anti-trust investigation of Qualcomm. The third content segment covers pressures on Nvidia from China and the United States, highlighting its defense of deeper dealings with China.  Afterwards, it treats the Nexperia seizure saga, which is giving the Dutch, car companies, Nexperia Netherlands, Nexperia China, and China’s Wingtech fits. Our penultimate piece focuses on the moves by various countries around the globe to regulate social media companies such as Facebook and TikTok and moderate content.  We conclude by examining the stresses Korea, the United Kingdom, and OpenAI are raising for Google.

This episode begins by highlighting issues that Wells Fargo, Google, Apple, and Anthropic face with respect to China. It then focuses intently on Nvidia's challenges relating to a China antitrust investigation and China’s pursuit of semiconductor independence. It then shifts to the United States’s revocation of Validated End User Status for Samsung and SK Hynix and its possible implications for the companies, their chip equipment suppliers, and their competitors. Following this, it explores the latest news about the TikTok divestiture. Afterwards, it examines Washington’s war against European and Korean efforts to regulate tech companies. The show ends with a discussion of the unraveling fabric of Shein and Temu.

This episode reviews various corporate exits from China and the tactics some companies like Apple are using to facilitate their China derisking; delves into the "unusual" and "unprecedented" chip tax deal AMD and Nvidia struck with the US government; examines President Donald Trump's hate and love fest with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan; and charts out Google's map data struggles with Korea as well as Korea's frictions with Mercedes Benz and Westinghouse.

In this episode, we discuss the love and hate swirling around AI semiconductor leader Nvidia.  Following this, we cover continuing challenges for companies in China such as Apple, Sam’s Club, and Tesla. The second half looks at the ongoing conundrums that Chinese companies such as TikTok are managing in the US, Europe, and Korea. We then zoom in on the travails of Google in Australia, Korea, and Pakistan. The last segment covers tech company content and competition regulation, an issue companies like X, Telegram, xAI, Meta, Apple, and Google can’t avoid!

Season 2, episode 7 delves into the ups and downs of companies in China; discusses the assault against Chinese companies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere; provides the latest on one of our favs TikTok; gives you the latest on the travails of Shein; motors around with Harley in Japan; and closes with Korea's clashes with foreign companies and countries and their clashes with it.

Our June podcast ponders the sweet and sour environment surrounding companies dealing with China with a special focus on Nvidia and three hotel giants including Hilton; details the sour apples infecting the Apple tree; probes TikTok's travails; examines ongoing issues of censorship, content moderation, and media control; and dives deep on DeepSeek troubles in Korea and the challenges other tech companies are facing there despite Washington's unhappiness.

The April edition of the Musings about Multinational Corporations podcast examines the political and economic challenges facing companies like Apple and Nvidia as they are flagellated about, flirt with, and flee China; watches the continuing saga of TikTok whose battle for survival in the US of A never seems to end; blasts to the United Kingdom to cover the stealing of a Chinese steel plant and other Chinese investment travails there; and discusses countries continuing regulation of tech companies in the face of US threats of retaliation.

This episode probes the ever mobile Apple planes, with only one having a Cook aboard; discusses Walmart and Costco's discovery that low priced goods may be politically costly; and notes the release of jailed consultancy employees and China's efforts to court foreign executives while concurrently making implicitly demands they support its cause. It overviews European efforts to manage high-tech giants to promote fair competition, Japan and Korea's emulations, and US government pressures on Europe and its Asian allies to back off. It closes with coverage of a cyberattack on X from mysterious corners!