The John Johnston Lounge

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down how new interviews and closely guarded documents about the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, have shed light on “persistent doubts” about Altman’s trustworthiness. The 18-month investigation was led by Ronan Farrow and Drew Marantz for The New Yorker, resulting in an extensive article.

Related episodes:

AI Bubble: Is OpenAI Cooked? Walls Are Closing In https://open.spotify.com/episode/1a4VbuQlYl84R67A0TtH2I

AI Bubble: Is OpenAI Going Broke? https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xPM7mmWrmDHcRmdytpEoq

Why the AI Boom is Smoke and Mirrors https://open.spotify.com/episode/36jHRogl9TI8NQq7UVVl1k

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that multiple investment banking analysts are predicting as much as 60% downside for Tesla stock, after the Q1 2026 deliveries miss. Tesla also seems to have produced around 50,000 more cars than it could sell.

Related episodes:

Elon Musk’s $25B ‘Desperate’ Terafab, $2.6B Court Loss & FSD Crisis  https://open.spotify.com/episode/78OQ3eeaWYqgpbNRqII50T

Tesla’s Unsupervised Robotaxi: Was Elon Musk Wrong or Lying? https://open.spotify.com/episode/3A1uG9qf3Xa0N7DWZpngfS

Elon Musk's Double Blow: Chauffeur “Robotaxi” & X Lawsuit Fail  https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CnZfFskBQ7hbUshOD8siz

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that Elon Musk’s SpaceX has filed to go public ahead of AI rivals, with an IPO that is poised to be one of the biggest ever. The company is aiming to raise between $40 billion and $80 billion in the offering, with a market valuation that could be as much as $1.75 trillion. Will it be worth it, or is the FOMO and market hype getting carried away.

Related episodes:

Stop Believing AI Hype (Elon Taught Them Everything)  https://open.spotify.com/episode/7v9q7arkgY27baxOWovNPS

Elon’s SpaceX $1.75T IPO: ‘Lottery Ticket With Better Branding’ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cfQKCpmzocEleD5PDjJxa

Elon Musk’s ‘Self-Growing Moon City’: Anyone Still Believe Him? https://open.spotify.com/episode/7GqExGR4JY2mVIhfrNN0mz

Referenced video:

SpaceX IPO Scandal | Patrick Boyle https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IRbDDSMkYkvZhWjQaFEca

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down how Silicon Valley AI CEOs such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei have been making some grand claims and predictions for their AI products, in a similar way to how Elon Musk has been doing this for years now. The “predictions” and claims have been mostly wildly inaccurate, or just plain wrong. There are more cracks staring to show in the AI boom or bubble too.

Related episodes:

Why the AI Boom is Smoke and Mirrors https://open.spotify.com/episode/36jHRogl9TI8NQq7UVVl1k

Elon Admits xAI ‘Not Built Right’ After Tesla Just Invested  https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KJHwhzuusXEB0xBuueUrf

Elon’s SpaceX $1.75T IPO: ‘Lottery Ticket With Better Branding’ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cfQKCpmzocEleD5PDjJxa

Referenced video:

OpenAI spending cuts push memory market into chaos | Will Guyatt | The Tech Report https://youtu.be/sqGSh739xGk

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the latest AI boom or bubble news. JJ reacts to an Ed Zitron interview from The Tech Report, in which Ed discusses how AI data center building is not as big as it has been hyped to be, and Nvidia’s GPUs are being bought but many not being used. We also listen to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on AI safety, and Kara Swisher and Tristan Harris on some of the potential dangers of the current race to AGI (artificial general intelligence).

Related episodes:

Elon Musk’s $25B ‘Desperate’ Terafab, $2.6B Court Loss & FSD Crisis  https://open.spotify.com/episode/78OQ3eeaWYqgpbNRqII50T

The AI Bust is Coming: Is A Recession Inevitable? https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LWmJYdPLOTncpm4PtzODe

Elon Admits xAI ‘Not Built Right’ After Tesla Just Invested  https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KJHwhzuusXEB0xBuueUrf

Referenced videos:

The AI boom is a lie: Fake data centres and unused GPUs | Ed Zitron | The Tech Report https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aygkTgZbrplTevJMZUYpw

Why the AI Race Is Leaving Humans Behind with Tristan Harris | On With Kara Swisher https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MO3ksZF0eqLlwDf0dJo7k

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk’s estranged trans daughter, has turned Elon’s anti-trans comment into a fundraiser for LGBTQ+ youth, with a merch line featuring the phrase “Evil Woke Mind Virus”. Also, xAI’s Grok has been ordered by a Dutch court to stop creating AI-generated non-consensual nude images of people. JJ also looks at the controversy surrounding the new Druski viral comedy skit featuring an irreverent depiction of Erika Kirk.

Related episodes:

Why ‘Elon-gelical’ Tesla Influencers Leaving The Cult  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UysuwWHDaqR5mvW4oxnQY

Elon Musk Moves For Twitter Fraud Mistrial Because He’s Too Hated https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CYU9vyPnqdJjl4ANDmwdu

Tesla’s Unsupervised Robotaxi: Was Elon Musk Wrong or Lying? https://open.spotify.com/episode/3A1uG9qf3Xa0N7DWZpngfS

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that the California regulator says that Tesla’s “Robotaxis” are not yet operating as an autonomous vehicle service, and that Tesla just holds the same permit as a limousine company. Also, a court has dismissed a lawsuit from Elon Musk’s X, alleging brands illegally boycotted the social media platform with their advertising. The judge admonished X for leading a “fishing expedition” with the lawsuit.

Related episodes:

Elon Musk’s $25B ‘Desperate’ Terafab, $2.6B Court Loss & FSD Crisis  https://open.spotify.com/episode/78OQ3eeaWYqgpbNRqII50T

It’s Official: Elon Musk Must Face DOGE 'Power Overreach' Lawsuit https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Dz4yUMtrfu5zB0k5ZmOOb

Why ‘Elon-gelical’ Tesla Influencers Leaving The Cult  https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UysuwWHDaqR5mvW4oxnQY

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has just been handed a couple of devastating courtroom defeats, involving the company intentionally misleading users about the safety of it’s products, particularly in relation to social media addiction and the alleged harm it can do to young minds.

Related episodes:

Zuckerberg's REAL Goal of Meta’s AI ‘Superintelligence’ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4sVVI6nyrKWjp4BTwIkza4

The Shocking Truth About ChatGPT Psychosis https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CTywgSNebWgSbOHGMAp2z

Jury Finds Tesla Partly Liable ($243m) in Autopilot Fatality https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ScnbKkJutsMmBlfR0izzX

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the news that a judge has ruled that Tesla CEO Elon Musk must face a lawsuit alleging power overreach, when Elon was a Trump administration adviser, heading up the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In addition, a top Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official has quit amid rumblings of tension between the official and other top SEC officials over enforcement cases agains financial backers of Donald Trump, including Elon Musk.

Related episodes:

Elon Musk Moves For Twitter Fraud Mistrial Because He’s Too Hated https://open.spotify.com/episode/1CYU9vyPnqdJjl4ANDmwdu

Tesla’s Unsupervised Robotaxi: Was Elon Musk Wrong or Lying? https://open.spotify.com/episode/3A1uG9qf3Xa0N7DWZpngfS

Elon Musk’s $25B ‘Desperate’ Terafab, $2.6B Court Loss & FSD Crisis  https://open.spotify.com/episode/78OQ3eeaWYqgpbNRqII50T

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.

John Johnston (JJ) breaks down the view that the Iran War could derail the AI boom or AI bubble. Part of the view, from Tej Parikh of the Financial Times, is that the whole AI chip supply chain depends on energy and chemical imports from the Middle East. Also, JJ reacts to an interview from veteran investor Jeremy Grantham, who has been a student of financial bubbles over history, and thinks the current AI boom definitely involves a huge market bubble that will burst. 

Related episodes:

The AI Bust is Coming: Is A Recession Inevitable? https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LWmJYdPLOTncpm4PtzODe

Prediction: US Defeat in Iran War Will Pop AI Bubble https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IdsB0PeURDU7nyDC8BMI3

AI Bubble: Is OpenAI Cooked? Walls Are Closing In https://open.spotify.com/episode/1a4VbuQlYl84R67A0TtH2I

Referenced videos:

Jeremy Grantham – Bubbles, Value Investing, and the Long Game at GMO | Capital Allocators with Ed Seides https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OBWCmoQq3Or5dmKybrbhL

AI bubble won’t survive the war in Iran much longer | Tej Parikh | The Tech Report https://youtu.be/tMiZqEbGMAM

Disclaimer: I am not a financial adviser and nothing in this content is financial advice. This content is for general education and entertainment purposes only. Do your own analysis and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decision.