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Europe backs wealth tax to fund healthcare and fairness
Wealth taxation is becoming a hot topic in Europe
Across the EU, citizens are increasingly calling for new taxes on the ultra-wealthy — supposedly to fund healthcare, education, and other public services.
Where is support the strongest?
Italy leads the pack: 94% of Italians support taxing the ultra-rich to improve the healthcare system.
Spain follows with 91%, then France (90%), the UK (89%), and Germany (85%).
What does the Eurobarometer say?
80% of EU citizens believe multinational corporations should pay a minimum tax in every country. And 65% support imposing taxes on the wealthiest individuals.
Support is especially high in Hungary (78%) and in Balkan countries like Bulgaria and Croatia (71% each).
Why do these ideas resonate?
Respondents want tax loopholes closed so more funding can go toward public services. That idea is backed by 94% in Italy, 91% in the UK, 90% in Spain and France, and 86% in Germany.
What gets less support?
Investing tax revenue into renewable energy gets a bit less enthusiasm — supported by 75–88%, with up to 18% of Germans opposed.
Even fewer people support funding for home insulation, with Germans particularly skeptical (only 28% in favor), and 20–22% against in other countries.
Are wealth taxes already in place?
Only Norway, Spain, and Switzerland currently tax net wealth.
France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands tax specific types of assets.
What’s happening globally?
The G20 is discussing a potential global minimum wealth tax — 2% annually on assets over $1 billion.
Europe's direction: fairness or punishment for success?
Europe seems to be leaning toward punishing those who build capital (sound familiar?), instead of encouraging investment and growth.
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Burning Man Is Not a Festival — It’s a Desert Awakening
Burning Man is not a festival — it's a transformation
It's like if Stanford, a desert rave, a contemporary art exhibition, and an ancient shaman all merged into one being and decided to live through your inner transformation for you.
People who feel like dreams
I met a girl from Toronto who was convinced she was a witch. On the third day, she gave me a stone and said it vibrated on my frequency. Later we danced at sunrise to some kind of Japanese techno-house. The next morning, she left to find meaning in the desert. I never found her—or the meaning. But the stone remained.
Trust the toast and a glowing jellyfish
I met a guy who introduced himself as Alex but said here he’s “Star Cat.” He made me a mozzarella toast with the phrase “Trust the dust” burned into it. We sat under a glowing jellyfish sculpture and talked about blues. He turned out to be a developer from California and had the best chillout spot in camp.
Where strangers give compliments
One stop had a Compliment Bar. Strangers said kind things to other strangers they'd never met. Someone told me, "You look like someone who could be trusted with a galaxy." Two days later, I met a grandpa in a mermaid costume at the same spot.
A glowing cloak, a deer-bike, and a silent rave
I met a woman in her sixties who said it was her eighth time at Burning Man—because, here, men listen. She wore a glowing cloak and rode a bicycle shaped like a deer. She invited me to a silent rave—everyone had headphones on, but we were all still yelling. It was beautiful.
The art of unresolved pain
On the third day—eyes full of dust, electrolytes in hand, and baby mango puree for lunch—I met a guy who had lived in a monastery in Nepal for two years. Now he builds art installations shaped like emotional wounds he can’t let go of. One was a giant open hand with the words “Say it anyway.” We just stood there in silence.
When everything becomes unreal
At night… everything becomes surreal. Fire, lights, costumes, dancing, smells, dreams. Everything you thought you were begins to dissolve. And everything you feared most comes in for a hug. It's not scary. The desert is just showing you.
Fire, silence, and the ones you don’t take pictures with
Then it all burns. You stand in front of the giant burning Man, and inside, there's absolute silence. Not because there's nothing—but because there's peace.
I met people you don’t want to take pictures with. You just want to sit in silence beside them. No one writes about them in posts. But they might be the reason I’ll come back.
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Where Millionaires Are Moving in 2025
Millionaires on the Move: Where the Rich Live Now
In 2025, the world has finally made up its mind on where the rich belong.
Spoiler: it’s not London.Why the Wealthy Are Flocking to the UAE and US
The UAE is gaining nearly 10,000 millionaires this year. The old formula of "no taxes, lots of sun" still works. The US is also attracting wealthy newcomers—apparently offering not just taxes, but Netflix in its original version. Italy isn’t luring people with low rates, but more likely with pasta and Tuscan views.
London Leads the Rich Exodus: Down 16,500
The UK is topping a much less glamorous chart: it’s losing 16,500 millionaires. That’s not a slow leak—it’s a full-on evacuation. China (-7.8K) and India (-3.5K) are also high on the list of departures, likely in search of Dubai’s sunshine and Switzerland’s chocolate.
Global Migration of Wealth: A New Map
If millionaires are a flock of birds, then London, Delhi, and Beijing have become the skies to escape from. And Dubai? The juiciest, shiniest bird feeder on the planet.
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AI Is Reshaping Consulting: What Comes Next?
AI vs. Expertise: End of the Consulting Status Quo?
When an AI can analyze data, build a strategy, and produce a polished corporate presentation in minutes, the era of expensive human expertise is running out of time.
Even McKinsey—the very symbol of top-tier consulting—has had to rethink its DNA for the first time in a century.
Ivy League Grads Out, AI Agents In?
Instead of armies of Ivy League grads working on months-long projects, we now have thousands of AI agents writing in consulting tone, fact-checking logic, and assembling materials. Every specialist will soon come with a personal AI bot, free of charge.
Clients Want Outcomes, Not PowerPoint Decks
And the demand is shifting: clients no longer want someone in a suit delivering slides. They want a partner who’ll dig in and own the results. Already, one in four consulting projects is paid based on actual outcomes.
Who Will Survive the AI Wave?
Junior roles are under pressure. Average expertise is fading fast. What’s rising in value? Experience, the ability to learn quickly, and working well with others—things AI still can’t automate.
Consulting is entering a new era with one rule: survival doesn’t go to the smartest, but to the fastest.
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When ChatGPT booked me a haircut… in a bus
When ChatGPT booked me a haircut – and nailed it… sort of
Today I decided to test ChatGPT’s new agent mode. I’d seen a post where it worked flawlessly: someone asked to book a haircut in Los Angeles, the AI opened a browser, found a salon, made the appointment – smooth as silk.
Inspired, I tried: “Book me a haircut tomorrow in Brooklyn, São Paulo.”
Spoiler: I did NOT expect what happened next.
At first: flawless automation
At first, it was perfect. The browser opened, and the agent narrated:
“Comparing ratings,”
“Scrolling the page,”
“Clicking the booking button.”
It found a barber, asked my preferred time, paused briefly for login, then finished the booking and sent me a neat summary: tomorrow at 1 PM, 25-minute haircut.I even got the email confirmation.
It felt like the future — the kind where AI can do everything except find your missing socks.
The twist: a barbershop in a bus
But then… I checked the salon photos. And there it was: a barbershop. Inside. A regular. City. Bus.
Not “retro-themed,” not “repurposed.” Just a literal bus parked on the roadside, with stools, dust, and a hint of existential despair.
AI: mission accomplished.
Me: wondering if my next agent prompt would be “Find where they sterilize their tools.”Lesson: trust but verify
Always double-check — whether it’s a human agent or a digital one. Amen.
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How Will the Universe End? 6 Possible Scenarios
The greatest minds are pondering the eternal again — and it might not be so eternal after all.
Big Crunch: Collapse Instead of Infinity
One recent theory suggests that if dark energy proves unstable, the Universe won't expand forever.
Instead, in about 33 billion years, it could reverse course, collapsing in on itself — the so-called "Big Crunch." Think slow-motion apocalypse.
Big Freeze: The Slowest, Coldest Ending
In this scenario, expansion never stops. Stars burn out, matter decays, and eventually even black holes vanish. Nothing remains but empty space — cosmic credits roll in pure arthouse style.
Big Rip: The Universe Torn Apart
If dark energy accelerates instead of staying steady, it could literally tear the cosmos apart: first galaxies, then planets, then even atoms. Expansion on steroids.
Big Bounce: An Infinite Cosmic Reboot
Optimists prefer this one: the Universe collapses, but instead of dying, it triggers another Big Bang — a cosmic reboot on endless repeat. Maybe we’re already in one of many cycles.
Vacuum Decay: The Instant Game Over
High-level physics mode: if our universe exists in a "false vacuum," a random quantum fluctuation could rewrite the laws of physics in an instant. No pain. No warning. Just… gone.
Boltzmann Brain: The Weirdest Possibility
Not exactly an ending, but unsettling: in an infinite Universe, random fluctuations could eventually create a single conscious brain that only thinks it’s you. Hello, cosmic solipsism.
So, if you're procrastinating, keep in mind: "later" might end in one of six cosmic apocalypses.
But hey — we've still got billions of years. Time for coffee and the comforting illusion of control.
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Crisis Mode: Why Speed Beats Innovation in Industrial Capitalism
In crisis, speed of sale beats quality of product
When systemic crisis hits, the winners aren’t those with the best products—but those who can sell fast to whoever needs it most.
How overpriced semiconductors launched the Big Tech era
Back in the 1960s, the U.S. paid 30 times the market price for semiconductors—because the Minuteman missile program couldn’t wait. That’s how the industry that feeds today’s Big Tech was born.
Big Tech’s nuclear bet isn’t about the planet
Today, Big Tech is the urgent buyer.
Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta are pouring money into nuclear energy. Not because they love the planet—but because without it, they can’t run AGI. And without AGI, they’re just expensive hardware.
The West’s defense sector is too hollow to fight
Western defense is so degraded that in a real conflict with China, the missiles would run out in days.
Global supply chain panic: rare earths, infrastructure gaps, no fallback
China controls 87% of rare earths. The U.S. has no fallback. Europe faces a €250 billion annual deficit in equipment and infrastructure.
Not a startup game—this is DEFCON 2 industrial capitalism
The world is turning into a chain of emergency purchases: from modular reactors and Atlantic cables to hurricane-predicting AIs in the Gulf.
Governments are throwing in trillions. Infrastructure is crumbling. Old corporations can’t keep up. The winner is whoever can build and deliver right now.
This isn’t a startup sandbox. This is industrial capitalism in DEFCON 2 mode.
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US Passes GENIUS Act: Stablecoins Face Harsh Regulations
GENIUS Act: The Silent Revolution in US Crypto Regulation
While the world was busy debating Bitcoin and decentralization, the U.S. quietly — and swiftly — passed the first-ever nationwide crypto mega-regulation: the GENIUS Act. Trump’s signature is just days away. Here's what it really means:
Free-floating stablecoins are now illegal
Issuing a stablecoin without a license? That’s now punishable by up to $1 million in daily fines or five years in prison — even for foreign companies or platforms that merely facilitate trading such tokens.
Yes, DeFi wallets are included if they support unauthorized coins.Want to issue a stablecoin? Be a bank.
Must hold 100% reserves in cash or short-term Treasuries. No interest payouts to holders. Audited public reports certified by both CEO and CFO. Any breach? Criminal liability
Foreign issuers locked out
Stablecoins from abroad are banned unless they:
- Register with U.S. regulators
- Hold reserves in U.S. banks
- Operate outside high-risk jurisdictions
Not the digital dollar… but close
This isn’t the official digital dollar, but it’s a monopoly on its creation. Only Treasury-approved entities can issue them. Even holding a stablecoin without a license could be problematic. This might be the beginning of the end for private stablecoins in the U.S.
GENIUS: Nice acronym, tighter control
Sure, Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoinssounds visionary. But in practice, it means innovation now comes with a permission slip.
Bottom line: The U.S. has chosen control over decentralization. You’re either in the system — or you’re out.
Is this the digital-age Patriot Act?
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How to Get Ready for Burning Man in One Day
I had known about Burning Man for years. For several seasons I had joined side events: our camp built an art sauna out in the desert. But that year I wasn’t planning to go anywhere. We were living with my wife and our newborn son in a cozy house outside Buenos Aires, running our business and enjoying a calm, steady life.
And then a message popped up in a friends’ chat: someone was selling Burning Man tickets for the day after tomorrow. I stared at the screen, realized this might be my only chance, and of course I grabbed three plane tickets for that very evening.
“What? We’re flying in four hours?” my wife asked.
But this wasn’t our first spontaneous trip, and she quickly agreed. We each packed a tiny carry‑on, threw in our favorite Burner costumes (“you should always know where your Burner costume is”, D. Adams), and headed for the airport. Evening Buenos Aires blurred by outside the taxi window, we raced through traffic, barely made our flight, sprinted through security, collapsed into our seats, and that’s when it hit me: I am flying to Burning Man.
On the plane I opened a list from my friend, the legendary “list of things you absolutely must bring.” Around a hundred items, some of them bizarre. Nasal spray. Dust masks. A bicycle. I scrolled through and realized: not a single one of these things was in our luggage. And it was far too late to change anything.
We landed, rented a Jeep, grabbed coffee by the San Francisco bridge and entered straight to Walmart.
After an hour I was starving. After two hours I wanted a divorce. After three, a friend dropped me a message: “Hey, can you bring another twenty bikes for the camp?” Five hours in, our son spiked a fever, and it became clear I’d be driving to the desert alone.
We crammed everything into the car. Stopped in a McDonald’s parking lot to unpack boxes and ditch extra packaging. Obviously there are no trash bins in the desert. I left my wife and son at a hotel in Rino, and at exactly midnight I drove through the gate. That was the start of an adventure I’ll never forget.
Now, for anyone crazy enough to try something like this here’s how to do it properly. To pull off a spontaneous Burning Man trip, you need two things:
- a remote assistant
- a friend in San Francisco
The step‑by‑step plan:
1. Buy your plane ticket
2. Your assistant orders all one hundred items from the list on Amazon Prime, shipping them to your friend’s address.
3. You land in the US, your stuff is already waiting in the garage, you pack in a couple of hours, and you’re off to the desert. That’s it. You’re magnificent.
See you on the playa this year?
P.S. To this day, I still get a nervous twitch when I see bicycles in a supermarket. And yes, this was 2023, the very year when, two days after I arrived, the entire desert flooded. But that’s another story.
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Burford vs. Argentina: The $16B Legal Battle over YPF
YPF’s Nationalization: Where It All Began
This story deserves a movie. And like all great dramas, it starts with national pride and ends at the doors of a U.S. courthouse.
In 2012, President Cristina Kirchner’s government nationalized the oil company YPF. Argentina bought the controlling stake from Spain’s Repsol—but conveniently “forgot” about other shareholders, particularly the Petersen Group, linked to the Eskenazi family. Losing the chance to sell their 25% stake, they didn’t fight alone.
Burford Capital: When Lawsuits Become Investments
Enter Burford Capital—a litigation finance firm that invests in lawsuits. In 2015, it bought the claims from Petersen and Eton Park, hired lawyers, and launched a legal battle against Argentina in New York. After 10 years, the court ruled in their favor: Argentina had violated shareholder rights. The damages? $16.1 billion.
The Verdict: $16 Billion and 51% of YPF
Today, a federal judge in Manhattan ordered Argentina to hand over 51% of YPF shares to comply with the ruling. Those shares are valued at $6–8 billion. And if Argentina doesn’t hand them over voluntarily? Burford and the court are ready to act—the shares are held in a U.S. depository.
A Legal Thriller with Global Stakes
YPF shares dropped 6%. Burford’s surged 22%. A perfect example of legal strategy turned hedge fund tactic.
This isn’t just about fairness. It’s a reminder: not even sovereign states are immune to commercial law—especially when their assets are parked in New York.
And yes, if Netflix turned this into a series, it would have it all—oil, politics, Wall Street lawyers, an aging Argentine dynasty, a judge in a black robe, and headlines worth billions.