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Bezos, Taxes, and Venice: Protesters Miss the Point
Venice Protests: Bezos Rents a City, Activists React
n Venice, protests erupted after Jeff Bezos reportedly rented out large parts of the city for his wedding. Italian Greenpeace took to the streets with signs reading: "If you can rent Venice, you can pay more tax." But the real question is: does he actually pay less?
How Billionaires Like Bezos Minimize Their Taxes
And how?
1. A Symbolic Salary, Wealth in Stocks
Bezos officially earns a modest annual salary (around $80,000). But his real wealth lies in Amazon stock. These shares increase in value over time, but that growth isn’t taxed until he sells them—which he rarely does.
2. Loans Against Stock: Spending Without Selling
Instead of cashing out stocks, Bezos borrows against them. These loans aren’t taxed because they aren’t considered income. He can fund his lifestyle without triggering a taxable event.
3. Moving States to Cut Taxes
In early 2024, Bezos relocated from Washington (which introduced a 7% capital gains tax) to Florida—a state with no income or capital gains tax. This move likely saved him $400–600 million during stock sales.
4. Philanthropy as a Tax Strategy
Bezos donates billions through entities like the Bezos Earth Fund and various trusts. These donations reduce his taxable base while boosting his public image.
5. Family Offices and Trust Structures
His family office, Bezos Expeditions, manages personal investments and uses trusts for estate planning and tax optimization—common tools for preserving ultra-high-net-worth wealth.
Capitalism, Clearly Explained
Bezos follows a classic ultra-wealthy playbook: keep wealth in appreciating assets, avoid taxable events, live in tax-friendly states, donate strategically, and plan legacy through trusts. Meanwhile, protesters chant in the streets rather than try to understand the mechanisms of capitalism or find ways to improve their own financial situation.
The Wedding Was Moved—But Taxes? Unchanged.
Eventually, the wedding location was shifted due to the protests.
But did that result in more taxes paid? Of course not.
So was this a win for protesters—or just noise, as usual?
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Why Being a "Nice Guy" Doesn’t Work
Stop Being So Nice — It’s Not Helping
I used to think that being polite, helpful, and always doing the right thing would get me everything — love, success, recognition. Spoiler: it doesn’t.
Then I read No More Mr. Nice Guy — and something clicked.
That book hits like a slap in the face for anyone who built their personality around people-pleasing. Anyone afraid of conflict, who puts others’ needs first, who silently hopes the world will reward them for being nice. It won’t.What Glover Makes Crystal Clear
Glover breaks it down like this:
— Being “nice” isn’t kindness — it’s fear
— Suppressing anger, ambition, and desire doesn’t make you good — just convenient
— And no one respects the convenient. They use them. They avoid them.
— Women aren’t attracted to them, friends don’t listen to them. Their voice fades out.The Core Insight
Here’s the core insight:
If you're always trying to be the “good guy,” you’ve already betrayed yourself.After this book, you start getting your spine back.
You start saying “no.”
Doing what you want.
Living with a sense of inner strength, not inner debt.The world doesn’t need another nice guy.
The world needs real men.
Solid. Honest. Anchored. -
Portugal Doubles Citizenship Wait to 10 Years
Portugal Just Made Citizenship Much Harder
Every week, another country seems to mess up its citizenship laws. This time, it’s Portugal.
The government has proposed increasing the residency period required to apply for a passport from 5 to 10 years. For citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, there's a "discount"—just 7 years. Technically, it’s still a proposal, but with backing from the far-right Chega party, it’s all but guaranteed to pass. Sad but true.
The Global Trend: Longer, Harder, Less Accessible
It’s becoming the theme of the year: extend the timelines, complicate the rules, and ask—do you even need citizenship?
The U.S. has cracked down on undocumented immigrants, Argentina stopped automatically granting citizenship to parents of newborns, and now Portugal. Who’s next?
Why Waiting Is a Bad Strategy
I’ve always said: sitting on a residence permit hoping for better times is a terrible plan. The world changes fast. Today you think, “five years—no problem, I’ve got time.” Tomorrow, the rules change. And just like that—goodbye.
Faster EU Options Still Exist
Thankfully, a few EU countries still offer quicker paths to a passport. Want advice on where to go for a faster route to citizenship?
Message me. -
The Business Card That Changed Everything
A Café, a Coffee, and That Feeling of Stuck
Late '90s. Autumn. I’m sitting in some depressing café with plastic chairs, sipping an Americano and nibbling a cheesecake—because that’s all I can afford, and the coffee is non-negotiable.
It was that kind of time—when life felt like it was buffering. No clear plan. Work was annoying. The city weighed on me. I felt like I was stuck between “still young” and “why hasn’t anything worked out yet?”
The Startup Table and the Forgotten Card
In the corner, a lively group. One guy pulls out a laptop! Shows something to the others. I catch a few words—startup, demo, pitch, angel investors. These words sounded like a spaceship to me at the time. I wasn’t from that world. I was from the world where PowerPoint took 20 minutes to load, and “project” usually meant something my boss made up again.
A few minutes later, they leave. But one of them forgets his business card on the table.
The Email That Wasn’t a Resume
I hesitate for a second. Then I take it. Then I sit there another 15 minutes, just turning it in my fingers.
Then I write an email:“Hey. I overheard you. I can do this, I’m curious about that, I know a bit of this. If you need someone—I’m around.”
And I hit send.It wasn’t a resume. It was a jump.
One of those jumps that begins with: “Well… why the hell not?”A Different Life from One Message
Three days later, they replied.
A week later, I was in their new office talking marketing and building presentations that actually loaded.
Another week later, I got paid—not for hours worked, but for results delivered. A first.I still think about that café sometimes. About that business card. About how everything would’ve gone a different way if I’d just finished my coffee and walked home.
Sometimes fate hands you a business card.
More often, you just have to ask yourself:
Why the hell not?
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Minsk Is Like an Interrogation With Charm
Minsk Pulled Me In Like a Vortex
Minsk sucked me in like an old toilet whirlpool—suddenly, coldly, and without much hope of resurfacing clean. I came from Lithuania, straight out of a quiet seaside village into a capital where women are beautiful like state crimes, and the weather feels like a polite interrogation.
The Border Guard Who Knew Things
At the border, a guard approached me with the face of someone convinced I personally burned down his garage. He asked why I was coming. I said, honestly: “Just visiting.” He, honestly, didn’t believe me. He stared at my passport, stared at me, like he was trying to recall if I bullied him in childhood. He let me through. No smile. I think he gave up.
Even “Exit to City” Feels Ominous Here
I stepped off the train in Minsk and immediately felt the weight. Even signs like “Exit to city” sound like sentences. The city is clean, flat, and slightly artificial. Like it was built two days ago based on blueprints from 1983.
War, Jelly Candy, and a Woman Without Emotion
I rented an apartment in a building that smelled like war and marmalade. The host was a woman with a bone where most people have emotions. She showed me how to turn on the TV and left with a look that said, “You won’t be here long.” I poured some tea, sat on the windowsill, and watched Minsk through the glass like a zoo—except the animals were watching me back. We’re all temporary here, if you think about it.
Walking Through a Museum of Post-War Optimism
I walked the city like it was a museum of post-war optimism. Everything loomed above, making you feel small and vaguely guilty. The people weren’t grim, but they gave the impression they knew exactly where you were last night. I bought a hat that said “Belarus.” A reminder that warmth is a luxury, and jokes are best kept hidden.
Love, Suspicion, and Giant Potato Pancakes
I found a café serving potato pancakes the size of a toaster. The waitress gave me that look—part suspicion, part silent accusation, maybe even a dash of affection. She clearly thought I might be a spy. Still brought me sour cream. Respect.
Patriotism and the Guy in the “Abibas” Jacket
On Independence Avenue, I almost became a patriot. I wanted to stand tall, say “Yes, Batka!” and march on. In the metro, I saw a guy wearing an “Abibas” jacket with eyes like someone who’s just been asked, “Why are you alive?” I got him. We rode in silence to Lenin Square. He got off. I stayed. The rest felt like a novel without an ending.
Minsk Leaves a Mark
On the way back to Vilnius, I stared out the window. Minsk receded slowly—like an ex who you still kind of owe something.
And one thought kept circling my head:
— Nobody leaves Minsk the same. Some don’t leave at all. -
What It Really Means to Be a Father
Fatherhood Means Showing Up—Always
Being a father means you can’t remember the last time you slept well, but you can instantly tell the difference between “I’m crying because I fell” and “I’m crying because the juice was in the wrong cup.”
It means you’ve become an expert on strollers, thermometers, cartoons, and toddler mood swings—
even though you once dreamed of being a rock star. Or at least sleeping in until 9.I’ve got four of them. Yes, on purpose. No, I’m not crazy. Well, not completely.
Every Day Teaches You Something New
Every single day, I learn something new about myself.
Like the fact that I can read the same book out loud 12 times in a row.Or that I’m capable of not murdering someone who wakes me up at 5:40 AM with, “What if a zebra had a cucumber for a tail?”
That I can love these tiny humans beyond reason— and still daydream about just 15 minutes alone in my forest cave.
Being a Dad Isn’t a Title—It’s Presence
A dad isn’t a “hero,” or a “provider,” or the “head of the family.”
A dad is someone who’s there. Every day. Sometimes in slippers. Sometimes hanging by a thread.
But there.So here’s to every father who’s holding it together.
Who didn’t run. Who isn’t performing for social media.
Even if it feels like everything is held together by duct tape and caffeine.Happy Father’s Day.
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Quit Your Career for Family Management? Name Your Price
Let’s Be Adults About This
No powder, no chakras, no storytelling sparkle.
Would You Trade Career for Full-Time Family Management?
How many of you would actually give up your career, your networking, and your coffee-to-go lifestyle to take full charge of the household—if your man paid for everything?
Not Pinterest, But Real Life
This isn’t some romantic Pinterest fantasy. It’s the real thing.
He gives you the money. All of it. You’re fully financially supported. Dreamy? Maybe. But here’s the catch:
You’re the one handling the kids, meals, chores, doctors, tutors, groceries, schedules, vaccines, and emergency cleaning when his mom decides to visit in two hours.
You’re not a housewife. You’re the COO of the family enterprise. No vacation. No benefits. No salary.
He’s the strategist and financier. He shows up for a couple of hours a week—maybe a helicopter ride, a trip for ice cream, some toy joy. All pre-scheduled.
So What’s Your Price to Say “I’m In”?
Now the real question: What amount of money in your account would make you say, “I’m in. I quit my job. I’m managing this circus full-time”?
And How Many Women Would Actually Do It?
More importantly—
how many women are actually ready for this setup?
No working, no self-discovery, no “I’m freelancing”—just full operational leadership of family life, while your partner brings home the money.Because on Instagram, it looks like everyone wants it:
He gives me money.
I smile, inspire, and get my nails done.But in real life? “I’m burned out. It’s thankless. I’m not a maid.”
So here’s the final question: What game are you really willing to play?
Soft life—or diaper logistics and Google Calendar chaos? -
The Next 3 Years of AI: What to Expect and Why It Matters
We’ve already passed the event horizon.
The point of no return is behind us. While we haven’t yet built robots that handle every task or instant cures for disease, GPT-4 and other systems are already outperforming humans in many areas. And yes — they draw better cats. It’s only accelerating from here.Where AI is heading
The most important shift isn’t just automation of routine work — it’s the acceleration of scientific progress and productivity. AI is already making researchers 2–3 times more productive.
What’s coming (if current trends continue)
2025: AI agents will perform complex cognitive tasks — such as writing code. Programming will be completely transformed.
2026: We’ll see systems capable of generating new scientific ideas. Not just assisting — actually inventing.
2027: Physical robots will begin entering the real world as useful agents.
Intelligence will be cheaper than water
By the 2030s, we’ll enter an era of abundance. The current barriers holding back progress will disappear. Intelligence will be as ubiquitous as electricity.
Fun fact: a single ChatGPT query consumes just 0.34 Wh of energy.In the future, computing costs will be negligible.
AI will help create new AI. Robots will build more robots. A cycle of self-improvement is underway.What this means for us
Many jobs will disappear. New ones will emerge. Social systems will adapt — not instantly, but gradually. New social contracts and rules will be created.
What seems like magic today — AI writing novels, developing new drugs, discovering new materials — will soon feel routine.
Scientific breakthroughs in one year instead of decades.The biggest risks
The single most critical challenge: solving the alignmentproblem — ensuring AI acts in humanity’s best interests.
We already see how social media algorithms manipulate attention. If we don’t design future AI with care, the risks will be far greater than just the zombification of newsfeeds.
This is a short summary of Sam Altman’s essay on the future of AI.
My take?
If you’re an entrepreneur or simply someone who wants to build new things — there has never been a better time to start.
Well — except yesterday, of course.We’re standing at the beginning of a true world reset. And it’s only just getting started.
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Paraguay: How to Legally Pay 0% Tax on Foreign Income
What Do Beaches and Taxes Have in Common?
Correct, Paraguay.There is neither the first nor the second there. At least, as long as you earn money abroad.
For entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and freelancers, it’s one of the few places where you can legally pay 0% tax on foreign income.
No offshore tricks, no gray schemes, no risk from international tax authorities.Key benefits of Paraguay tax residency
Here’s what makes it attractive:
- Tax residency can be set up in 1–2 недели
- No requirement for permanent residence
- Personal bank account can be opened without excessive bureaucracy
— 0% tax on foreign income. For domestic income: 10% corporate tax, 10% VAT
- No automatic exchange of tax information (CRS)
Why Paraguay makes sense
It’s simpler than a U.S. C-Corp, and more scalable than running a sole proprietorship in Georgia. What more do you need from your corporate structure?
For details — DM me.
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LA Protests: California Sues Trump Over National Guard Deployment
В Лос-Анджелесе третий день протесты. Мигранты вышли на улицы, в ответ Трамп вывел Национальную гвардию. Штат Калифорния подаёт на администрацию президента в суд.
Я ещё не доел попкорн от предыдущего сезона сериала “Трамп и Маск”, а тут спин-офф. С новым злодеем, новым губернатором и всё тем же сценарием: “Feds move in, state fights back.”.
What California says
California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated today:
A) Trump violated the Constitution
B) He had no right to command the National Guard without the governor’s consent
C) The order is illegal, harmful, inappropriate — and not suitable for schoolchildrenGovernor Newsom backed him up: “This isn’t about security. It’s terror.”
Trump’s reply? He suggested… arresting the governor. Elegant move. Pow pow!Protests, troops, lawsuits — another season of the show
Yep, just like a bad Netflix series: migrants in the streets, military vehicles rolling through the city, the state suing the White House, and the president threatening arrests. Prime time, 2025.
Fun fact: his is California’s 24th lawsuit against the federal government in just 19 weeks. Wild times.
The real question: who’s next on Trump’s enemies list?