Hello there.
TGIF, fellas! This week, Apple’s giving us a look at the other side of the AI-coin-flip.
In this issue:
🍎 Apple Might Be Winning AI by Not Playing the Game
⚡️ China Challenges Elon’s Lofty Ambitions
🏗️ Data Center Owners Want to Cash Out While the AI Money's Hot
🤖 …and How the Whole Thing is Minting More Millionaire Boomers
🎙️ Apple vs. OpenAI & The Fight for AI’s Future
…it’s kind of a “picks-and-shovels” thing, but for the Internet of Things. It’s a very 2026-typa beat. Just wait, you’ll see. More below. 👇
Three months running. No losses on the open book in 2026 so far.
Adam Mesh has six open options trades on the book right now.
Every one of them is in the green.
Here's his 2026 record as of today:
• SNDA — opened Feb 26. +203. Still open.
• OWL — opened March 5. +735. Still open.
• BB — opened April 21. +474. Still open.
• ASPI — opened April 23. +800. Still open.
• NOK — opened April 30. +480. Still open.
• BULL — opened May 14. +156. Still open.
Total unrealized profit across the book: $2,848 and counting.
That's not a back-tested track record. Those are live open positions, dated and verifiable.
He'll be the first to tell you not every trade wins. He's been doing this for 30 years. He's had plenty of losers. Every trader has.
But the math behind his core strategy is built so the odds lean in his favor before he ever clicks submit.
He just put together a free video that walks through the four strategies behind every name on that list.
You'll see the trade structure. The setups. The exit rules. The reasons most options traders blow up their accounts and how to not be one of them.
Watch the free options video breakdown - drop your email to start →
🍎 Granny Smith Says “Wait and See”
Everyone's been roasting Apple for being "behind" on AI. While Microsoft, Google, and Meta were burning through hundreds of billions building massive data centers, Apple has just been vibing. No massive spending spree, but also no panic or manic quarterlies. Just Tim Cook doing his thing.
Now, Apple's stock just hit an all-time high, and it's the best-performing Mag 7 stock this year. Up over 20% in three months. Turns out, keeping a level head might actually be the move. Who knew?
Companies like Google and Amazon need to build these giant AI factories because they sell cloud computing to other businesses. Apple doesn't really do that. What Apple DOES have is 2.5 billion devices already in people's hands, from iPhones to MacBooks, and even AirPods. They don't need to win the AI race as long as they can make sure they’re screen you're already looking at when you want to use all the newfangled models.
Think of it like this: Apple doesn't have to make the best pizza in town. They just have to own the only door that leads to every pizza shop. Their new Siri AI (coming later this year) is designed to work across all your Apple stuff, pulling from your messages, photos, and apps. It might not be the fanciest AI, but it's the one that's already connected to your life. And if the tech buildout has taught us anything, it’s that convenience is king.
The risk is, if Siri still stinks, none of this matters. And Apple's basically suing OpenAI right now, claiming they stole trade secrets. So things could get messy. But for now, Wall Street seems pretty convinced that sometimes the best way to win is to let everyone else overspend first.
⚡️ The Tech Ticker
China successfully landed a reusable Long March 10B rocket booster for the first time, sending a challenge to SpaceX in the race to lower launch costs.
The Los Angeles Police Department let its contract with Flock Safety expire over concerns about data ownership, privacy, and civil liberties.
NHTSA ordered autonomous vehicle companies to fix a “disturbing trend” of driverless cars interfering with first responders.
Lucid Motors denied reports that it is considering filing for bankruptcy after its stock plunged more than 50% intraday.
AT&T and Verizon are making it easier for customers to go solo, launching Build-A-Plan options after years of pushing multiline family packages.
🏗️ If You Build It…
So you know how the narrative has been about how everyone was scrambling to BUILD data centers? Now the people who built them are scrambling to SELL them.
Data center companies across America are working with bankers to offload majority stakes worth tens of billions of dollars this summer. We're talking big companies like Netrality Data Centers, DataBank, EdgeCore, and a bunch of others with properties everywhere from Phoenix to Atlanta.
Why sell now? Because data centers are basically the real estate of the AI boom. Every AI company needs somewhere to put their servers, and demand has been absolutely wild. Some companies got so desperate for computing power that they started renting chips from their own competitors. Now, the owners of these buildings see the writing on the wall: AI demand is insane right now, prices are high, and private equity firms are drooling over the chance to own physical AI infrastructure. Classic seller’s market.
But here's the catch: Companies like Google, Meta, and Microsoft have been spending so aggressively on AI data centers that they're actually slowing down their stock buybacks. Google even did an $84.75 billion stock SALE to fund its AI ambitions. Meta hasn't bought back a single share this year.
That’s huge because buybacks have been one of the biggest reasons stocks have kept going up since 2018. When companies buy their own stock, it usually helps the price. Now that money's going to data centers instead of your portfolio.
So basically, data center owners are selling because the market's hot. Big tech is spending instead of buying back stock. And everyone's betting that AI demand stays crazy enough to make it all worth it. Let’s hope this ages well.
🤖 All Eyes on AI
Landowners are raking in fortunes selling property for AI data centers, with 96 Pennsylvania families collectively pocketing $586 million.
Hundreds of economists, including 16 Nobel laureates, signed a “We Must Act Now” statement on AI, urging policymakers to build guardrails before buildouts.
Google’s AI search features pose an “unacceptable risk” to children, says Common Sense Media, noting the inability for schools to disable AI Overview.
OpenAI launched its first branded hardware device, an RGB-lit “Codex Micro” keyboard designed to monitor and manage multiple AI coding agents.
New York became the first state to impose a moratorium on large AI data centers after Governor Kathy Hochul paused new hyperscale projects.
🤡 Meme of the Week
🎙️ Apple vs. OpenAI & The Fight for AI’s Future
In this episode of This Week in Tech, the hosts unpack a week where Apple launches a blockbuster legal challenge against OpenAI, tech companies face mounting pressure over AI and privacy, and the industry grapples with the next generation of computing.
📻 Tune in to:
Break down Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI and explore what the case could mean for AI competition.
Examine the growing backlash facing major tech platforms as Meta, Sony, and Waymo confront criticism over privacy, product decisions, and safety.
Dive into the race to make AI more accessible and broader questions about who gets access to powerful AI tools and who gets left behind.
🎧 Listen on:
⭐️ What did you think of today's edition?
That’s all for today. Write us and let us know your thoughts on the market, the newsletter, or the weather—we’d just love to hear from you.
Till next time,
— Brandon and Blake
ADVERTISING DISCLOSURES: 1) The author of the Article, or members of the author’s immediate household or family, do not own any securities of the companies set forth in this Article. The author determined which companies would be included in this article based on research and understanding of the sector.
2) This email is a paid advertisement by Interactive Offers and does not constitute investment advice. Invested Inc. has been compensated $5,000 by Interactive Offers for the distribution of this profile and related marketing materials. We have not performed due diligence on the company and the information provided is for informational purposes only. We are not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.
Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.
ADVERTISING DISCLOSURES: 1) The author of the Article, or members of the author’s immediate household or family, do not own any securities of the companies set forth in this Article. The author determined which companies would be included in this article based on research and understanding of the sector.
2) This email is a paid advertisement by Greenland Energy Company and does not constitute investment advice. Invested Inc. has been compensated $1,250 by Greenland Energy Company for the distribution of this profile and related marketing materials. We have not performed due diligence on the company and the information provided is for informational purposes only. We are not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer.
Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.
The information provided in Finance Wrapped is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice, investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Finance Wrapped is not a registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or licensed financial planner. Always do your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. We may hold positions in or receive compensation from the companies or products mentioned. Disclosures will be made where applicable. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investing involves risk, including the loss of principal.
Finance Wrapped, Stocks & Income, Invested Early, AltIndex LLC, The Chain, and Future Funders are all owned by Invested, Inc.