Good morning, friends!

I’m spending today relaxing with my family and preparing for something exciting that I’ll announce tomorrow. You’ll receive a separate email from me in the morning with more details :)

If you’ve been with me since the first time I hit send on this newsletter in 2017, thank you for your unconditional support. You’ve allowed me to carve out a corner on the internet full of smart, curious people who are eager to learn and grow.

If you’re new here, welcome, and I hope you choose to stick around. This newsletter is a physical manifestation of how I learn, and I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you every single week.

Put simply, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope we can continue this journey together with every new chapter (and another one begins tomorrow).

Hope to hear from you!

— Polina

THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, premium members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Cristiano Ronaldo, the footballer who uses hate as fuel. Become a premium member, and read it below.

The Profile

The Profile Dossier: Cristiano Ronaldo, the Footballer Who Uses Hate as Fuel

Cristiano Ronaldo is often considered the best footballer that’s ever lived. (Well, unless you believe that honor goes to Lionel Messi.) Ronaldo, who plays for Manchester United, holds the record for most goals in a single UEFA Champions League Season, and he’s one of the top scorers of all time…

Read more

4 days ago · 4 likes · 1 comment · Polina Pompliano

PROFILES.

— The founder who gave away his company [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The controversial founder at it again
— The team that fixed LaGuardia airport
— The men lengthening their legs
— The actress re-discovering herself

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The founder who gave away his company: A half-century after founding the outdoor apparel maker Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, the eccentric rock climber who became a reluctant billionaire with his unconventional spin on capitalism, has given the company away. Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Chouinard’s family has transferred its ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization. They were created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that all of its profits — some $100 million a year — are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe. (The New York Times)

“Hopefully this will influence a new form of capitalism that doesn’t end up with a few rich people and a bunch of poor people.”

The controversial founder at it again: In January 2022, Ryan Breslow, 28, sparked confusion and fueled conspiracy theories across Silicon Valley when he stepped down as Bolt’s CEO after eight years—and days after raising $355 million from top investors at an $11 billion valuation. Now, he’s heading up a health tech startup called Love at a tumultuous time for Bolt. (Forbes)

“I think my superpower is that I’ve never done health before.”

The team that fixed LaGuardia airport: The old Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport in New York used to be the worst part of possibly the worst major airport in the world. Shockingly, that’s no longer the case. When a panel of judges recently named the world’s best new airport building, the prestigious honor went to … Terminal B. As the writer jokes, “It was a bit like Arby’s winning a James Beard Award.” Meet the tiny, elite squad of employees tasked with Terminal B’s unbelievable transformation. (WSJ; reply to this email if you can’t access the article)

“We want to change the narrative from ‘I hate it’ to “I love it.’”

The men lengthening their legs: A growing number of men are undergoing a radical and expensive surgery to grow anywhere from three to six inches. The catch: It requires having both your femurs broken. This profile goes inside the wild, booming world of leg lengthening. (GQ)

“I noticed that taller people just seem to have it easier.”

The actress re-discovering herself: Vanessa Hudgens has been working on herself a lot in the past few years. “I woke up at 27 like, ‘I have no idea who I am, what I want, or what I stand for,’” she says. She started a form of therapy called shadow work that involves unlocking your unconscious mind to confront negative or repressed parts of yourself. Hudgens found herself asking questions like: “What are the things I actually don’t like about myself? What are the things that I put on a mask for?” It involved a lot of uncomfortable conversations. Meet the real Hudgens. (NYLON)

“When you get older, the sexier boundaries are.”

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