Trump Organization’s 2020 Woes | Africa’s Richest People | The Green Jobs Debate

Plus: The Unmaking Of A Billionaire: How Africa’s Richest Woman Went Broke

Good morning.

We look at which billionaire gained the most during the Trump presidency—your guess is probably correct—and at what the data says about job creation under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Also, make sure to check out our newly released list of Africa’s richest people.

In The News Today

A proposed law in Australia that would make Google and Facebook pay local media outlets for their content has drawn the ire of the tech giants.

The WHO declared the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine safe for the elderly after Norway’s medicines authority questioned its role in a number of deaths.

Top Take-Aways

As a global treaty banning nuclear weapons enters into force without the backing of the world’s nuclear powers, two of them—Russia and the U.S.—face a deadline on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Biden’s stance on the deal differs from his predecessor’s.

One treaty the U.S. has (re)joined is the Paris Agreement on climate change. Some Republicans claim it will cost American jobs, but the data beg to differ.

As the Senate begins confirming President Joe Biden’s cabinet picks, one hitting a potential snag is nominee for Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who holds more than $1 million worth of stock options in an electric bus and battery maker set to go public this year.

Another company looking to capitalize on renewed interest for cleantech investment is EVgo, a public fast-charging network for electric vehicles which is planning a SPAC merger that would create a company worth an estimated $2.6 billion.

Donald Trump’s final financial disclosure report paints 2020 as a year of struggle for the former president’s businesses, including his D.C. hotel and golf resorts in the U.S. and Europe.

In Atlantic City, a relic of Trump’s business failures is about to be wiped out from the city’s skyline. The former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino is due for demolition next month. 

Billionaires overall fared well under the Trump presidency—but no one did better than Tesla founder Elon Musk, whose fortune has grown at an unprecedented rate.

Today's Must Read

In Case You Missed It

The market for plant-based meat alternatives is booming. A number of startups are betting that there’s also a growing interest in vegan alternatives to fish and seafood—among these, there’s New Wave Foods, which raised $18 million in a Series A round towards its shrimp alternative made from mung bean and a seaweed derived ingredient.

Tips You Can Trust

How To Banish The Most Dangerous Four-Letter Word From Your Communications

4 Things You Must Do In Zoom Now That Amateur Hour Is Over

Across Forbes