Good morning, friends!

It's been exactly 1,628 days since I nervously pressed "send" on the first edition of The Profile.

I never thought this newsletter would become more than a simple, weekly email I sent to family and friends. But (thankfully) it has turned into something much bigger than what I originally envisioned.

It's evolved into a community of curious, interesting, and wildly intelligent people who believe in consistently improving their content diet.

Before today, the best way to tell the world that you were part of this very exclusive and secret society of Profile readers was to tweet about it. But now, you can wear it.

✨ Today, I'm excited to announce the launch of The Profile swag shop!

You're able to purchase Profile-branded shirts and hoodies, and I'll be adding crewnecks, pens, and notebooks soon!

When you get your merch, make sure to take a picture and tag @ProfileRead on Twitter. Nothing would make me happier than to see a fellow Profile reader sporting a shirt out in the wild.

Cheers to you all for being on this long journey with me. I can't thank you enough, and here’s to many more exciting milestones ahead!

Get Your Profile Swag ASAP

THE PROFILE DOSSIER: On Wednesday, premium members received The Profile Dossier, a comprehensive deep-dive on a prominent individual. It featured Eliud Kipchoge, the human who has no limits. Become a premium member, and read it below.

The Profile

The Profile Dossier: Eliud Kipchoge, the Human Who Has No Limits

Eliud Kipchoge re-defined human limits when he shattered running's last great barrier — the sub-two-hour marathon. Kipchoge ran a historic 1:59:40 marathon in Vienna last year, averaging an extraordinary 4 minutes and 33 seconds per mile. Few people believed it was possible for a human to achieve this remarkable milestone — at least this soon. As recently……

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4 days ago · 4 likes · Polina Marinova Pompliano

PROFILES.

— The creator of America's crypto mecca [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The country's most controversial district attorney
— The Olympian dealing with a three-year stalking ordeal
— The Olympic high jumper raising the bar
— The rapper who built a career beyond music
— The Paralympic athlete reaching for greatness
— The richest female musician on the planet

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The creator of America's crypto mecca: Ian Freeman saw cryptocurrency as a kind of moral crusade against the belligerence of the US government. He is best known as the host of Free Talk Live, a libertarian talk radio show syndicated to 185 radio stations across the country. His show became a gathering point for the early Bitcoin community, turning the small town of Keene, N.H, into a crypto mecca. In March, federal law enforcement raided the crypto oasis, tearing it down and arresting six people. The story is much more complicated than it seems. (The Verge)

“I was on a mission to spread Bitcoin. To give people an opportunity to get out of this government money system that funds evil and funds violence and funds war."

The country's most controversial district attorney: To put it lightly, Chesa Boudin is quite the controversial figure. When he was sworn in as San Francisco's district attorney, Boudin pledged to undo decades of tough-on-crime policies. He campaigned on promises to fight mass incarceration, decriminalize poverty, and hold cops accountable. But the public sentiment changed when burglaries rose by 40%, and car thefts by more than 20% between January and July of 2020. Here's why his "new vision for criminal justice" never really came to fruition. (The New Yorker)

"The people who love Chesa love him with all their heart. The people who hate him want to destroy him. And there’s almost no middle ground.”

The Olympian dealing with a three-year stalking ordeal: Emily Infeld was 28 and training for a second Olympic Games when a man saw her on the internet and became obsessed in 2018. For three years, she lived in fear and often in hiding. An athlete whose life was built around running far and wide could no longer leave her home alone. This is the harrowing story of one of the nation's top distance runners, a man who fell through the cracks of the mental health system, and a legal complex that failed them both. (ESPN)

"The system is so messed up, and this is what makes me so angry."

The Olympic high jumper raising the bar: As a father, a coach, and a pastor, former NFL star Randall Cunningham has taught his high-jumping daughter Vashti everything he knows. Vashti and her father have devised an unconventional strategy — she does not practice jumping very much at all. In training, she only jumps one day every three weeks. Instead of jumping, she focuses on strength, speed training and technique. Here's how Vashti carried on the family legacy into the Olympics (Note: she ended up tying for sixth place). (The Ringer)

“I said, all right, you’re like one of the best jumpers in the world and you’re only 15 years old. Now this is some Olympic stuff.”

The rapper who built a career beyond music: Nearly 30 years after emerging as a profane gangster rapper from Long Beach, Calif., Snoop Dogg has transcended his hip-hop roots and become culturally ubiquitous. He's in the new Addams Family movie. He's in a Corona commercial. He has a show with Martha Stewart on VH1 and an investment fund, and is still releasing new music. Here's how Snoop Dogg has managed to reinvent himself time and time again. (The New York Times)

"It’s originality and uniqueness. I just try to do me."

The Paralympic athlete reaching for greatness: Ezra French is one of the youngest to ever represent the United States at the Paralympic Games. He often jokes about how he lost his left leg in a “horrific bee accident” (he was actually born with congenital limb differences resulting in amputation). He sees humor as a way to diffuse awkward situations, as well as to express his comfort with himself: “I make jokes to break up the tension. Talking about disability is still a little bit taboo.” Here's French's remarkable journey to becoming an elite athlete at the Paralympic Games. (Teen Vogue)

“It’s a full-circle moment."

The richest female musician on the planet: Robyn Fenty, known to the world as Rihanna, is now worth $1.7 billion, making her the wealthiest female musician in the world and second only to Oprah Winfrey as the richest female entertainer. But it’s not her music that’s made her so wealthy. The bulk of her fortune comes from the value of Fenty Beauty, of which she owns 50%. Here's how she created a billion-dollar fashion and beauty empire. (This is a mini-profile, but if you want more, here's a longer-form feature from 2020)

✨ This installment of The Profile is free for everyone. If you would like to get full access to all of the recommendations, including today’s audio and video sections, sign up below.

AUDIO TO HEAR.

Ramit Sethi on building wealth with your significant other: When you get into a relationship with someone, you're likely not thinking about their financial health. You don't go, "Man, I really like Sally, but I wonder if she's deep in soul-crushing debt..." The serious "money conversation" usually comes much later in the life of a relationship, and for some people, it doesn't come until marriage. In this podcast, Ramit Sethi outlines the best, most effective questions that could fuel conversations about money with a significant other. From this, I learned why "the rich life" discussion is the most important. (Link available to premium members.)

Linda Lebrun on an independent writer economy: The world of media is changing, one writer at a time. We're seeing journalists leave traditional media organizations to launch paid Substack newsletters, where many of them end up making more money than ever before. Linda Lebrun, who is responsible for finance and investing writer recruitment at Substack, says, "I think that it's great if many different models proliferate and the ones that are economically sustainable are going to win out." In this podcast episode, she explores the future of the independent creator economy. (Link available to premium members.)

VIDEOS TO SEE.

Elon Musk on the future of space travel: OK, this is one you don't want to miss. SpaceX has a factory called Starbase, in which the company is designing, building, testing, and launching its Mars-bound rocket. You get to see where the company is developing its 230-foot tall Starship Super Heavy Rocket, which would send people and cargo to Mars and other far-away destinations. In this video, viewers get a guided tour by SpaceX founder Elon Musk. (Link available to premium members.)

Reese Witherspoon on disrupting Hollywood’s power dynamic: Reese Witherspoon just sold her production business Hello Sunshine at a valuation of $900 million. She and Hello Sunshine CEO Sarah Harden built a media brand dedicated to producing women-focused stories. In this interview, Reese recounts how she’s navigated the transition from actress to producer to entrepreneur and why she decided to partner with The Chernin Group to take her business to the next level. (Link available to premium members.)

Bernard Arnault on building the LVMH portfolio: How did LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault become the mastermind behind one of the world's largest luxury groups? His aggressive acquisition strategy had never been seen in the world of luxury fashion, and though it worked, it didn't come without backlash. "I was very much criticized for it," he says. "I remember people telling me, 'It does not make sense to put together so many brands.'" Here's how Arnault has stayed ahead of the game time and time again. (Link available to premium members.)