Forbes - Work from the beach 😎

Every Saturday I send you a tight edit of Forbes’ future trends across tech, entrepreneurship, sustainability and more. Enjoy.

Sun, sea and startups

Dubai is having a moment. With just one brief lockdown in March 2020, this glitzy city-state bucked the trend, keeping a lid on Covid cases and attracting ‘digital nomads’ looking to escape the pandemic.

First came the entrepreneurs. Now the world's super wealthy are flocking to Dubai. Before the pandemic they snapped up property as investment, now they're relocating and bringing their families.

Crime is near non-existant. Quality of life excellent. And the real sweetener: the lack of income tax.

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5 things we learned

Sweden's answer to Tesla is going public, valued at $20 billion. Polestar, a performance brand that began life as Volvo's racing team, went all-electric in 2017. The company's first SUV is expected in 2022.

Uber drivers are protesting again. A small number of drivers (now classed as workers in the U.K.) held a 24-hour long strike, protesting pay. Unions say Uber has not honoured a court ruling to deliver minimum pay.

Failing print mags fueled a 3,800% return for shareholders in one stealthy British publisher. Future’s CEO Zillah Byng-Thorne’s digital and mobile-first strategy. transformed the group’s fortunes to $100m profit last year. 

Hollywood is burning out. Extreme levels of demand and low pay from streaming services have led to crushing work schedules and some of the biggest strikes in recent history. Race to the bottom.

Elon Musk told Forbes he’s sending Bezos a silver medal. After we crowned Musk the world’s richest person this week, he commented: “I’m sending a giant statue of the digit ‘2’ to Jeffrey B., along with a silver medal”. I’ll believe it when I see it.

The good

The first electric Rolls-Royce is coming. Charles Rolls, the company’s founder, was a cheerleader for electric cars back in 1900. 123 years later, the luxury brand’s first battery-powered car will finally be on sale from 2023.

The bad

Americans spend more on top drugs than every other country combined. The shocking cost of healthcare in the United States was laid bare by a new report. In one example a HIV drug raked in 5 times more than its manufacturer made across the rest of the world.

Do this

Berlin is doing Oktoberfest. Munich may be cancelled this year, but you can enjoy traditional Bavarian dress, giant pretzels, sing-alongs and obscene quantities of German beer in the German capital. What's the wurst that could happen? October 8 - 10, free to register.

Got an event coming up?

Know a great event our community should hear about? Let us know and we'll include it next week.

Watch

Modern day thriller. Trending Netflix miniseries Clickbait follows the abduction and search for Nick Brewer, a family man who’s secret past begins to unravel on social media. Netflix, available worldwide.

Listen

Can you learn to cook through a computer? Lookdown forced many cookery schools to shift their classes to online. Listen to three chefs discuss what challenges it brings to the table. BBC, free to listen worldwide.

Read

An exploration of consciousness. Professor and computational neuroscientist, Anil Seth presents his pioneering theory on consciousness, perception and reality, and questions what it means to be you. Faber & Faber, from $12.11

Taste

There’s a day dedicated to celebrating cinnamon buns. Bake it or buy it – just make sure you enjoy this traditional Scandinavian treat with freshly brewed black coffee. Skål!

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