Rebel Dems' GOP Backers | The Covid-19 Swab Billionaire | Mikaela Shiffrin’s Gold Rush

Plus: Flexport Is Silicon Valley’s Solution To The Supply Chain Mess—Why Do Insiders Hope It Sinks?

Good morning.

A group of billionaires who have previously backed former president Donald Trump have donated to Democrat Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who’ve often opposed President Joe Biden’s agenda. We’re also looking into why the billionaire CEO of a swab test company wants to keep it in the family, and the endorsement potential of American star skier Mikaela Shiffrin. Finally, don’t miss this story about how $8 billion startup Flexport needs to show it’s more than just Silicon Valley hype. 

In The News Today

As Spotify removed 113 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast from its app due to the use of a racial slur and other derogatory language, CEO Daniel Ek told staff in a memo he doesn’t support deplatforming the broadcaster. 

With a Chinese Olympic Committee official serving as her interpreter, tennis star Peng Shuai said she never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her in a highly controlled interview to a French publication.

Top Take-Aways

Obstructing President Joe Biden’s agenda may have caused senators Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to clash against fellow Democrats, but it won them the support of a small yet wealthy cohort: billionaires who gave money to Donald Trump’s previous campaigns.

Swabs for Covid-19 testing made Stefania Triva, CEO of Italian medical equipment manufacturer Copan, a billionaire. But, despite countless buyout offers, she’s snubbing the dealmakers and keeping the company firmly in the family.

Following the deadly protests that swept Kazakhstan last month, U.K. lawmakers are reckoning with their country’s role in preserving the former Soviet republic’s ruling regime. The overseas wealth of Kazakhstan’s billionaires has now fallen under the spotlight.

Omicron has squashed sales expectations for Regeneron, the biotech company behind the Covid-19 antibody cocktail that was administered to former President Donald Trump in 2020, but that has shown no efficacy against this latest coronavirus variant.

U.S. Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin’s Games started on the wrong foot today, but her goal of becoming the most decorated alpine skier in Olympic women’s history is still within reach—as is the opportunity to further capitalize on her brand appeal. Forbes estimates that Shiffrin has made $3 million in guaranteed payments from her sponsors in the past 12 months.

It's been an action-driven first five weeks of the year for dealmaking in the video game industry, where big players like Sony and Microsoft have announced multi-billion dollar deals. But consolidation isn’t all fun and games—it presents some risks, too.  

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