Good Morning! CPI will be released today but is expected to show little progress against inflation. Dealmakers are expecting an up-and-down year for Wall Street. Meanwhile, Blackstone is nearing a private deal for L’Occitane, and Costco is selling up to $200 million in gold bars every month. Plus how Intel’s latest AI chip is taking Nvidia head on, and private equity sees hopes for exits. 

Looking for exposure to the fast moving world of AI? Invest in the supercomputers powering AI with NVIDIA elite partner, NexGen Cloud. Download the strategy brief to learn more.

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Dude Private Equity

Dude Perfect, one of the most popular YouTube channels you might know from their elaborate trick shot videos, just secured a nine-figure private equity investment from Highmount Capital.

Dude Perfect is the 35th most-subscribed channel, on all of YouTube, with over 60 million subscribers and 17 billion views. The channel was started by five Texas A&M students in 2009.

Fast forward 15 years, they have secured a deal north of $100 million. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but is thought to be between $100 million to $300million.

Dude Perfect has secured various brand partnerships throughout the years, but now it want to wants to take it a step further - from launching a streaming platform, opening a retail store with its own line of toys and games, and even a $100 million theme park.

Highmount is focused on growth-stage and middle-market investments, so Dude Perfect is a great fit. The team says they hope the investment “pours gas on the fire.”

Takeaway: Don’t let the YouTube channel fool you - Dude Perfect is big business. They made $25 million in 2022, up from $20 million in the year prior. This deal is also great news for those part of the creator economy, which stands at $250 billion, expected to double in the next couple of years. Brace yourselves, more YouTube private equity investments are coming.

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NVIDIA Elite Partner Introduces — Supercomputers as an Asset Class

A new bull market is here, and here’s one AI asset class to buy and hold forever. Last year, NVIDIA swam in profits thanks to their GPUs serving as the backbone for AI.

This year, it’s time for you to share those profits. NexGen Cloud, an Elite NVIDIA partner, is giving investors the opportunity to directly invest in the heart of AI. 

You can now own and profit from the supercomputers driving AI and large language models.

The company is projecting 30-50% annualized returns and other impressive fundamentals:

• Targeting 150% profit over 5 years 

• Uncapped ROI 

• Income-producing hands-off asset 

• Early mover advantage with a deep NVIDIA partnership .

Don’t miss out: Download the strategy brief from NexGen Cloud to learn more.

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Top Reads

• A crucial inflation report is expected to show little progress against inflation (CNBC) 

• Why 2024 will be a year of fits and starts for dealmaking on Wall Street (CNN)

• Blackstone nears private deal for L’Occitane (YF)

• Costco selling up to $200M in gold bars a month (CNBC)

• Intel’s latest AI chip is direct shot at Nvidia’s moneymaker (YF)

• U.S. private equity sees hope for exits (WSJ)

• Citigroup CEO faces growth challenge as overhaul rattles employees (YF)

• India's market cap can 'easily' jump ten-fold in the next two decades (CNBC)

• The stock market is shrinking and Jamie Dimon is worried (CNN)

• A chart that shows the states where private equity has the most influence (NBC)

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Markets Rundown

Stocks closed a little higher as investors brace for Wednesday’s inflation report.

Movers & Shakers

• (+) BlackBerry ($BB) +8% after the software company announced a partnership with Advanced Micro Devices.

• (+) Moderna ($MRNA) +6% because the company’s vaccine is effective against head and neck cancer.

• (–) ChargePoint ($CHPT) -4% after a downgrade by Goldman Sachs.

Private Dealmaking

• Kimberly-Clark sold its personal protective equipment business for $640 million

• HSBC will sell its Argentina branch for $550 million

• Monad Labs, a blockchain developer, raised $225 million

• Platform Science, a fleet management platform, raised $125 million

• Dude Perfect, a YouTube channel, scored at least a $100 million investment

• Grow Therapy, a mental health startup, raised $88 million

For more PE, VC & M&A deals, subscribe to our Buysiders newsletter.

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No Worries

No Worries shows how anyone can live a stress-free financial life and build wealth for the long term.

This is not about millions of tiny decisions that drain the joy from life, like skipping daily coffee to save a few pounds. And it’s not simply about having more money.

The secret lies in adopting the right attitude to money and getting a small number of big things right.

In his unique style, drawing on decades of expertise, finance expert Jared Dillian gives us the essential facts about personal finance that will help you see things as you never have before.

“Learn to get the big decisions right, and live a stress-free life.”

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China’s Share of Gold as a Percentage of its Total Reserves

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The Power Of Imagination

Possibility thinking involves opening our minds to conceive of opportunities and solutions that may not be immediately apparent. It requires temporarily suspending our tendency to analyze whether something is probable or realistic based on past experiences.

Instead, we allow ourselves to imagine "what if" scenarios and explore new paths forward, even if they seem far-fetched at first. Engaging in possibility thinking can help us break free from limiting beliefs and assumptions.

It enables us to approach challenges with a sense of curiosity and creativity, rather than getting stuck in "probability thinking" that keeps us trapped in the status quo.

By making space for unencumbered imagination, we give ourselves permission to envision novel possibilities that can lead to meaningful breakthroughs and innovations in our work and lives.

Ultimately, cultivating a possibility mindset expands our perspective on what we're capable of achieving.

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Short Squeez Picks

• Why venting won’t help you manage anger

• 9 tips to make sure you’re noticed in a remote job 

• Andrew Huberman’s mechanisms of control

• To accelerate growth, analyze your company like an investor

• Why it’s possible to fall in love with AI, according to a psychologist

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Memes of the Day