Jan 16, 2026 · 30m · tbpn
Big Tech turns to mining, Thinking Machines loses top executives, NYC Sauna Wars heat up | Diet TBPN
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
Tyler Denk and Jordi Hays break down Big Tech's unprecedented vertical integration into mining and AI infrastructure, executive upheaval across top frontier labs, and the booming boutique bathhouse industry in New York City.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. The hosts hold 43.8% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
The hosts as informed peer 5.2 Guest teaching 2.7 Guest disagreement 1.5 The hosts pushing back 1.3
speaking balance: gold is the hosts, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 30:24 Tyler mocks Jordi's seal grudge
Tyler playfully dismisses Jordi's serious complaint about surfing encounters with seals, calling it an 'incredible skill issue' and siding with the animals.
Hardest push from the hosts ▶ 15:59 Jordi offers alternative reading of Valinor memeJordi challenges the studio producer's interpretation of the Lord of the Rings Valinor meme by offering a counter-thesis on superstar abilities fading at under-resourced labs.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 15:18 Producer explains the Lord of the Rings Valinor memeThe studio producer contextualizes the viral crypto/AI tweet, educating both hosts on Tolkien lore and how it maps onto researchers securing massive pay packages.
The host holds their own ▶ 7:04 Jordi drops historical context on Rio TintoJordi steps in to showcase deep domain knowledge by detailing Rio Tinto's 19th-century founding, Spanish sovereign debt crisis origin, and its endurance into modern tech.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | The hosts as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | The hosts pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Tech Vertically Integrates into Mining and Refining | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Tyler explains the nuances of big tech vertically integrating into mining and copper refining. Jordi matches the energy by adding historical context on Rio Tinto's 150-year corporate history and Spanish origins. | |
| Executive Upheaval and Talent Wars at Thinking Machines | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | The hosts discuss executive turmoil and lavish spending at Thinking Machines. Jordi brings in scoops from Alex Heath and offers an alternative reading of the Tolkien 'Valinor' meme, while the producer breaks down the talent war compensation packages. | |
| The NYC Sauna Wars and Luxury Bathhouse Boom | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jordi leads this segment almost entirely, detailing the competitive landscape, pricing models, and luxury trends of New York bathhouses. Tyler simply listens and admits he does not know niche wellness terminology. | |
| Meta Downsizes Reality Labs to Fund AI Acceleration | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Tyler analyzes Meta's Reality Labs layoffs and capital expenditure shifts toward AI, citing Ben Thompson's analysis. Jordi engages constructively by questioning whether the wider VR market can absorb the laid-off workforce. | |
| Sauna Longevity Science and Urban Wellness Realities | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Jordi presents an economic thesis comparing urban commercial bathhouses with home sauna setups, recounting his own experience installing a plunge in a loft. Tyler pushes back with suburban reality checks and teasing about building leaks. | |
| News Roundup: CrowdStrike, Merge Labs, Land Buys, and Arctic Hunting | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | In a fast-paced news roundup, Jordi reads Sam Altman's 2017 essay and shares his personal surfing beef with seals. Tyler playfully ribs him by labeling his fear of seals an 'incredible skill issue.' |
Statements from this episode (14)
Amazon buys the first new American-produced copper in over a decade
“Amazon's buying the first new copper produced in America in over a decade.”
70% of global copper supply is locked in uneconomical low-grade ore
“70% of the global supply of copper is currently locked away in, or that's not economical to refine into actual copper right now.”
Tesla built its Texas lithium refinery in just 19 months
“It went from groundbreaking to first production in just 19 months, an unheard of timeline at this scale.”
Tesla's Texas refinery can supply lithium for over 500,000 EVs annually
“The single refinery can supply lithium for over 500,000 EVs per year, and directly challenges China's 60% grip on global lithium refining.”
Thinking Machines terminates CTO Barrett Zoff due to alleged unethical conduct
“Breaking Thinking Machines has terminated its CTO, Barrett Zoff, due to unethical conduct.”
Multiple Thinking Machines employees and three co-founders return to OpenAI
“He says more thinking machine Employees are in the process of joining OpenAI after three of the startup's co-founders rejoined yesterday.”
Thinking Machines could exit for $30B to $60B within two years
“Thinking machines could probably exit somewhere at between 30 and 60 today. Who has that money? I don't know. Maybe NVIDIA buys them or something. At least at some point over the next two years. I think the most likely acquirers would probably be Microsoft, Ap…”
Manhattan members club Continuum costs $40,000 per year
“Welcome to the sauna wars where dedicated bath houses compete with members clubs like West villages continuum at which costs 40,000 per year that has a bath house set up in the financial district coworking space WSA's wet lounge as well.”
New York's Bathhouse used Bitcoin mining heat to warm its tubs
“When it first opened, Bathhouse was jokingly called the Bitcoin Bathhouse as they used the heat generated from mining to warm the tubs.”
Meta lays off 1,500 metaverse staff while retaining 14,000 in Reality Labs
“Meta because they just laid off 1500 people in their metaverse division. Obviously, 1500 people is a ton. That's a lot of people. But they still have 14,000 people working on Reality Labs.”
Meta hits $72B in capex and acquires AI startup Manus for $2B
“Meta's been ramping up AI spending on AI, pushing its capital expenditure to seventy-two billion last year with plans to accelerate that spending this year. It's also doled out offers worth tens of millions 1000 of millions of dollars to AI researchers and eng…”
Meta sold over two million pairs of AI Ray-Ban smart glasses
“The company's Ray-Ban smart glasses equipped with AI have also started to take off. The company sold more than two million pairs, And has delayed the rollout of its newest glasses in Europe as it struggled to keep up with demand in the U.S.”
Merge Labs raised $252M with backing from Sam Altman and OpenAI
“OpenAI and Sam Altman backing a new bold take on fusing humans and machines. It's called Merge Labs. We've heard about this before. We talked to Rob Taves. They now have two hundred and fifty two million dollars in the bank and an all-star, all-star crew.”
Stan Kroenke becomes largest US private landowner with 2.7 million acres
“Billionaire Rams owner Stan Kroenke becomes America's biggest private land owner. Are you a Stan Stan? He's listening to the show. Buying nearly one million acres of New Mexico ranch land. Farmland investing becomes increasingly popular, especially now that, y…”