Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

Where Elon Musk and his super PAC's "sweepstakes" fit into campaign finance rules

"It has those of us in the good government/democracy space scratching our heads," says Sarah Bryner of OpenSecrets.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Why tech billionaires are now flocking to Donald Trump

Jul 19, 2024
The flood of big tech names coming out publicly for Trump and the GOP is a sharp departure from Silicon Valley’s past political practices.
Support for Republicans from figures like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel comes in part from a strong libertarian, hands-off-my-business ideology, experts say.
Chip Somodevilla/ Getty Images

Why do so many companies incorporate in Delaware?

Feb 2, 2024
More than two-thirds of the Fortune 500 are incorporated in the First State, but Texas is gunning for a share of that.
The state flag of Delaware, where roughly two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated.
WilliamSherman/Getty Images

Cataloging the top objects of 2023

"Whe more digital we get, the more we crave these sort of physical manifestations of the digital," says Rob Walker.
"The more digital we get, the more we crave these sort of physical manifestations of the digital and the digital world amplifies physical things," says Rob Walker.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

Tesla sacrifices to stay ahead of rivals in EV race

Oct 16, 2023
For the first time, the electric vehicle maker's market share is under 50%.
Tesla reduced prices in the past year, putting roadblocks in the path of traditional carmakers competing in electric vehicles. Tesla's upcoming quarterly results may show whether its revenue has suffered.
John Keeble/Getty Images

Lessons so far from Elon Musk's tweet trial

University of Michigan's Erik Gordon says Musk may have offered us salient advice: don't take what he says as gospel.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Jan. 24, 2023, where he testified at a trial regarding tweets saying he was taking Tesla private.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

To tweet or not to tweet? How brands are wrestling with Elon Musk's Twitter

Dec 16, 2022
While many companies like General Mills and General Motors stopped or reduced paid advertising, most are staying on the platform. 
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Elon Musk joins a long line of Apple App Store critics

Nov 29, 2022
Large companies like Meta and Spotify have said Apple demands too big a share of revenue for selling in the App Store.
The App Store generates more than double the amount of money Google Play makes, in part because Americans favor iPhones over Android.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Twitter's messy layoffs show how not to communicate firings

Nov 4, 2022
Big hint: probably not via email. HR and management experts say a conversation is important.
Constanza Hevia/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk is buying Twitter for $44 billion. Is it just about free speech?

Apr 25, 2022
Social media giant OKs "unbelievably fast" deal with world's richest person. Many observers remain uncertain of what drove his decision.
Entrepreneur Elon Musk intends to add the global communications platform Twitter to his portfolio, which includes Tesla and SpaceX.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images