February 1, 2026
Hard to believe it's already February, January truly feels like it flew by. From a mogul perspective, it was great to close out the month with very strong dividends and demand at a continuous ramp up.
On a different note, I finally got a chance to watch Free Solo after Alex Honnold's incredible climb of the Taipei 101 (more on this below) and wow...if you haven't watched it before, try to find some time for that today.
Anyway, that's enough chatter. Let's get into it.
- Alex Blackwood
🧗 Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 Climb Becomes Netflix Viewership Hit — Alex Honnold, known for his Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, stunned audiences again with his free solo climb of Taipei 101, which has drawn massive global viewership on Netflix. The special highlights Honnold scaling one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers without ropes, blending extreme athleticism with cinematic storytelling, and cements his status as one of the most daring and celebrated climbers in documentary filmmaking.
🤖 The Rise of AI Agents — Moltbook, a social platform built exclusively for AI agents, hit 1.4 million bot accounts autonomously posting, debating topics like crayfish debugging, and self-governing across forums, while humans observe passively from the sidelines. They even went as far as creating their own religion and manifesto...
📧 Amazon Accidentally Tips Off Employees to Cloud Layoffs — Amazon inadvertently revealed upcoming layoffs in its cloud computing unit after an internal email mistakenly confirmed job cuts before an official announcement, according to CNBC. The message signaled reductions set for Wednesday, catching employees off guard and highlighting ongoing cost-cutting pressures even as Amazon continues to invest heavily in AI and data center expansion.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced during the Q4 2025 earnings call this week that production of the Model S and Model X will end by Q2 2026 at the Fremont factory, with no direct replacements planned as Tesla pivots to autonomy, robotaxis, and humanoid robots like Optimus. Launched in 2012 and 2015, these flagships delivered 730k-740k units total but slumped to 30k-50k globally in 2025 amid high prices ($85k-$115k) and rising competition, representing just 3% of Tesla's 1.65M vehicle output last year. Musk called it an "honorable discharge", and urged people to buy now while committing lifetime service support, as Fremont lines convert to Optimus production targeting 1M units/year.
The Decision
At its core, this shift exemplifies Tesla's evolution from premium EVs to an AI/robotics powerhouse, reallocating low utilization capacity to high growth bets like Optimus Gen 3 and Cybercab robotaxi. Model S pioneered mass-market EVs with OTA updates/long-range tech funding Model 3/Y scale-up, while X's falcon doors defined luxury electric SUVs; yet as of today, aging platforms and FSD optimization for smaller vehicles also massively contributed in sealing their fate.
Navigating Strategic Rivalries
Legacy lux sedans/SUVs like BMW i7/Mercedes EQS face no Tesla threat now, but Rivian and Lucid continue to gain premium ground as Tesla exits the scene. Energy storage, meanwhile, hit records ($12.8B revenue, +27% YoY) in the midst of AI data center demand, fueling $20B+ 2026 CapEx for domestic chips, Optimus fabs, and the fabled autonomy, which in part helped offset the Cybertruck's sales woes.
Powering Tesla's Next Frontier
Fremont's massive S and X lines are getting a full makeover for churning out bipedal Optimus bots to handle everything from factory grunt work to childcare gigs. This basically waves goodbye to EVs as Tesla's main gig in favor of robotaxi swarms across thousands of cities.
The wild Plaid chapter wraps up rather quietly right after that underwhelming June refresh with a $5k price bump, new bumper cam, and some lighting tweaks. Yeah, there's nostalgia for the icons that put EVs on the map, but bad sales and zero marketing push just couldn't compete with the juggernauts.
Ultimately, this pivot shows Tesla growing up: trading sedans and SUVs for the promise of AI-fueled abundance, although the road ahead will be far from easy.
Over $600,000 has already been raised for The Hoosier, a pristine short term rental located just 0.5 miles from the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a 15-minute drive from Dollywood. Featuring 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a swim spa, barrel sauna, game room, fire pit, and mountain views, the property is designed for large groups. With the park drawing 12.2 million visitors in 2024 and generating over $2 billion in nearby spending, including $3.93 billion in Sevier County, this is one of the strongest vacation rental markets in the U.S.
The Hoosier has been successfully self-managed for multiple years, with 2024 and 2025 income exceeding initial Year 1 projections, creating clear upside potential. Year 1 underwriting anticipates $234,000 in revenue and a 7.9% starting yield, with long term returns expected to improve further due to location, scale, and premium amenities.
Offered exclusively as an off-market mogul opportunity, the Hoosier represents a rare chance to acquire a high performing Gatlinburg STR in a prime location, combining proven performance with significant operational upside.
A Man Called Ove is one of those books that you need to read at some point in your life. It starts with Ove as the neighborhood grump: rigid routines, strong opinions, zero tolerance for incompetence, and a deep frustration with how the world seems to be slipping out of order. But beneath the rough exterior is something much more likable, and the story patiently reveals how grief can harden into habit, and how love can linger way longer after it’s lost its place to go.
What makes this book work so well is the balance of humor and heartbreak. Backman lets Ove be difficult and funny in very human ways, then uses flashbacks to show exactly how he became that way so that we better understand him. The supporting cast is a big part of the magic too and just make this one even better.
It’s ultimately a story about second chances in the everyday way that matters more. A Man Called Ove reminds you that kindness often arrives disguised as inconvenience, and that people aren’t fixed…they are just people. Such an enjoyable read, I’ll definitely be re-reading it at some point.
⭐ 4.84 / 5.0 in my book (no pun intended)
The platypus has venomous spurs on its hind legs. Bet you didn't know that one, did you?
Written by Alex Blackwood & Larry Cummings
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