“When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed.” - Ayn Rand“History is season

“When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed.” - Ayn Rand A (re)introductio

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” ”The insurance industry, however, appears more vulnerable, given, as noted, PE sponsors have been acquiring insurance companies and using their investment books as dumping grounds for their toxic waste. Even unaligned insurance companies though have often been as guilty as pension funds and endowments in “reaching for yield” and over-allocating to alts in an effort to compensate for l

““Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.” ― G.K. Chesterton The Paradox of Progress: The Living Room vs. The Laboratory The modern man, in his feverish zeal for novelty, has made a most curious error: he has mistaken the living room for the laboratory. He holds that because a motorcar should be redesigned annually, the marriage vows should be equally as fluid. This is the central paradox of our age: the belief that all

“The US manufacturing cycle is gaining traction. With nearly 200 factory completions since mid-2023 and a $590 billion pipeline led by $5 billion-plus megaprojects, advanced manufacturing is set to be a durable growth engine for the US economy…” - Apollo Global Demographics Aren’t Destiny — They’re the Map of Where We’ve Been — A reflection on my hometown In the grand parade of cities, one hears often that “demographics are destiny.” But I would suggest that demographics are

“The point of our lives is not comfort, security, or even happiness; but training. Not fulfillment but preparation. [This world] is a lousy home, but it’s a fine gymnasium.” Dr. Peter Kreeft - Making Sense of Suffering “"Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" “A Republic - If you can keep it!” - Elizabeth Powel to Benjamin Franklin, Franklin’s response “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” - Evelyn Bea

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”Amendment I, The U.S. Constitution “Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such thing as Wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without Freedom of Speech.”Benjamin Franklin, Letter from Silence D

Building My Business Vault: Lessons from the Greats A good friend recently asked me what books and investors have shaped my thinking around investing, business building, and personal portfolio construction. It’s a great question because the principles I have learned over time are really a mosaic of lessons, mental models, and frameworks gathered over 10+ years from experience, studying history, and learning from the ‘greats’. Over time, I’ve built what I call my “Business Vau

The Gift of Work: A Labor Day Reflection In this week’s Gospel reading (Luke 14:1, 7–14), Jesus observes guests at a banquet choosing the places of honor. He tells them instead to take the lowest seat, teaching that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” He goes further, urging us to serve those who cannot repay us, for true reward comes from God, not human applause or man’s approval. This message of humility offers a p

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”― Saint Basil AI Investment: Boom, Bubble, or Breakthrough? We’ve seen this movie before. Railroads, electrification, the internet—each sparked massive capital cycles long before the payoff was clear. Today’s AI buildout is following that script, with hyperscalers pouring $217 billion in 2024—and an estimated $320 billio