Five Links for July 2025
Every month, the five most mind-expanding links to read/watch/listen. If you find these interesting, please do share with your friends.
Here are five links worth reading…
’The Mozart of the attention economy': why MrBeast is the world's biggest YouTube star by Mark O'Connell
A deep dive on the strategies behind the biggest creator on YouTube, and the dark art of mastering the attention economy.
How Barry Diller Stayed on Top by Adam Gopnik
Over his 50 year career, Barry Diller greenlit The Simpsons and Indiana Jones, founded QVC and Fox, and introduced Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. His memoir shows how entertainment hits actually get made - through high-stakes bets and improbable wins.
Who owns U.S. and Japanese debt by StockMarket.News
A viral thread breaking down how Japan's central bank owns 52% of the country's $7.8 trillion debt, while foreign investors hold over $9 trillion in U.S. debt - creating very different but equally concerning vulnerabilities for both countries
Bonus (Listen): Superpower Founder/President Max Marchione - Billionaire Health Protocols and the Future of Medicine on World of DaaS pod
Max argues that a lot of "billionaire-level" health protocols are surprisingly accessible (or at least they will be soon), and in the next ten years we’ll move away from preventing disease towards active biological engineering.
How Japan Invented Modern Shipbuilding by
Japan revolutionized shipbuilding by combining WWII-era prefabricated welding techniques with aircraft-style production, allowing them to build ships faster and cheaper than anyone else, eventually capturing 50% of global shipbuilding by 1970.
The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the OnlyFans Porn Empire by Sam Schechner and Katherine Sayre
Leo Radvinsky bought OnlyFans in 2018 and transformed it from ad-supported videos into a subscription model that's made him nearly $4 billion - now he's seeking an $8 billion exit while maintaining extreme secrecy about his identity and business operations.
Bonus (Friendship): How to have friends past age 30 by Noah Smith
Noah's simple formula for adult friendship, from creating a friend group to fostering deep relationships.
More reading links at https://twitter.com/AurenReads
Recommended book of the month:
none (would not recommend any of the 3 books I read in June)
Recommended TV/movies:
South Park.
have been catching up on past episodes with my 11-year-old son. Really are the BEST commentary on society.
we used to have more legs than eyes.
we had our own legs but we also had the use of horses, cars, etc.
now there are way more eyes than legs — we have access to cameras everywhere.
as eyes > legs, big societal changes happen.
Auren Hoffman is CEO of NQB8, Chairman of SafeGraph, and GP at Flex Capital ($200M VC firm). Engage on X: @auren
and please share Five Links with your friends and allies.