Bismarck Brief

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Pierre Omidyar’s Crusade Against Tech
The eBay founder became a major progressive philanthropist with a particular focus on supporting journalism. He is now widely funding social, financial…
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Samo Burja
Italy is Europe’s Second Manufacturing Power
From making machine tools to die cast presses, Italy's small and often family-owned firms make the country an underrated industrial power. Rapid aging…
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Samo Burja
Anduril’s Plan to Modernize the U.S. Military
The largest U.S. defense startup is led by California technologists and defense insiders. Its ambitions to reform Pentagon procurement and deliver…
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Samo Burja

April 2025

Iran’s Drone Industry Invented Very Cheap Guided Missiles
One of the key innovations in modern drone warfare has come, surprisingly, from a developing country cordoned off from the global economy by sanctions…
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Samo Burja
Toyota is a Fragile Giant
The world's largest and most profitable automobile manufacturer is a Japanese corporation built by a family of mechanical engineers. It has however…
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Samo Burja
Geely is Raising the Bar For Being a Functional Auto Manufacturer
China's first private auto maker is still led by its founder. It has successfully pivoted to electric vehicles and is making unusual technical bets…
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Samo Burja
Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party
The California governor and political scion is often described as a future U.S. presidential favorite. But his consistent deference to party consensus…
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Samo Burja
Spain is Not a Model for Europe
One of Europe's largest countries is also one of its oldest and most dependent on tourism. Despite promising fundamentals, it is a canary in the coal…
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Samo Burja

March 2025

Silver Lake is an Ally to Exceptional Executives
Perhaps the world's most renowned software and technology-focused private equity firm tends to back competent CEOs and founders. Its success relies on…
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Samo Burja
The Ministry That Built Japan’s Economy
An effective economic bureaucracy guided Japan from the ruin of war to becoming the world’s second-largest economy within a few decades. Succession…
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Samo Burja
Indonesia’s Ambition to Become an Industrial Giant
The populous and resource-rich Southeast Asian country has many of the fundamentals for industrialization, but will face challenges in building state…
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Samo Burja
Lenovo is a Functional Dead Player in Computers
The world's top personal computer maker is a Chinese company originally founded by state-employed computer specialists. Although it remains a functional…
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Samo Burja
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