Planet Earth has roughly 180 currencies. But for a vast share of global transactions, people want to use just one: the United States dollar.
Why it matters: This is a unique source of global power and responsibility. America's role in the world in the decades to come will be determined by its ability to maintain, and wisely steward, this role at the center of the global economy.
White students now make up less than half of all Americans enrolled in school from nursery through graduate programs, according to an Axios analysis of new U.S. Census data.
Elon Musk's almost inconceivable fortune has expanded the Overton window of wealth.
Why it matters: Big, round numbers have a remarkable way of focusing minds and setting narratives.
The first trillionaire — much less a trillionaire known for erratic personal behavior, online trolling and support for global right-wing politics — will likely reignite discussion of the diverging fortunes of wage earners and those with market-based wealth, as well as their growing political power.
SpaceX and lead IPO banker Goldman Sachs began meeting with prospective IPO investors back in January, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: This preemptive playbook is likely to be replicated for Anthropic and OpenAI — both of which plan to go public later this year -- given how smoothly SpaceX stock launched on Friday.
A decade of shocks has left much of the developing world weakened just as AI begins reshaping the global economy, World Bank economists conclude in a new report.
Why it matters: A series of shocks — the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war and now the Iran war — have buffeted the world's poorest countries particularly hard. These countries risk being poorly positioned to benefit from an AI-driven productivity and spending super-cycle.
The globe's poorest countries will enter this period burdened by debt, weak investment and years of stalled development, with little capacity to build the infrastructure and skills needed to share in those gains.
The economic mood across American households improved for the first time in five months as lower gasoline prices offered some relief.
Why it matters: Fuel prices remain one of the fastest ways geopolitical shocks reach American households, making energy costs a key driver of the Trump administration's economic standing.
Flutter Entertainment, the NYSE-listed parent company of FanDuel and Betfair, has disclosed plans to delist shares from the London Stock Exchange.
Why it matters: London keeps losing listings to New York, either at IPO or after, with companies citing everything from market liquidity to costs to executive compensation rules.
Most Americans say the country's best days are behind it as the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, even as they're personally hopeful about the future.
Why it matters: A new Pew Research Center analysis reveals national pessimism, fueled by political polarization and institutional distrust. But the findings also show the American spirit isn't completely broken.
Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Note: The timing of the start of trading for IPOs often varies; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals
SpaceX shares are set to start trading Friday, and what to expect is anyone's guess: There's no such thing as a typical Day 1 for an initial public offering.
