May 6, 2018 - Energy & Environment

Elon Musk and Warren Buffett in a candy clash

In Walnut Creek, Ca. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty

Elon Musk says he's starting a candy company, a direct challenge to Warren Buffett's most trumpeted moat of all — the market power enjoyed by iconic See's Candies, which the investment titan has owned for four decades.

What's going on: In a to-and-fro in recent days, Musk has scorned one of Buffett's primary investment principles — to buy companies enjoying a type of monopolistic power that he calls a "moat," reports Fortune's Jen Wieczner. And Buffett has defended his theory. “Elon may turn things upside down in some areas," Buffett said, "[but] I don’t think he’d want to take us on in candy. There are some pretty good moats around,” report Bloomberg's Katherine Chiglinsky, Noah Buhayar and Sonali Basak.

This was a red cape for the super-competitive Musk, who fired off successive tweets yesterday evening:

Notwithstanding his assertion, no one knows if we are going to see Musk candy any time soon. But he seemed to be enjoying himself. After a few hours of more tweets, he ended with this:

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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 20,739,537 — Total deaths: 751,910— Total recoveries: 12,895,242 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 5,242,184 — Total deaths: 166,971 — Total recoveries: 1,755,225 — Total tests: 64,612,034 — Map.
Politics: House Democrats to investigate scientist leading "Operation Warp Speed" vaccine project — McConnell announces Senate will not hold votes until Sept. 8 unless stimulus deal is reached.
2020: Biden calls for 3-month national mask mandate — Biden and Harris to receive coronavirus briefings 4 times a week.
States: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to drop lawsuit over Atlanta's mask mandate.
Business: Why the CARES Act makes 2020 the best year for companies to lose money.
Public health: Fauci's guidance on pre-vaccine coronavirus treatments — Cases are falling, but don't get too comfortable.

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Eileen Drage O'Reilly

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Fauci's guidance on pre-vaccine coronavirus treatments

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Antibody drugs and various medicine cocktails against the coronavirus are progressing and may provide some relief before vaccines.

The big picture: Everyone wants to know how and when they can return to "normal" life, as vaccines are not expected to be ready for most Americans for at least a year. Two therapies are known to be helpful, and more could be announced by late September, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci tells Axios.

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Behind the scenes: How the Israel-UAE deal came together

Trump, Kushner and Netanyahu (L-R). Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO via Getty

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Behind the scenes: Talks had been ongoing for more than a year, but they gained new urgency ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's July 1 deadline to move ahead on West Bank annexations.

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