Good morning. This is 1% Better. Unbiased news and practical life advice that makes you a little better every day.

Today we're covering the latest in the Jeffrey Epstein files, the end of The Late Show dynasty, and why poor sleep leads to bad financial decisions.

Forwarded this email? Click here to join.

Top Headlines

Epstein Files Ordered

President Trump on Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case. The move follows days of pressure from Trump supporters demanding more information about the deceased financier's activities. Bondi confirmed her office would move to unseal the documents.

Epstein, who died in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, associated with high-profile figures including Trump and former President Clinton. The FBI recently stated no client list exists and confirmed Epstein's death was suicide. Trump supporters have long pushed conspiracy theories about the case.

The directive coincides with a House resolution calling for document releases. Trump also denied writing a birthday letter to Epstein reported by The Wall Street Journal, threatening legal action against the publication. The timing of disclosures remains uncertain pending court approval. NYT created a timeline of Epstein and Trump here.

Larry Tops Zuck

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison overtook Meta's Mark Zuckerberg to become the world's second-richest person, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The 80-year-old executive's net worth reached $251 billion, officials reported Tuesday. His wealth increased by $59 billion this year alone.

Oracle shares rose 5.7% following news that U.S. regulators will allow chipmakers Nvidia and AMD to export some semiconductors to China. Last month, Ellison added $26 billion to his fortune due to Oracle's stock surge. Most of his wealth (80%) consists of Oracle stock and options. The world’s real time billionaire list here.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains the world's richest person, with Amazon's Jeff Bezos ranking fourth and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer fifth. Ellison has maintained billionaire status since 1993, with his fortune closely tied to Oracle's performance in the AI-driven technology sector. Read more about Larry Ellison being the most ruthless CEO in tech, here.

Colbert Show Ends

CBS announced it will end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May 2026, citing purely financial reasons. The network said it would retire the entire "Late Show" franchise after Colbert's departure. CBS called the decision "agonizing" but necessary given challenging late-night economics (More).

The cancellation follows Paramount Global's $16 million settlement with President Trump over a "60 Minutes" interview. Colbert, who has hosted since 2015, is among Trump's harshest late-night critics. The president previously called him a "complete and total loser" and suggested CBS fire him (Colbert fires back here).

Colbert learned of the decision Wednesday and told audiences he won't be replaced. The show launched in 1993 with David Letterman as original host. CBS praised Colbert as "irreplaceable" while thanking his 200-person staff for their contributions to the program. Letterman hosted for 33 years before Colbert took over.

Watch Colbert announce the news here.

Get 1% Better

Sleep Deprivation Makes You Poor

A groundbreaking study from UC Berkeley just shattered everything we thought we knew about success and sleep. Sleep-deprived people (less than 6 hours) made 30% worse financial decisions than those getting 8+ hours.

Not just slightly worse. Catastrophically worse. Here's what the data revealed:

  • Sleep-deprived entrepreneurs: Lost about $127,000 in bad investments

  • Well-rested entrepreneurs: Made 2.4x more profitable decisions

  • The craziest part: Every hour lost below 7 hours decreased judgment by 8%

When you're sleep-deprived, your prefrontal cortex (responsible for long-term thinking) literally shuts down while your amygdala (fear center) goes haywire. You start making decisions based on emotion instead of logic.

That's why broke people stay up "hustling" while billionaires religiously protect their time in bed.

  • Jeff Bezos: "I make better decisions when I'm well-rested."

  • Bill Gates: "Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer."

  • Warren Buffett: "I can afford to sleep 8 hours. I can't afford not to."

While everyone else wears exhaustion like a badge of honor, the wealthy treat sleep like the ultimate wealth-building tool it actually is. Rest builds riches. Exhaustion destroys them.

The "Boring" Portfolio that Beats 89% of Investors

Just buying Vanguard's S&P 500 fund (VOO) delivers 10-11% annual returns over the long term while charging only 0.03% fees. Recent data shows VOO's 10-year average is 13.58% and 30-year average is 10.39%, easily outperforming 89% of expensive, actively managed funds. Warren Buffett is so confident in this simple strategy, his wife's inheritance instructions specify 90% in a low-cost S&P 500 index fund. Boring beats brilliant every single time.

Market Pulse

> Meta settles $8 billion privacy lawsuit with Zuckerberg and directors over Facebook user data violations (More). | See previous write-up (More).

> Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after medical exam for leg swelling at age 79 (More). | Causes and symptoms (More).

> Singapore hotel dynasty director resigns amid billionaire father-son feud at CDL property empire (More).

> European Samp/T missile system challenges U.S. Patriot dominance as Europe debates weapons independence (WSJ).

> KFC launches fried pickles and free chicken buckets in "Kentucky Fried Comeback" campaign (More).

Speed Read

BBQ vs. grilling meats, explained.

Guy wins lottery 14x with this trick.

Reply

or to participate

Keep Reading

No posts found