Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome - Charlie Munger
As the sun sets on 2025, we find ourselves reflecting on a year that redefined leadership, pushed the boundaries of the physical world, and forced us to reconsider our place in the cosmos. It has been a year of rapid transformation, and I am honored to have shared these updates with you every week.
Below is our final summary of the milestones that shaped this remarkable year.
Politics | A New Guard: From Inaugurations to Peace Accords
The political landscape shifted early in January with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. President and the election of Joseph Aoun to end the Lebanese power vacuum. By May, Friedrich Merz was elected Chancellor of Germany following a winter of political uncertainty, while the year concluded with South Africa making history as the first African nation to host the G20 summit in November.
Science | Cosmic Frontiers: Discoveries from the Deep Past to the Far Future
The scientific community began the year in January with the appearance of "The Great Comet of 2025" (C/2024 G3) and the development of an artificial womb for marsupials to aid de-extinction. In May, the James Webb Space Telescope confirmed MoM-z14 as the most distant galaxy ever detected, followed by the launch of NASAβs IMAP probe in June to study interstellar dust and space weather.
Technology | Intelligence Unleashed: AI Breaks the Barrier
In February, researchers debuted an AI chip the size of a grain of salt that decodes images at light speed, shortly before OpenAIβs GPT-4.5 was reported in March to have successfully passed the Turing Test. Throughout the latter half of the year, "Agentic AI" transitioned from a buzzword to a reality, as autonomous systems began managing entire corporate workflows with minimal human oversight.
Humanities | Heritage and Progress: Celebrating Our Shared Identity
The year began with landmark civil rights victories as Thailand and Liechtenstein legalized same-sex marriage in January. Culture took center stage in November with the long-awaited official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest archaeological facility, and a record-breaking $54.7 million auction of a Frida Kahlo masterpiece.
Finance | Economic Evolution: Trade Pacts and the End of an Era
Global trade was redefined in early 2025 as Bulgaria and Romania finally joined the Schengen Areaβs land borders, followed by India and Oman signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to stabilize energy markets. In a symbolic shift for American currency, the United States officially minted its last penny on November 12, the same day the longest government shutdown in U.S. history finally came to an end.
The transition from 2025 to 2026 marks the moment where the "hype" of the early 2020s matures into the infrastructure of our daily lives. I am excited to track these developments with you as they unfold.
Our Money, Our Risk, Real Investment, No Advice
We pledged approx. β¬2000 for you to see the ups π and downs π Both defence stocks as well as Bitcoin took a little bit of a dip this week.
Q1: The Return and the Rebrand
January 19: A temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War takes effect to facilitate hostage exchanges, lasting until mid-March.
January 20: Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. He signs 26 executive orders on Day 1, including a directive to begin renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
January 23: The U.S. government officially restores the name Mount McKinley to the peak formerly known as Denali.
February 9: The first "Gulf of America Day" is observed in the U.S.
February 23: Germany holds an early federal election following the collapse of the "traffic light" coalition; Friedrich Merz (CDU) emerges as the frontrunner.
March 9: Mark Carney (former Bank of England Governor) is elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, succeeding Justin Trudeau.
March 18: Google announces its largest acquisition ever: a $32 billion deal for cybersecurity startup Wiz, aimed at securing AI cloud infrastructure.
Q2: Institutional Shifts & Scientific Milestones
April 21: Pope Francis passes away at the age of 88.
April: Global markets experience a "Tariff Shock" crash as the new U.S. administration implements broad import taxes on China, Mexico, and Canada.
May 6: Friedrich Merz is officially sworn in as the Chancellor of Germany.
May 8: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost is elected as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first American Pope in history.
May 9: The FDA approves the first at-home cervical cancer screening test (developed by Teal Health), a major leap for preventative healthcare.
May 18: NicuΘor Dan wins the Romanian presidential election in a landslide.
June 12: A tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad results in over 240 fatalities, becoming the deadliest aviation incident of the year.
June 23: The Vera C. Rubin Observatory releases its first high-resolution images, beginning a 10-year survey of the deep universe.
June 24: The Axiom-4 mission launches, sending the first fully commercial crew to conduct long-term research on the ISS.
Q3: Geopolitical Friction & The AI Supercycle
July 4: President Trump signs the "One Big Beautiful Bill," a massive legislative package focused on defense spending and tax reform.
August 10: Pop star Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce get engaged (officially announced on August 26), becoming the year's most-covered cultural event.
September 10: Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk is assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University, sparking a national debate on political violence.
September 18: Nvidia announces a historic $5 billion investment in Intel to co-develop x86 chips for the AI era, effectively throwing a lifeline to the struggling chip giant.
Q4: The "Trump Plan" & Market Highs
October 6: Bitcoin hits a new all-time high of $107,650.68, driven by increased institutional adoption and clarity on U.S. crypto regulations.
October 9: Israel and Hamas sign a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage deal in Egypt, based on a proposal brokered by the Trump administration.
October 13: The final living hostages from the October 7th attacks are released by Hamas.
November 10β21: The COP30 Climate Summit is held in BelΓ©m, Brazil, focusing on the preservation of the Amazon.
November 22: South Africa hosts the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, the first time the event is held on the African continent.
December 19: The U.S. FTC clears the Nvidia-Intel partnership, sending tech stocks to record highs.
Metric | Start of 2025 | End of 2025 | Note |
Bitcoin (BTC) | ~$45,000 | $87,000 | Institutional "Super Cycle" |
U.S. Inflation | 3.4% | 2.8% | Trending down, but sticky |
Nvidia Market Cap | $1.2T | $3.6T | Dominance in AI hardware |
Gaza Status | Active War | Ceasefire | Trump-brokered "Gaza Plan" |
To my subscribers: Thank you! This year, your curiosity pushed me to dig deeper into every story. It has been a privilege to be your thought partner through the turbulence and the triumphs of 2025. I am already preparing to bring you even more clarity and insight as we navigate the frontiers of 2026 together.
Hereβs to a year of growth, resilience, and new beginnings.
Happy New Year! π₯