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All-In's 2026 Predictions


Episode Details
Channel

All-In Podcast

Published

1/9/2026

Episode Summary

In their 2026 predictions episode, the All-In Podcast hosts, Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Friedberg, and David Sacks, cover a wide range of political, business, and technological forecasts. The discussion kicks off with David Sacks's recent move to Austin, Texas, framing a broader conversation about the controversial California Wealth Tax which is causing a capital flight from California, with notable figures like Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google reportedly leaving. This tax proposal, promoted by figures like Ro Khanna and the SEIU, includes a punitive Super Voting Stock provision, prompting concern from Governor Gavin Newsom's administration. Politically, winners are predicted to be the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and politicians like Zohran Mamdani, while losers include Democratic Centrism and the Tech Industry, which is expected to become a populist target over issues like Censorship. A potential Trump Boom under Donald Trump is forecast, with predictions of 5-6% GDP Growth and a resurgent IPO market. Foreign policy may see the Monroe Doctrine replaced by a new Trump doctrine, rejecting Neocon Regime Change, and a potential Russia-Ukraine War Settlement is anticipated. In business, big winners are forecast to be Huawei, the prediction market platform Poly Market, the raw material Copper, and Amazon through its aggressive use of Robots. Conversely, the Software industrial complex is expected to be a major loser. The nature of deal-making is predicted to shift towards an IP License M&A Workaround, as seen in deals by Microsoft and Google, to bypass antitrust hurdles for traditional M&A, though some believe a Trump presidency could reopen the door for mega-deals involving companies like Anthropic. Contrarian beliefs include an Iran Revolution paradoxically causing more regional conflict, SpaceX reverse-merging into Tesla under Elon Musk, AI increasing jobs based on Jevons' Paradox, and a resolution to the Standoff with China. For asset performance, Poly Market and critical metals are tipped to perform well, while Hydrocarbons, the US Dollar, and Netflix are predicted to underperform. The most anticipated trends include a rise in Auditing Government Spending and the growth of Citizen Journalism, including phenomena like First Amendment Auditors, often distributed on platforms like YouTube.

Investment Ideas
Key Topics & People
Microsoft
Microsoft
Organization

A major technology company that acquired Skype from an investor group after eBay sold its majority stake.

M&A
Topic

Mergers and acquisitions, referencing GameStop's strategy to acquire eBay for $56 billion.

Amazon
Amazon
Organization

The dominant e-commerce and supply chain leader that served as the primary competitor for Chewy and eBay.

Host of the All-In Podcast conducting the interview with Ryan Cohen.

All-In Podcast
Organization

The podcast hosting the interview with GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen.

US President who announced the brokering of a comprehensive Middle Eastern peace deal.

Google
Google
Organization

Major technology company and hyperscaler developing its own frontier AI models like Gemini.

IPO
Event

Initial Public Offering, specifically referencing SpaceX's massive recent entry into public markets.

SpaceX
SpaceX
Organization

Aerospace company that completed a massive IPO pushing its valuation over $2 trillion.

Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Person

CEO of SpaceX, recently labeled the world's first trillionaire based on the private aerospace company's soaring valuation.

Ro Khanna
Ro Khanna
Person

US Representative mentioned alongside Warren and Sanders as part of a political group pushing for economic control.

Venture capitalist and podcast host who criticizes the behavior of frontier AI labs.

Entrepreneur and host of the podcast, known for his political, geopolitical, and venture capital insights.

Host of the All-In Podcast, referred to as Bestie or JCal, who moderates the discussion.

Governor of California who signed laws regarding election audits.

Tesla
Organization

Electric vehicle and clean energy company led by Elon Musk.

The fiat currency of the United States, currently facing significant debasement risks due to massive federal debt.

The standard measure of economic expansion which, even at base levels, will require more copper in the next 18 years than historically mined.

Copper
Copper
Technology

Referred to as the 'king of metals', facing extreme shortages due to demand from electrification, data centers, and defense.

California
California
Location

A US state used as an example of grid fragility, particularly concerning electric vehicle charging demands and historical fires.

NYC politician who proposed a new pied-a-terre tax targeting wealthy second-home owners.

Co-founder of Google who debated Elon Musk regarding the protection of humanity versus digital intelligence.

A radical political faction heavily influencing Los Angeles city policies, drawing the ire of Pratt.

Huawei
Huawei
Organization

Chinese tech national champion rapidly developing sophisticated AI models and hardware to compete directly against US semiconductor monopolies.

JD Vance
JD Vance
Person

The U.S. Vice President who, along with Jared Kushner, is leading diplomatic talks in Islamabad to formalize the Iran ceasefire.

Jevons' Paradox
ScientificConcept

An economic theory cited to explain that as the unit cost of AI-driven intelligence plummets, its overall consumption will massively increase.

Poly Market
Organization

A prediction market platform used by the hosts to track probabilities of political and market events.

Netflix
Netflix
Organization

Video streaming platform cited as a benchmark for consumer subscriptions.

YouTube
YouTube
Organization

Video platform facing legal scrutiny over algorithmic addiction and child safety.

Booming tech hub attracting founders like Travis Kalanick and Elon Musk, and the location of the podcast event.

A proposed state-level tax on the ultra-wealthy, projected to cause significant economic deficits.

The broader technology sector that experiences massive investment cycles, innovations, and subsequent bubbles.

Anthropic
Organization

An AI company known for its Claude models, which are perceived as disrupting traditional software sectors.

The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information.

Co-founder of Google, hypothetically referenced regarding decisions to comply with the EU.

The practice of individuals independently researching and reporting on major stories, exemplified by guest Kevin Bass's use of AI to analyze the Epstein files and publish his findings on social media.

SEIU
Organization

The Service Employees International Union, the main proponent and funder of the California Wealth Tax ballot initiative.

A specific form of citizen journalism mentioned by Sacks, where individuals film in public places to test and document the responses of business owners and police regarding First Amendment rights.

The ongoing geopolitical and economic tensions between the US and China, particularly concerning Taiwan. Jason Calacanis predicts this will be largely resolved under a second Trump term.

Predicted by David Sacks to be the most anticipated trend of 2026, involving a push for transparency and accountability in government expenditures at all levels.

A predicted uprising in Iran that would oust the Ayatollahs. Friedberg's contrarian belief is that this would paradoxically lead to more instability and conflict in the Middle East among other Arab states.

Friedberg's prediction for the biggest deal of 2026, anticipating a resolution to the conflict driven by economic and political factors.

A deal structure, predicted by Chamath to become dominant, where large companies make huge licensing deals with startups to acquire talent and IP, bypassing traditional M&A antitrust hurdles. Examples include Google/Character AI and Microsoft/OpenAI.

Robots
Technology

A key technology driving Amazon's predicted success in 2026, as the company increasingly replaces human labor with automation.

A foreign policy approach involving invasion, occupation, and nation-building, which Sacks argues is distinct from Trump's actions in Venezuela.

A political ideology predicted to be a major loser in 2026 as the Democratic party base shifts further left towards socialism and progressivism.

A predicted period of strong economic growth in 2026 under a potential Trump presidency, characterized by high GDP growth, low inflation, and a resurgent IPO market.

A historical US foreign policy principle that Chamath predicts will be the 'biggest loser' of 2026, replaced by a new 'Trump Doctrine' focused on unilateralism and hemispheric dominance.

A provision in the proposed California wealth tax that would value stock based on voting power rather than liquid market value, disproportionately affecting founders like Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Fossil fuels, particularly oil, which Chamath predicts will be a poor-performing asset due to the inexorable trends of electrification and energy storage.

The multi-trillion dollar industry of licensed enterprise software (SAS), which Chamath predicts will be a major business loser as AI automates and disrupts traditional maintenance and migration revenue streams.

Craft
Craft
Organization

Venture capital firm founded by David Sacks, which has recently opened an office in Austin, Texas.