• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
LeadershipCEO Daily

Steel Twist, Facebook Privacy, Autonomy Conviction: CEO Daily for May 1, 2018

By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Adam Lashinsky
Adam Lashinsky
and
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 1, 2018, 6:36 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Humility isn’t a trait typically associated with self-made billionaires. That’s doubly true for buccaneering types like Brazilian beer and food magnate Jorge Paulo Lemann, who made his bones as a ruthless cost-cutter. His 3G Capital is infamous for its efficiency techniques, applied to great effect at Anheuser-Busch, Burger King, and Heinz, now Kraft Heinz.

Yet there was Lemann in Los Angeles Monday at the Milken Institute Global Conference humbly admitting where he’d gone wrong. On a panel to discuss “strategy and leadership in an age of disruption,” Lemann, who is 78, called himself a “terrified dinosaur” whose companies had missed changing tastes and innovation in the marketplace.

Consumer demand for different foods delivered to their homes have hammered Kraft, he noted. (Bloomberg BusinessWeek summarized this well recently.) Craft beers caught his AB InBev by surprise. He said consumer companies like Starbucks, Nike, and Zara had done an admirable job of innovating, better than the companies he controls. (I asked if he’d buy any of them; he said he hadn’t considered that.)

Don’t feel too sorry for Lemann, who is hardly panicking. He noted that his beer empire has now bought upwards of 20 craft brands. AB InBev’s Zx Ventures scouts ways the company can disrupt itself. Given his success, Lemann also doesn’t lack for confidence. “I’ve had many careers,” he said. “I’ve adjusted,” he added, implying he’ll do so again when necessary. (Forbes has a comprehensive write-up of the panel.)

Another big company that has had to adapt, and do it humbly, is Wells Fargo. CEO Tim Sloan, on the same panel, said the scandal-plagued bank became complacent several years ago but won’t let it happen again. He said Wells is “very far along” in putting its problems behind it.

Sloan also gave a nifty internal innovation example of how Wells has begun auto-filling mortgage applications for customers, eliminating a common pain point (read: annoyance) in the borrowing process. He said the century-plus-old-company realized it couldn’t speedily design the product itself, so it turned to Blend, a San Francisco startup, for help.

Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam.lashinsky@fortune.com

Top News

Steel Twist

President Donald Trump has at the last minute delayed the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on U.S. allies such as the European Union. The EU was set to be hit today, but now has until the start of June to come up with a new agreement with the White House that could ward off tariffs. The same deadline applies to Canada and Mexico, although this extension to Trump's self-imposed deadline was anticipated. Wall Street Journal

Facebook Privacy

Facebook just can't stay out of the limelight regarding privacy. Now Jan Koum, the CEO of Facebook-owned WhatsApp, has quit. According to the Washington Post, he clashed with Facebook management over Facebook's attempts to use WhatsApp users' personal data and "weaken its encryption." WhatsApp uses very strong encryption that has led to issues with law enforcement in countries such as Brazil. Another co-founder, Brian Acton, recently joined the #DeleteFacebook movement after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. WaPo

Autonomy Conviction

Sushovan Hussain, the former chief financial officer of British software firm Autonomy, has been found guilty of fraud for his role in inflating the company's financial position before its sale to Hewlett Packard. It's the first conviction in the long-running legal battle over the sale—HP wrote off most of the value of the $11 billion purchase in 2012, claiming it had subsequently uncovered accounting irregularities. Hussain's lawyers say he will appeal the San Francisco federal court's ruling. BBC

Stormy Sues Trump

Stephanie Clifford—better known as porn star Stormy Daniels—is suing President Trump for defaming her in a tweet last month. In the context of a (now on-hold) suit against Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, Clifford released a sketch of a man who she said threatened her, telling her to remain silent over her alleged affair with Trump. The president tweeted that the man was non-existent and the sketch a "total con job." Fortune

Around the Water Cooler

Netanyahu on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done another one of his grand presentations, this time claiming that Israel has "new and conclusive proof" that "Iran lied, big time, after signing the nuclear deal in 2015." Experts say Netanyahu did not actually present anything that wasn't known before the Iran deal. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the documents displayed by Netanyahu are real, but as for whether they prove Iran's non-compliance with the terms of the deal, he'll "leave that to lawyers." NBC

Mnuchin on Rusal

Oleg Deripaska's Rusal has been hit hard by U.S. sanctions on Deripaska, but Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the aim isn't to put the aluminum giant out of business. However, Mnuchin said Deripaska must reduce his holding in Rusal to below 50%. Deripaska has agreed "in principle" to reduce his stake in En+, the vehicle through which he controls Rusal. Bloomberg

Trump and Bill Gates

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says Trump asked him whether he would be interested in becoming his top science advisor. The directorship of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has remained vacant since the end of the Obama presidency (former director John Holdren says Trump is a "science and technology talent repellent.") Gates's response? "That's not a good use of my time." Fortune

Gas Prices

Gas prices are likely to rise this summer, thanks to rising crude oil prices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects prices of around $2.74 a gallon, versus the $2.41 average earlier this year. "This will be the most expensive driving season since 2014," said Tom Kloza, the head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service. Associated Press

This edition of CEO Daily was edited by David Meyer. Find previous editions here, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters here.

About the Authors
By Adam Lashinsky
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

woman yellow shirt standing in front of ring light
SuccessSocial Media
Influencer marketing isn’t an experiment anymore as companies expand their creator advertising budgets
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 24, 2026
7 hours ago
dario
AIEconomics
Anthropic’s head of economics just explained why we haven’t seen a white-collar bloodbath — yet
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
8 hours ago
lebron
Arts & EntertainmentSports
LeBron James, the only billionaire currently active in the NBA, signs a minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
By Catherina GioinoJuly 24, 2026
10 hours ago
Wealthy man in car
SuccessMillionaires
120 millionaires have signed a letter begging the British government to tax them more: ‘We can afford it’
By Emma BurleighJuly 24, 2026
11 hours ago
This CEO once bought a bankrupt furniture company for $80,000. At 95, he’s now given away millions
Successphilanthropy
This CEO once bought a bankrupt furniture company for $80,000. At 95, he’s now given away millions
By Sydney LakeJuly 24, 2026
11 hours ago
WPP’s sweeping restructure could save £500 million—the bigger challenge might be winning over workers 
C-SuiteWPP
WPP’s sweeping restructure could save £500 million—the bigger challenge might be winning over workers 
By Sam BirchallJuly 24, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
19 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 24, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 24, 2026
17 hours ago
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
AI
Turns out Dead Internet Theory was right: AI agents are eating the Web, growing by nearly 8,000% and rewiring the Internet's business model
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.