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

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
LeadershipCEO Daily

Facebook Payments, Beyond Meat, Uber Suit: CEO Daily for May 3, 2019

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 3, 2019, 6:34 AM ET

Good morning. David Meyer here, filling in for Alan from Berlin.

What exactly is happening with Foxconn’s big Wisconsin display factory, which was supposed to bring 13,000 jobs to the Milwaukee area?

It’s been one heck of a confusing ride. The $10 billion campus was supposed to be a large, cutting-edge LCD factory. Then, at the start of this year, the Taiwanese company was reported to be scaling back and altering those plans, in part due to high U.S. labor costs—the factory was now going to be a smaller engineering and research hub, employing around 1,000 people. Foxconn had only spent 1% of its promised investment by the end of last year.

Now Foxconn chair and Taiwanese presidential hopeful Terry Gou has apparently “reaffirmed his commitment” to building a big factory, after meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Gou also met with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, whose predecessor Scott Walker partly lost re-election because of Foxconn’s $4 billion or so in state subsidies and incentives. Evers previously said the 13,000-jobs figure was “unrealistic,” but now he’s walked that back a little.

“I’m not doubting their word, I’m just saying that we want as much clarity as we can going forward and we talked about what they’re doing right now as far as building,” Evers told local papers after meeting Gou. Afterwards, Evers’s spokeswoman said he continued to maintain “healthy skepticism” of the jobs projection.

All very opaque, and there are a lot of people’s credibility on the line here—not least that of President Trump, when it comes to his quest to return tech manufacturing to the U.S.

Foxconn, of course, makes iPhones in China, the prime target of Trump’s trade offensive. Trump has repeatedly called for Apple to make its iPhones in the U.S. rather than China, but his pressure on Beijing hasn’t quite produced that effect. Instead, Foxconn is shifting a lot of its iPhone production from China to India. Wary of tariffs on imports from China, a couple hundred U.S. firms are considering doing the same thing.

Getting Foxconn to make good on its commitments in Wisconsin would bolster Trump ahead of his re-election bid. “Mr. Gou is spending a lot of money in Wisconsin and soon will announce even more investment there,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said yesterday.

But Foxconn’s recent dithering does not inspire confidence. If those promises don’t pan out, it will be a black eye for Trump—and Wisconsin taxpayers. More news below.

David Meyer
@superglaze
david@dmeyer.eu

Top News

Facebook Payments

Facebook is reportedly talking to dozens of financial and e-commerce companies, including Visa and MasterCard, about the cryptocurrency-based payment system it is developing. The scheme carries the codename Project Libra and involves a dollar-pegged virtual currency that could be used for payments between WhatsApp users. Facebook is apparently considering giving users small amounts of the cryptocurrency for looking at ads. Wall Street Journal

Beyond Meat

Beyond Meat's shares jumped by 163% on their first day of trading, making for the biggest IPO pop in over a decade. The IPO valued Beyond Meat at around $3.8 billion, and the cash raised should help it compete with Impossible Foods, another much-hyped meat-free-meat firm. CEO Ethan Brown: "We understand the composition of meat, we understand the architecture and year after year we collapse the gaps between our product and animal protein." Fortune

Uber Suit

Uber is being sued by taxi drivers again, this time in Australia. The class-action was filed Friday by lawyers representing around 6,000 cabbies across four states. Uber denies it operates illegally but, if it loses, it could face damages in the order of hundreds of millions of Australian dollars—at least, that's what the plaintiffs are seeking. Reuters

Sinclair and Disney

Sinclair will reportedly shell out over $10 billion to buy Disney's regional sports networks, which were acquired as part of the 21st Century Fox deal. (At the time, Disney promised to sell the networks in order to get regulatory approval for the Fox asset takeover.) The Journal reports the Sinclair deal could be announced as early as today. WSJ

Around the Water Cooler

No Moore

President Trump's Fed board picks have both dropped out now—first Herman Cain, who claimed the pay wasn't enough, and now Stephen Moore, who can't take the "unrelenting attacks on my character." Said attacks have focused on Moore's past misogynistic writings, and most recently on the revelation that he underpaid alimony to his ex-wife for years, despite having been found in contempt of court over the issue. All this was too much for several Republican senators, who said they wouldn't vote to confirm him. Guardian

Cyclone Fani

India's east coast is being hammered by Cyclone Fani, which prompted the evacuation of over a million people. National disaster teams have been sent to the Orissa/Odisha state to help deal with the damage. So far, there are only two reported casualties, perhaps due to the government's preparations. Al Jazeera

Synthetic CDOs

Investors are once again embracing "synthetic" collateralized debt obligations—the debt derivatives that helped to fuel the financial crisis. Except this time the CDOs are backed by corporate debts, rather than subprime mortgages, so they're supposedly a lot safer now, according to some—others think the financial world is going crazy again. Financial Times

Plane Breakthrough

The British defense giant BAE Systems has successfully flown the first plane in history that doesn't need wing flaps to maneuver. The Magma drone blows air from its engine through slots in its wings, and BAE says the reduction in gaps and engines makes the plane nearly invisible on radar, as well as being lighter and cheaper to operate than planes with conventional wings. Bloomberg

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

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

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
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Man in a white shirt and jacket.
InnovationBrainstorm Tech
Marc Lore’s robots make 500 burrito bowls an hour. A human can make 45
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
4 hours ago
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
AIBrainstorm Tech
AI isn’t replacing Hyatt’s salespeople—it’s freeing up a full day of work every week, according to the CEO
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
7 hours ago
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
AIBrainstorm Tech
The AI industry spent years chasing bigger models. Now it’s chasing efficiency
By Sharon GoldmanJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Not an Allbirds Moment’: Xbox’s new CEO says she is grounding the console in gaming roots, not AI
By Sebastian HerreraJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
BP’s new CEO Meg O’Neill rips up the energy giant’s playbook—and the ‘green’ era with it
EnergyBP
BP’s new CEO Meg O’Neill rips up the energy giant’s playbook—and the ‘green’ era with it
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
9 hours ago
Three people having a seated discussion
AIBrainstorm Tech
‘Getting control where we can’: Europe wants sovereign AI, but most of the chips are from the U.S.
By Amanda GerutJune 9, 2026
10 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
11 hours ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
3 days 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.