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Jason Ma

Jason Ma

Fortune

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U.S. debt is even worse than it seems, and rising Treasury yields are now an ‘all-hands-on-deck situation,’ top economist warns

The anomalous recent behavior of the 10-year yield is actually as sign that "demand for Treasury debt is weaker than first meets the eye."

sunday 4

Fortune

Jason Ma

China’s export shock is pushing the global economy to a breaking point, and the U.S. may have to clean up the mess, former trade official says

"The result is an industrial machine that cannot stop and cannot slow down—but that, owing to the limits of demand, cannot keep going."

sunday 2

Fortune

Jason Ma

Even Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is worried about Iran’s economy and ‘social cohesion’ as U.S. pressure gets tougher to withstand

"There is the need to seriously address the chain of economic and livelihood challenges, such as inflation, unemployment, management of prices and the...

sunday 3

Fortune

Jason Ma

These industries will lead hiring in the next decade, with just one sector accounting for more than a third of all new jobs

The healthcare and social assistance industry, which will expand employment by 2.2 million over the next decade.

05.09.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

‘Chuck it in the fire.’ A leading candidate in France’s presidential race has a simple solution to its massive national debt: just cancel it

“Why did we make a single currency and an ECB together? We can do it and I bet we’d find allies in Europe.”

05.09.2026 2

Fortune

Jason Ma

After hitting oil tankers, Iran targets Navy warships and U.S. retaliates with ‘higher economic cost’ in new escalation that could transform the war

"Attempting to strike U.S. warships enforcing the blockade therefore crosses a different threshold."

05.09.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Top sovereign wealth fund may dump $80 billion in Treasury bonds — and load up on other types of U.S. debt with more risk

The overall exposure to dollar-denominated assets would remain largely unchanged at 52.5% versus 52.9% under the current portfolio.

04.09.2026 2

Fortune

Jason Ma

We’re living in the ‘G-shaped economy’—where boomers control $90 trillion, and everyone else waits

"The concentration of wealth among older generations suggests that consumer spending is increasingly being supported by the spending of accumulated...

31.08.2026 5

Fortune

Jason Ma

The official jobless rate is so low the Fed thinks the economy is at full employment. But a gauge of the ‘functionally unemployed’ keeps climbing

"If this continues, it would suggest the labor market is losing strength despite what we may see in the headline unemployment numbers."

30.08.2026 5

Fortune

Jason Ma

It’s not just math and reading. Classroom devices deprive kids of skills needed in the AI future and how to be ‘fully human,’ education experts say

"Children don’t need school to become more like the digital world. They are already immersed in that world for much of the time outside school hours."

30.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Iran’s president admits ‘we have many problems’ and missiles ‘are of no use’ as the U.S. chokes its economy while weakening Tehran’s grip on Hormuz

"People are on the edge now; if I put more pressure on them, they might fall off the edge. We have to be careful that no one falls off."

30.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

Wall Street used to worry that too much U.S. debt would crowd out the private sector. But AI hyperscalers are ‘reverse crowding’ the Treasury

"Capital flowing into corporate bonds is capital not flowing into Treasuries, and Treasury yields have had to rise to clear the market."

29.08.2026 5

Fortune

Jason Ma

New U.S. sanctions will hit ordinary Iranians hard. That may be the whole point as the crashing economy stirs fresh protests

"Digital assets and gold are how ordinary Iranians protect their savings from inflation."

29.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

The U.S. doesn’t have a state-owned oil giant. But in Venezuela, the federal government will control a company with the world’s 2nd largest reserves

The federal government will hold a 55% stake in the company, consisting of equity ownership and oil production.

29.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent becomes the tip of the spear in the war on Iran and the bond vigilantes as the U.S. readies more financial firepower

"And any nation that serves as a financial artery of a withering regime should expect to share in its isolation."

24.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

The Iran war could last ‘deep into 2027’ as the Strait of Hormuz isn’t that closed, allowing more oil to leak out—but major escalation is likely soon

"And if the Strait is not fully closed, Iran’s leverage is weak. Thus, Iran has reasons to escalate."

23.08.2026 6

Fortune

Jason Ma

Russia is suffering from a slow-motion bank run as the Kremlin scavenges for war funding—and it may start seizing recruits for the military too

The financial sector's loss of deposits has created a liquidity crunch so severe that it's threatening Russia's ability to fund its war.

23.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

The Treasury’s recent moves in the bond and currency markets add up to ‘soft-form financial repression’ to lower debt costs, economist warns

"If the market price of USTs is not 'allowed' to adjust down, the foreign exchange price of UST owned by foreign investors has to adjust via a...

23.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

Forget AI, debt has become the main character on Wall Street as markets just now decided that it’s gotten out of control after years of warnings

"When does debt become unsustainable? When the global financial markets say it is. That appears to be happening."

22.08.2026 6

Fortune

Jason Ma

Venezuela abandoning the bolivar and adopting the U.S. dollar would be the biggest currency switch since the advent of the euro, Hanke says

"Taming inflation is the key to restoring stability in Venezuela, and all the other progress flows from that."

22.08.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

‘We will not endure’ — Top Iranian leaders signal they are running out of time as economy crumbles ahead of Trump’s next sanctions onslaught

"As someone who has experienced war, we understand the true value of peace."

22.08.2026 6

Fortune

Jason Ma

Scott Bessent is ‘playing with fire’ as the Treasury’s debt buyback risks putting the dollar in a devaluation spiral like the yen, economist warns

"Markets are primed for Dollar debasement to resume and — as Japan shows — it can be next to impossible to stabilize a currency once it enters a...

21.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

One of the VC world’s biggest stars is doubling down on sports in a big way, and there’s a compelling tax reason behind the strategy

Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner's $12.5 billion deal with former Disney CEO Bob Iger to buy the Los Angeles Lakers vaults him into an elite...

19.08.2026 50

Fortune

Jason Ma

Trump pivoted from bombs to an economic war against Iran. But Tehran is now ‘fully offensive’ and doesn’t think the real fighting hasn’t started yet

Unless the U.S. implements the June ceasefire deal in a few weeks, Iran will launch a "timely and precise" ​attack to break the blockade, an Iranian...

17.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Owning the Lakers would provide billionaire investor Joshua Kushner with an iconic sports franchise — and a ‘powerful tax shield’

"My guess is he is preparing to offset a boatload of carried interest income. If you own a sports team, done correctly, you can get a deduction...

16.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Dario Amodei admits AI suffers from a crisis of trust, saying people worry companies or governments are ‘cooking up some new way to screw them over’

"I think by far the most accurate criticism of AI companies including Anthropic is that we haven’t yet delivered on our big promises to benefit the...

16.08.2026 7

Fortune

Jason Ma

Iran’s oil is trapped while rivals’ exports from the Persian Gulf are poised to surge, but Tehran could do whatever it takes to break the chokehold

Satellite images revealed that Saudi ships on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz are preparing to transport oil out of the Persian Gulf.

16.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Tariff refunds are juicing corporate profits and GDP as more tailwinds converge to propel growth to a blistering 4.3% pace, top economist says

"The bottom line is that the US economy continues to be supported by a growing set of tailwinds."

15.08.2026 9

Fortune

Jason Ma

Scott Bessent fired a currency bazooka, but global finance still looks like a ‘giant Jenga tower’ propped up by a Japanese yen that’s in deep trouble

"Now traders are watching the 'yen carry trade,' where cheap yen borrowing funds bets on higher-yielding assets worldwide, and wondering if it’s...

15.08.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

Iran business leader admits U.S. blockade will inflict more economic damage than war, and the ‘worst thing that could happen’ is trying to evade it

The head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce said "the consequences of the blockade far outweigh those of a direct war."

15.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is shut down. The Trump administration says 9 million barrels a day are still getting out

"Hefty chunk of non-Iranian crude still getting out, unlike the Iranian crude that isn’t."

14.08.2026 6

Fortune

Jason Ma

The stock market may be doing so well that it’s causing more Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to drop out of the labor force

"My hunch is that this is as at least partially attributable to wealth effects from record highs in the stock market."

10.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Trump is betting that the U.S. naval blockade choking Iran’s economy can achieve what bombs and missiles couldn’t as more oil sneaks out of the Gulf

"We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," Trump said.

09.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

By propping up the yen, the U.S. and Japan are actually admitting dollar dominance isn’t what it used to be, top economist warns

"When this message sinks in, other countries will redouble their search for more attractive, readily usable alternatives."

09.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

‘Millennials are not punk kids anymore’ — Ocasio-Cortez sees a ‘generational tidal wave’ driven by anger over economic futures sidelined by boomers

"And there is anger at being ignored, sidelined, having our economic futures mortgaged by the generations that came before us on everything from the...

09.08.2026 9

Fortune

Jason Ma

Iranian officials are worried the U.S. blockade will cause an economic collapse and admit sanctions relief is desperately needed

But Iran's aggressive demands cool hopes that the strait will see traffic return to normal anytime soon or that the U.S. will stop applying economic...

08.08.2026 9

Fortune

Jason Ma

Great disappointment will follow the Great Wealth Transfer as baby boomers pass on just a fraction of their fortune to millennials and Gen Xers

The good news for the younger generations is that boomers are already showering some of their money on their heirs.

08.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

With broad bipartisan support, Congress is about to give Trump ‘unchecked authority’ to impose new tariffs of up to 100% on top trading partners

"We should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin's aggression and putting a check on this president's tariffs regime."

08.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

The emerging deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz reportedly recognizes Iran’s control—and the U.S. may have to accept it

"US accepting Iranian control of the strait without explicitly acknowledging that control seems a likely endgame here."

07.08.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

As Trump balks again at escalating war, Iran smells ‘blood in the water’ and looks to exploit its newfound strategic advantage, experts say

"Last night's events underscore a reality that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: for now, Iran appears to hold the strategic advantage in...

02.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

As AI creates more entrepreneurs and a skills mismatch, Gen Z faces the choice of being a specialist or a ‘general-purpose nerd’

"AI is creating a structural skills mismatch as companies aggressively replace generalists with specialized talent."

02.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Markets signal investors are back in buying mode again after Kospi’s record surge while Trump gives peace a chance with latest Iran reversal

South Korea’s Kospi index, which has been a bellwether for global stocks lately, soared 18% on Friday, marking its biggest single-day jump on record.

02.08.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh talks a big game, but this market indicator will tell you if Wall Street trusts him after he caused a ‘credibility shock’

"The bottom line is that an important part of the Fed’s credibility is not just to say that it has certain goals but also to explain how it will...

01.08.2026 9

Fortune

Jason Ma

The labor market could become so backward that the economy will have to shed jobs to keep unemployment steady

"Today, the labor market’s speed limit is much lower than just a few years ago, setting the stage for a jobless expansion."

01.08.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

Welcome to the mega-war: Mideast and European conflicts merge, sucking in more countries along the way—even ones claiming neutrality

"The Iran and Ukraine wars may be connecting."

01.08.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

After a nearly 1,000% surge, the AI debt orgy can’t last forever, while hidden borrowing has exploded to $1.65 trillion

"At some point, the rivers of capital financing private and government debt issuance will flow less freely."

31.07.2026 9

Fortune

Jason Ma

The war between competing AI models could end up more like Apple vs. Android than VHS vs. Betamax

"While the contest between open and proprietary AI is often presented as a winner-takes-all format war, the most likely outcome is a combination of...

27.07.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Kospi index and U.S. stock futures jump as new Hormuz talks send oil prices plunging amid Iran war pause while Wall Street awaits Fed meeting

Iran and Oman are also in talks that center around having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships.

26.07.2026 8

Fortune

Jason Ma

Mideast oil may soon have no way out amid ‘everything everywhere all at once’ wars, but the crisis in refined products is even worse

"So we are starting to talk about the kind of no way out scenarios because of this new Red Sea unrest."

26.07.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma

Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea could signal a new battlefront as U.S. seeks to form ‘a ring of economic and military pressure’

"In any case, what is clear is that Iran’s war is becoming increasingly intertwined with two other conflicts: the Saudi-Houthi confrontation and the...

26.07.2026 10

Fortune

Jason Ma