Quartz Weekly Obsession

Suggested Reading How Trump’s tariffs could make your iPhone cost $3,500 Suggested Reading The $530 million part-time job Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm — whose job is to keep Elon Musk in check — has received and sold more than $530 million worth of Tesla stock since taking the role in 2018. The kicker? Her position is only part-time. Denholm’s windfall highlights a distinctly American phenomenon: stock-based compensation.

Every few years, a show hits so big it reshapes the travel industry. The White Lotus didn’t just mint memes — it spiked bookings at Four Seasons resorts from Hawaii to Sicily to Thailand, making “White Lotus tourism” a thing. But while this may feel like a uniquely modern phenomenon, it’s actually part of a much older tradition: people planning their vacations based on what they’ve seen on screen.

A roaring trade Dinosaurs went extinct about 60 million years ago, but they’ve never been more profitable. This June, Universal will release yet another Jurassic World movie, marking over three decades of dino-domination. The franchise, which has grossed $6 billion, has reshaped how we think about dinosaurs. It’s also become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A gap in the market Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wellness industry has seen an explosion in popularity – particularly among men, a change for a culture long associated with either crunchy hippies or affluent white women like Gwyneth Paltrow. Suggested Reading Target's CEO warns that tariffs could drive up prices on popular items within a week.

Burnt out For better or for worse, the process of meeting someone who could end up being the love of your life has been revolutionized with the rise of online dating. Gamified swipe-based apps such as Tinder and Bumble can make it feel even easier to meet people.

On Substack, Substack Substacks YOU The media industry needs a savior. Maybe the entire knowledge economy does. Enter Substack, the newsletter platform that punches far above its weight in cultural impact, despite its mere $650 million valuation.

An internet relic’s red-hot IPO Reddit is a weird one — at once an ancient relic and a cultural hotbed. Founded in 2005 by a pair of UVA grads, the platform hosts message boards dedicated to every possible topic, from dating (r/dating) to conversations with famous, powerful people (r/IAMA). If you’re looking for honest takes, you’ll find them here.

In This Story LUV+2.71%AAL+6.48%UAL+8.89%DAL+6.96%JBLU+5.00% Pleased to seat ya When Southwest Airlines (LUV+2.71%) launched more than 50 years ago, one of its most distinguishing characteristics was the way it got customers onto airplanes. Seats weren’t assigned, and passengers had to fend for themselves when it was time to grab a spot. It was a quirk as much a part of the airline’s identity as its low, no-frill fares.

Hello, Quartz members, and welcome to Sunday Reads! Tim Walz and JD Vance held a vice presidential debate, 45,000 dockworkers walked off the job from Maine to Texas but quickly came back, and the damage from Hurricane Helene was immense. Suggested Reading Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are neck-and-neck with crypto voters, Coinbase poll says Suggested Reading Now it’s Sunday, and time to shift your gaze to some hand-selected reads.

The Quartz Obsession email is moving to a monthly cadence. Thank you for your loyal readership! We have a feeling you’ll enjoy what we’re obsessing over for November. Suggested Reading How robots are playing a part in the U.S. port strike Suggested Reading A sea of contention Thousands of dockworkers across the East Coast and Gulf Coast officially went on strike Tuesday morning, after negotiations between their union and an alliance of employers failed.