Today’s briefing:
— The geopolitics of the Met Gala
— Go work for peace in Sweden
— He likes short shorts
Sponsored by:
Good morning {{first_name | Intriguer}}. Each year, the Met Gala draws a range of reactions to its glitzy pageantry. Within the small sample size of my friends on social media, I’ve seen folks protest that the event is “literally the Hunger Games” because it’s tone-deaf and out of touch. There are also those who gleefully livestream themselves live-steaming the event with live commentary on the outfits, dissecting who wore it best / worst etc.
I think the best roundup I’ve seen of the event (aside from the one you’re about to get from Intrigue on the geopolitics of the Met) is by the CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. Each year, they do a wrap of the event comparing celebrity outfits to Australian wildlife and insects. Last year, it was Australian birds, and this year, it's the moth. 10/10.
Let’s dive into it.
Number of the day
$1T
That’s how much South Korean tech titan Samsung is now worth, after its stocks soared 14% on Wednesday amid booming AI-linked memory chip demand. It’s now Asia’s second publicly traded firm (after Taiwan’s TSMC) to cross the $1T barrier.
Tech’s fashion foray.
As the philosophers at NSYNC once noted, “it’s gonna be May”.
And that can only mean one thing: netizens take a break from being an expert in critical minerals, AI, Venezuela, oil, and Hormuz to briefly weigh in on fashion at the Met Gala.
By way of quick refresher, it’s a charity event to raise funds for America’s premier art institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka the Met).
Hosted by Vogue, the Gala backs the Met’s one self-funded bit: the Costume Department. That’s why fashion icon Eleanor Lambert kickstarted the first Met Gala way back in 1948.
Fast forward three-quarters of a century to Monday night, and the sheer concentration of exclusivity, star power, and trust funds makes it one of the year’s most hyped events.
So let’s dive into the geopolitics of Monday’s 2026 Met Gala, starting with…
The Bezos backlash
This year’s big controversy was the cameo by the billionaire Bezos couple, who forked out $10M as the night’s lead sponsors. It all triggered demonstrations, with some folks even hiding fake urine bottles throughout the museum in a nod to longstanding allegations that Amazon workers get pressured to pee in bottles rather than take bathroom breaks.
Why the backlash? We see it as anger over…
Alleged image-laundering for a Trump-aligned oligarch
The clash of blowing $10M at the Met while replacing workers with robots
Broader post-Epstein unease around the rich and powerful, and
Discomfort over Bezos jamming his fingers into so many pies (rockets, data centres, streaming, satellites, grocery stores, legacy newspapers, and now… fashion?).
Whatever the source, the anger points to two big issues: first, it suggests the ultra-wealthy are no longer aspirational figures, but out-of-touch elites: half of Americans now say they believe billionaires are threatening democracy, and 68% say they want a strong leader to take their country back from the rich and powerful.
Siri: show us the perfect conditions for a populist revolt?
The second and related reason actually has to do with…
The ‘Tech Gala’
You know who else showed up? Fellow tech royals like Meta’s Zuck, Snapchat’s Spiegel, and Google’s Brin (who rocked a pre-revolutionary Iran pin to support a free Iran).
The Zuck seemed best at sensing the hostile mood above, given he skipped the red carpet altogether — we like to think he spent the time retweeting dunks on Bezos instead.
But our point? Maybe these moguls turned up because it seemed fun, but the reality of their vast PR teams — plus Zuck also sitting front row at Milan Fashion Week — suggests there’s probably also some strategy afoot: being fashionable can mean being relevant, and relevance is easily converted into social capital, something Big Tech desperately needs.
Or to put it another way, maybe it’s about rebranding as culturally relevant rather than remote overlords, to blunt growing unease around their raw wealth and power. Or maybe it’s about countering fears of the virtual with examples of tech titans being present?
Either way, the backlash shows how easily (if not inevitably at this point) it can all backfire.
And it’s not just the tech CEOs. It’s also…
The sponsors
That museum isn’t gonna curate itself. It costs money. And it turns out seven of the last 11 Met Galas have been co-sponsored by at least one Big Tech player, including Instagram, Yahoo, Apple, and TikTok. Clearly, the ROI is high.
But whereas the CEOs themselves might want to soften their own image, that adjacent corporate branding looks like an attempt to familiarise everyone with the idea of these platforms continuing their roles as cultural gatekeepers.
But lest you think it’s just our tech overlords paying attention to the Met Gala…
The countries
There’s a long history here, whether it’s the 2006 Met dedicated to the UK (more James Bond than Vicky Pollard), the 2015 iteration exploring China’s fashion impact (sponsored by “several Chinese donors”), or even the Vatican’s big 2017 collab.
This year the theme was ‘Costume Art’, but to the extent it featured any particular nation abroad, it might’ve been India: designers like Malhotra and Johar, industrialists like Birla and Ambani (Isha), and even Jaipur royals were all there showcasing India’s cultural heft.
So all that to say… we’re clearly not the only ones twigging to how cultural outputs like fashion can offer influential sources of soft power.
Anyways, we’ll get back to our regular scheduled program tomorrow, but “are you not entertained?”
Intrigue’s Take
In an age of populist revolt, it’s interesting to see elites doubling down on the opulence — that’s either a savvy attempt to steer the wave, or a tone-deaf flex that just swells it.
Either way, it’s a reminder that we’re all (whether as nations, corporations, or individuals) now competing in the same arena for narrative control.
So maybe the lesson here is you can’t buy friends any more than you can buy class.
Or maybe the lesson is if the year’s theme celebrates the human body as a canvas, perhaps don’t sign on as sponsor if you’re busy automating the human body away?
Sound even smarter:
Zohran Mamdani became the first NYC mayor to skip the Met since 2002.
Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Lion Forum 2026
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Meanwhile, elsewhere…
🇮🇷 IRAN — Ctrl-z.
President Trump has paused his Project Freedom (to escort ships out of Hormuz) hours after it began. He’s citing a request from Pakistan to potentially help finalise a deal with Iran, though his reversal came just after Iran called his bluff and struck at least two tankers transiting Hormuz, with US forces reportedly onboard. (CBS)
Comment: Either way, it leaves the US in a bind: hope the blockade ends the regime, or risk restarting an unpopular war. Meanwhile, figures out of S&P Global Energy suggest global oil reserves plunged by 200 million barrels last month (versus a typical fluctuation in the hundreds of thousands), suggesting further price rises ahead.
🇪🇸 SPAIN — Hot potato.
Shockingly handsome prime minister Pedro Sánchez might have an internal struggle on his hands, after the provincial leader of Spain’s Canary Islands declined docking permission for a luxury cruise hit by the deadly hantavirus. (Independent)
Comment: The WHO says the Canaries have a moral and legal obligation to help as the closest suitable port, and officials say the health risk is low, but folks are jittery about the rare rodent-borne illness that’s already killed three passengers.
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES — We’re done here.
The State Department has formally terminated ~200 career diplomats who’d already been on paid administrative leave for nearly 10 months. It completes a major Trump 2.0 reduction-in-force at Foggy Bottom. (The Hill)
Comment: We’re sympathetic to the need for streamlining, but this feels more like a random hollowing-out of expertise, and right when the US needs it most.
🇸🇪 SWEDEN — Spooks.
If you see any Swedes in trench-coats or fake-moustaches, be advised that Stockholm has announced a new Swedish foreign intelligence service (UND for its local acronym). Designed to track “external threats against Sweden”, it’ll commence operations from January 2027. (Euronews)
Comment: Yes, Sweden already has spooks abroad, but they’re with MUST (military intelligence), reporting to the military brass rather than direct to government. So UND is really a response to a) criticism that MUST and others didn’t call out Russia’s build-up, b) today’s wilder world, and c) Sweden’s new NATO responsibilities.
🇹🇭 THAILAND — Bangin’ idea?
The Thai foreign minister has flagged he’ll invite his Myanmar counterpart to meet foreign ministers on the sidelines of upcoming ASEAN summits. (The Straits Times)
Comment: The point is Thailand is trying to loosen the region’s isolation of Myanmar’s regime, which has been barred from the ASEAN bloc since the 2021 coup. This rewards the regime’s sham elections from earlier this year.
🇦🇷 ARGENTINA — Pressed to change.
President Milei has restored journalist access to Casa Rosada (government HQ), a week after authorities blocked credentialed reporters over an alleged security breach involving smart glasses. (AP)
Comment: The story isn’t journalists or smart glasses, but the way it all hints at a presidency feeling under siege — while Milei has managed to stabilise the economy and just got Argentina’s debt upgraded by Fitch, his approval is now at new lows, with even The Economist devoting a frontpage warning, “Javier Milei is in serious trouble”.
🇵🇰 PAKISTAN — Signs of distress.
Pakistan’s navy has assisted an Indian vessel after a critical technical failure left it stranded in the Arabian Sea. (Reuters)
Comment: After decades of conflict, these reciprocal humanitarian gestures (India helped a Pakistani crew in 2024) act as stabilisers and keep hotlines alive.
🇸🇩 SUDAN — Drone blame game.
Sudan has accused Ethiopia and the UAE of orchestrating drone strikes on Sudan’s Khartoum international airport. Addis and the Emiratis have variously denied the allegations, but the strikes forced a 72-hour airport suspension just a week after the arrival of the first direct international commercial flight in three years. (BBC)
Comment: Sudan’s notorious RSF paramilitary has form with these kinds of hits — the question is how much help they get. And the answer has long been… quite a bit.
Extra Intrigue
The Intrigue jobs board 💼
Research Assistant @ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Sweden
Chief Executive Officer @ America’s Service Commissions in the US
Director, Implementation Support @ Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining in Geneva
Editor-Translator @ Interpol in Singapore
Run of the day
From L to R: Czech runner Kristiina Sasínek Mäki, Czech leader Pavel, Finnish President Stubb, and Finnish footballer Kaan Kairinen. Credits: Kristiina Sasínek Mäki / Instagram
If you’re looking for a few minutes with Finland’s president (Stubb), forget the conference room and just lace up. The 58-year-old appears to have turned his Prague state visit into a slightly aggressive group run — and dragged the Czech president (Pavel) along with him.
Yes, that’s Pavel in the blue, still looking like a ripped Tom Cruise playing Santa, while Stubb (centre-right) seems to have opted for some kind of “spray-on” short-short tech.
But those stats? A very respectable 10.58 km at 5:55/km in just over an hour. Our point: if even leaders of the free world can make time for a run, then so can you, dear Intriguer.
Today’s poll
Do you think billionaires should stay in their lane?
Yesterday’s poll: Do you think Putin is losing this war?
🔥 Yes, Ukraine is getting stronger (73%)
🥱 No, high oil prices and US distraction will get him through (25%)
✍️ Other (write in!) (2%)
Your two cents:
🔥 K.M: “Oil prices are but a single factor and are only temporarily elevated — and mean little as Russia continues to lose the oil facilities and shadow fleet tankers needed to take benefit from them.”
✍️ S.B: “There is no winning or losing this war now. It will likely continue until Putin dies or loses power.”
🔥 S.F: “If Putin were going to win, it would have happened by now.”