Not Since 2008…

Only 40 Copies Sold

In 2008, as financial markets collapsed and investors screeched, “Sell!” James Altucher was quietly urging investors to do the opposite.

“I begged my publishers not to publish my book,” he recalls. The book in question — The Forever Portfolio — was a blueprint for finding “unstoppable trends and quietly buy[ing] the companies riding those waves.”

The result? “Life-changing returns” that most people missed because, as James puts it: “No one wants to be optimistic during a full-blown meltdown.”

As you can probably predict, James’ sentiment was not well received. “It was optimistic and people hated me for it,” he admits. “I sold like 40 copies that year.”

But those 40 buyers? “In 2025, those 40 people who bought the book are probably pretty glad they did,” he says.

Because the stocks he named — Google, Meta, Costco and more — went on to deliver “peak gains as high as 2,314%... 3,767%... even 14,961%.”

The secret, James says, was seeing the world not as it was, but as it was becoming. “The unique position we were in in 2008” gave him the clarity to see what others missed.

James’ book, in fact, was packed with predictions that seemed outlandish at the time…

“Chapter 2: ‘Computer viruses will live forever.’In 2008, bots were this weird underground threat. Today? Malware is AI-generated, decentralized and sold as a service. Your phone is already infected. An estimated 50% of the internet is bots.

“Chapter 3: ‘Inoculate your portfolio against a global pandemic.’ Yeah. That happened. Twelve years later. The world shut down, the markets cracked and suddenly people were Googling ‘How to buy Moderna stock’ from their basement office-slash-toilet.

“Chapter 4: ‘Diamonds, chocolate and Botox will always sell.’ I mean, look around. We’re on Ozempic and flexing at Barry’s Bootcamp while impulse-buying $18 chocolate bars made with ‘ancestral cacao.’ Luxury didn’t die — it got direct-to-consumer and charged you for shipping.”

James even predicted that tattoo removal would become a billion-dollar business — “regret is a feature, not a bug,” he says. And that companies managing persistent problems (like Alzheimer’s or digital addiction) would be smart bets: “The world doesn’t usually fix things — it manages them. Investing in the management and the potential for a cure is where the asymmetrical bets are,” he says.

If you ask James, the mainstream media is almost always on the wrong side of history.

“Whenever there’s a big opportunity in the market,” he emphasizes, “all the talking heads seem to miss it.”

In 2008, “The mainstream media was still screaming SELL from the top of their lungs. But I was saying BUY.”

The reaction? “The media harassed me. [They] said I was out of touch… tone-deaf… and stupid. Once again, they were all wrong.”

James highlights how many of his picks, including Eli Lilly, Mastercard and Starbucks, crushed the market. “Several of the stocks ended up rising 1,000%… 2,500%… and even 10,000%.”

Now, in 2025, James sees history rhyming…

“Thanks to the recent market volatility, we’re sitting on a rare second chance to make the same kind of gains,” says James.

He’s building a new “forever portfolio” — not just for survival. “Back then, I wanted to build a portfolio that let you sleep at night. Now I want to build a portfolio that lets you wake up excited.”

Seventeen years after the world told him he was crazy, James’ optimism — and his knack for spotting the next big thing — has been vindicated.

As he puts it, “I bring all this up because today I’m seeing another chance at historic gains like the ones in 2008.” The only question is: Who’s listening this time around?

[James Altucher’s message is clear: Don’t let fear or media noise drown out real opportunity.

“In some ways, this is the best market setup I’ve ever seen,” James said during his “2025’s Ultimate Money Move” summit yesterday.

You still have time to view it. The REPLAY link is live — for now — and you can catch up on everything you missed, including…

• Why most investors are going to pile into the WRONG stocks in the coming weeks as the market moves higher
• The urgent catalyst set to trigger a frenzy in a new class of SUPERSTOCKS, set to return gains as high as 1,000% over the next year
• And the name and ticker of a FREE stock you can buy now.

“I have personally invested $50,000 in this stock,” says James. “And I have no intention of selling until it’s up half a million dollars.”

You don’t have to do ANYTHING to get this free stock except to tune in.

“The first Forever Portfolio was a survival plan,” James concludes. “This one is a permission slip. To live better. And finally stop checking your phone during weddings.”]

GOOG: “Firing on All Cylinders”

“Google might [be] the most underappreciated Big Tech stock on the planet,” says Davis Wilson at The Million Mission e-letter.

On Thursday, Alphabet (GOOG) reported strong Q1 results, with revenue hitting $90.23 billion (beating $89.12 billion estimates) and EPS at $2.81, crushing the $2.01 forecast. The stock jumped 4% after-hours, yet its full potential remains overlooked, according to Davis…

1. Core business (search, YouTube, cloud, ads): Generates $300 billion-plus annual revenue with 35% margins. Valued conservatively at 20x earnings, this segment alone could be worth $2.1 trillion.

2. Waymo and DeepMind: Self-driving Waymo vehicles operate commercially in multiple U.S. cities, while DeepMind leads AI innovation. Analysts project Waymo’s spinoff value at $350–850 billion. “Yet the market is currently assigning zero value to Waymo and DeepMind,” says Davis. “That’s a massive disconnect.”

3. Other bets (high-speed internet, health tech): Estimated at $50 billion.

Combined, Alphabet’s parts suggest a $2.75 trillion valuation versus its $2 trillion market cap. “That’s a 27.5% discount to my conservatively estimated sum-of-the-parts valuation,” Davis says.

“And the stock is still trading at just 19x earnings — cheaper than the S&P 500, despite superior business lines, massive scale and a fortress balance sheet.

“The bottom line is Google just proved it’s still firing on all cylinders,” he concludes. “Its core business is thriving, and its moonshots are gaining real-world traction.

“Yet the market continues to ignore the value of its emerging businesses, especially Waymo and AI,” Davis notes. “That’s why GOOG remains one of my top picks.”

Looking at my screen today, GOOG shares are up another 1.50% — in sympathy with the tech-heavy Nasdaq which has gained 35 points to 17,200. On the flip side, the Dow is down 0.60% to 39,840 while the S&P 500 is down 0.10% to 5,480.

At the same time, oil is up slightly to $62.80 for a barrel of West Texas crude. Precious metals? The price of gold is down 1.80% to $3,288.10 per ounce, and silver is down 1.85% to $32.88.

Crypto, however, is perking up: Bitcoin is up 1.70% to $95,160 while Ethereum is up 2.60% to $1,800.

28-Day Maximum

The Trump administration is using emergency powers to speed up environmental reviews for oil, gas and mining projects.

The goal is to cut approval times from years to just 28 days maximum. The plan, announced Wednesday, focuses on oil, gas, coal, uranium projects, critical minerals like lithium and copper as well as geothermal and hydropower ventures. (Wind and solar projects are excluded.)

Companies can now submit a standardized form to request emergency processing. The Department of the Interior will use alternative compliance methods and expedited consultations to meet aggressive timelines.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says the move is vital: “The United States cannot afford to wait. We are cutting through unnecessary delays to fast-track the development of American energy and critical minerals — resources that are essential to our economy, our military readiness and our global competitiveness.”

The new rules will…

• Cut environmental assessments from about a year to two weeks
• Shorten environmental impact statements from years to less than a month
• Reduce public comment periods for some projects.

The policy uses emergency provisions in laws including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The administration’s ability to defend its emergency rationale in court will likely determine the policy’s longevity.

Mining groups are praising the initiative. Rich Nolan of the National Mining Association emphasizes China’s dominance in critical minerals, noting that U.S. mine development is among the slowest in the world — a timeline the new 28-day policy aims to disrupt.

[Note: As these sweeping changes take effect, Paradigm’s macro expert Jim Rickards sees a rare window of opportunity emerging for American investors.

President Trump’s administration is moments away from unlocking a BRAND-NEW opportunity that Jim calls your “American birthright.”

And this is so urgent that Jim is convening an online strategy session this coming Tuesday, April 29 at 2 p.m. ET to give you all the details.

When you join Jim on Tuesday, he’ll show you a patented method that could accelerate your gains from this American birthright… And he’ll discuss THREE NEW OPPORTUNITIES to target up to 10x your money — or more — in a matter of weeks.

Click here to reserve your seat for the “American Wealth Summit” with Jim Rickards.]

Whistleblowers Topple “Mr. Davos”

Klaus Schwab, the 87-year-old founder of the World Economic Forum (WEF), has resigned amid explosive allegations of financial misconduct and ethical breaches.

It’s a dramatic fall for the man synonymous with the elite Davos summit. You know, zis guy…

The claims, detailed in a whistleblower letter to the WEF’s board last week, allege Schwab misused funds for personal luxuries — including, of course, private massages and cash withdrawals. While his wife, Hilde, allegedly exploited WEF coffers for lavish travel while tightly controlling access to Villa Mundi, a WEF-owned Lake Geneva property.

The anonymous letter, reportedly from current and former employees, further accuses Schwab of massaging data for the WEF’s influential Global Competitiveness Report to “curry favour with certain governments,” The Guardian reports.

Thus, ol’ Klaus stepped down on Monday after the board — including figures like Al Gore and BlackRock’s Larry Fink *lol* — held an emergency meeting to discuss the allegations. Schwab denied wrongdoing, but he allegedly resisted the board’s push for an independent inquiry. Before abruptly resigning.

Schwab’s departure ends a 54-year reign… of terror? The latest controversy revives past complaints about a toxic workplace culture at the WEF, including unresolved sexual harassment claims.

All told: Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy! If only there were a German word to describe what I’m feeling right now…

Mailbag: Real (ID) Pain in the Neck

“I was finally going to capitulate and get my Real ID when my driver's license was up for renewal last fall,” says a longtime reader.

“I went into my local Tag office — in Oklahoma, we don't have to go to the DMV — with all of my identification in hand (birth certificate, Social Security card and even old passports).

“Because I am divorced and remarried, I was told I need a copy of my original marriage certificate (from 38 years ago) and my divorce decree (from 20 years ago) to prove my name changes.

“I may have those somewhere, but I have no idea where they are. I contacted the county courts. One of them suggested I go to the courthouse to request copies in-person. I live in a different state, for crying out loud!

“Thank goodness I've only been divorced once,” she concludes. “Keep up the good fight!”

You, too! And enjoy the weekend…

Best regards,

Emily Clancy
Associate editor, Paradigm Pressroom's 5 Bullets