Welcome to Axis ProRata, where we take just 10 minutes to get you smarter on the collision of tech, business, and politics.

Sponsored by TSX Broadway.

I'm Dan Premack.

On today's show, what President Trump could do to really help Venezuela and Facebook makes a high-risk engineering gamble.

But first, a pumpkin-spiced presidency.

I am seriously thinking of running for president.

I will run as a centrist independent.

That's the voice of Howard Schultz, former chairman and CEO of Starbucks from last night's

episode of 60 Minutes.

So Schultz's kind of sort of announcement is obviously getting tons of attention, certainly

from Democrats who

fear that an independent candidacy will split the anti-Trump vote, thus enabling Trump's

reelection, and also this morning from Trump himself, who taunted the former coffee kingpin

on Twitter by saying he, quote, doesn't have the guts to run.

So a few thoughts.

First, I am in the minority here in believing there is still a

pretty good chance Schultz won't actually run and that this current media blitz will end up

being more about book sales than votes. Not only because it's hard to imagine a successful

independent campaign, but also because of the expense. Schultz has an estimated net worth of

around $3 billion, of which he'd have to spend around a third on this election.

It's doable, but daunting.

Yeah, he could theoretically raise money, but it's not the easiest ask for someone.

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