Monzo’s Big Win, Dimon’s Debt Warning & Mattel Goes Full Hollywood

3rd June 2025

British digital bank Monzo hits profitability and crosses the $1.35B revenue mark — just as Jamie Dimon waves red flags over America’s debt-driven bond chaos. Meanwhile, Mattel is taking Barbie’s box office magic and building an entire studio around it. All this and more in today’s read-and-eat.

Major Headline 

• Monzo breaks into the billion-pound club, posts first full-year profit

  
  

• Monzo has officially entered the big leagues, reporting its first annual profit and revenue topping £1.2 billion ($1.35 billion). The UK-based challenger bank saw customer deposits grow 48% to £16.6B and loans jump 35% — all while adding 2.4 million new users in a year. CEO TS Anil says global expansion is on the cards, but the company is playing it cool on IPO talk, despite a £4.5B valuation last October. While Monzo has been under regulatory scrutiny since 2021 over potential anti-money laundering issues, the bank’s momentum — and ambition — shows no signs of slowing. Reuters 

  
  

• Jamie Dimon warns US debt could trigger bond market chaos

  
  

• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is once again sounding the alarm — this time on rising US debt, which he says could wreak havoc on bond markets. Speaking to Fox Business, Dimon warned of “widening credit spreads” that could hit everything from small business loans to real estate financing. The 69-year-old banking titan has led JPMorgan for nearly two decades and was floated for a senior economic role last election cycle. While he’s staying put at the bank (for now), his message is clear: America’s debt binge is nearing a breaking point. Reuters 

  
  

• Solo travelers getting hit with higher airfare, report finds

  
  

• A new report from Thrifty Traveler shows that major US airlines like American, United, and Delta are charging individual travelers more — sometimes hundreds more — for the same economy seats. One example: a one-way United flight from Chicago to Peoria cost $269 for one passenger, but only $181 each when booked for a group. Experts say airlines often price tickets in blocks, so solo travelers can end up overpaying when the cheaper fares are already taken.  Fox Business 

  
  

• Mattel launches Mattel Studios to double down on film & TV hits

  
  

• Fresh off Barbie’s $1.4B box office success, toy giant Mattel is going full Hollywood — merging its film and TV arms into a single unit called Mattel Studios. Robbie Brenner, who led the Barbie movie push, will run the new division with plans to roll out content tied to brands like Hot Wheels, American Girl, and Masters of the Universe. “We want to collaborate with top creators to make culturally resonant content,” said CEO Ynon Kreiz. Coming up: a He-Man movie in 2026, a Matchbox movie that same year, and more shows following Hot Wheels’ Netflix series. Reuters 

Minor Headline 

• Liberal Lee Jae-myung projected to win South Korea election overshadowed by martial law crisis Reuters 

  
  

• US aluminum and steel prices spike after Trump proposes new tariffs —  Reuters

  
  

• Jamie Dimon says retirement is still “several years away” — Bloomberg

  
  

• Disney to lay off more employees as part of ongoing cost-cutting — Reuters 

  
  

• Apple gears up for WWDC 2025, its annual developer conference — Apple Developer 

  
  

• Consulting firms emerge as new CEO factory, taking over from Wall Street — Bloomberg 

  
  

• McKinsey leans on AI to draft proposals and make presentations —  Bloomberg 

  
  

• Meta plans to fully automate ad creation using AI — Wall Street Journal 

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Meaning: Embracing chaotic, lazy, or unfiltered behavior without shame.

Example: "Weekend plans? Goblin mode with snacks and zero socializing."