April 18, 2025 • 42 mins
Dimitris Psillakis, the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, joins the podcast to talk tariffs and the big Manhattan dealership opening this week in New York.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. I'm Matt Miller and
I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is Hot Pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, we have a jam packed show today.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Jam packed.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We're going to talk to the North American CEO of
Mercedes Benz for the USA.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
CEO in BUSA Dimitri Silakis, who is a wonderful leader.
He's been with the company since wow, for thirty three years,
I think, yeah, and in the current his current spot
since twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's like as long as Jesus was alive.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Is golden age, you know, and they recently just last
night announced that he will be leaving the position. So
we get him at a really good time.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
True, but he wasn't talking any smack about Mercedes Benz.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
No, he seemed to be loyal.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, he's loved Mercedes since he was four. As we'll find.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Out that kind of It's weird when you think about
all these influences when you're super young and they do
come back. Yeah, you know, it's it's for sure accident.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I remember when I first saw like a Portia nine
to eleven and understood how cool it was. I think
I was about nine, so I wasn't that young.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
What about the first time you saw a G Wagon.
Let's get serious.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I was a teenager, Okay, I was a teenager in
the US. You were in the US. My one of
my neighbors two houses down showed up in his dad's
I think it was a two thirty. Does that make
any sense? Yeah, it was a It was it was
like a military cool vehicle. And I thought that thing
is so cool, and I asked him. I peppered in
(01:47):
with questions and it was only on our street for
a week because he was borrowing it from his dad.
But that's cool, Yeah, very very cool. I mean that's
These are the iconic shapes of the automotive industry. Nine
to eleven g Wagon and a Mustang. When I was
a little, little, little kid, my dad had a Mustang.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Really yeah, for how much we talk about corvettes, I'm
surprised that actually you are imprinted with a Mustang.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah. Well, I've never been a Corvette guy until the
C seven was the first one that I really got into.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
So, anyway, I wanted to go through a list of
I wanted to go through a few of the emails
that we've been getting. Oh please, recently, so please log
onto your Bloomberg terminal because I am locked out of
my messages.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I'll try to log on it for not doing my
silist because I've lost a contact, so I'll try to
squint and see my way through.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
The main thing was not a car thing that I
wanted to talk about. It was a denim thing.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh yes, I remember that email.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We were talking about how a lot of the sort
of Americana in terms of clothing, the best stuff is
out of Japan. And I may have been propagating a
rumor or a myth that I have heard for years
and years, which is that the original denim manufacturers like
(03:09):
Levi's and Cone Mills or whatever, they gave all of
their looms to Japan after the Second World War because
they had found more sort of cost efficient ways to
produce cheaper jeans, and that's why the Japanese are the
ones that make the best heavy you know, unsanfordized or
(03:33):
whatever means denim. And we got a message from a
guy who is like, YO, love your podcast. Dean said,
I am into cars and bikes and stuff, but I'm
mailing you about this myth. You're totally wrong. That didn't
happen that way.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Well he said it maybe he said it appears this
maybe a myth. Yeah, well he's he's not saying. It's
attached if.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You scroll down, he attached all of the Ai conversation,
which I think is absolutely fascinating, even more interesting maybe
than than the myth.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well, I'm already taking uh take umbradge with guest taking
umbrage because I just happened to be at the Levi's
HQ ground zero in Los Angeles about two weeks ago,
where they were personally talking about how they don't have
(04:32):
access to looms and they had lost the looms because
all of the great looms went to Japan. And this
is Levi employees, you know, high up in the company.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So it's interesting. I mean, it doesn't really matter, but
this guy says the American draper looms were not actually
sent to you know, Tokyo, and that they used Toyota
looms and the only reason that their genes are better
is because they continue to use these old men manufacturing
processes and they actually care.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Because I'm in New York City and I'm traveling with
my husband because we're taking a few extra days in
the city. He is sitting in on this podcast because
he loves the show, and Magnus Magnus, this is my husband.
He has quite a background in textiles and retail and design.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That's where you made your name. Initially we've had him
on the show, so people who right, I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Trying to set up his bona fides here.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
So I'm no denim expert. But how I got into
fashion was selling second nd clothing, mostly Levi five oh
ones on the Borderwalk in Venice Beach in the late
eighties and early nineties. And back then the whole rage
was what was called redline salvage five ozho ones and bigies.
And the way I know the story is Cone Mills
was the manufacturer of the denim supplied mostly to Levi's,
(06:00):
and back then the denim was woven on a narrow
loom that produced a salvage down the seam of the denim,
and that was known as the redline that was in
the side seam of the genes. Later on, it appeared
that Cone Mills started manufacturing a wider width of denim,
which required a wider loom, so those original machines that
(06:24):
wove the denim were dismantled and sold to overseas manufacturers,
mostly in Japan. And that's why the Japanese are still
producing what's known as salvage denim on these original mostly
cone mills machines which are now set up in Japan.
Denim is still produced in the States, but it's on
(06:45):
a wider width fabric on a different mill or machine,
and it doesn't have that salvaged edge, and that salvage
edge is basically not overlocked down the side seam. And
that's how you know it's salvage denim. That's the story
of the way I.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Know new stuff is like it's not slubby, it doesn't
have as much texture, it's not as heavy.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Right, I mean a lot of the Japanese denim that
you see is fourteen sixteen, eighteen twenty ounce almost feels
like cardboard.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
These are twenty five.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, that's real, real heavy weight. So you gotta break
him in, you know, it's a real badge of honor
to break in that hard denim. And that's rigid denim.
There's no stretch in it like a lot of denim.
Now that stretch two way, four way stretch might be
ninety eight percent cotton, two percent likely to give it stretch.
What you're wearing. The heavyweight twenty five ounce is one
hundred percent cotton.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I assume different ways. I don't wear lycra. There is
no situation in which.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
I'm wearing God, this is the biggest challenge I have
with living in Los Angeles. Let's just be honest. The
culture of lycra as an option for being in public
period after seven am, if you're outside of a workout class,
is too prevalent. It's really a shame on societ. Yes,
(08:01):
it's the problem with the world. And I would also say,
now this is not a comment specifically to Dean, who
was so nice to email us, but I would say
that just because an AI summary has some information after
you google it doesn't necessarily make it.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
True, true, fair, We're going to get to the bottom.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That would not cross a reporting standard, a standard of reporter.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I just I found Dean trustworthy. I think he said
he had g body nine to eleven.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And that definitely means he's a good person.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Like Corbet. You know, he has some good cars too,
good tasting cout By the way, he also, I'm pretty
sure he's also the one who pointed out there's another
reason that we don't like tinted windows. You know, we
were talking about how I hate it when people totally tint.
I just yeah, and he says, you know, as a
motorcycle rider, it's also a problem because when you pull up,
(08:55):
for example, to an intersection, you want to be able
to see the driver, so you can tell if the
driver sees you. So it's very important. There are other
reasons that we don't like tint By the way, since
we have Magnus here anyway, can I please ask okay,
I want to ask about this Batista hypercar that whenever
(09:18):
I see pictures of your pad. And I haven't been
to La to your house, but I do want to
go sometime.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You can welcome out of host. We don't let anybody
whenever I.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
See pictures of your place. There's recently been this hypercar there.
I know it's an electric hypercar just sitting in It's
like what in your loft, right.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
It's like a paper weiste what I call opp other
people's piniferina.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah, so but you're it's there, I guess because you
have just recently done a collaboration with Pininferina. Tell us
about it.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Well, the bike store, is you know Automobilia Pinniferina, based
out of Terine, Italy, the ninety five year old world
renowned Italian design house, just needed a place to stole
that car. That car is a life sign resin design
study model. That was the wind test model that debuted
at the Geneva Autos show in twenty eighteen. It's not
an actual running driving car. It's way more unique than that.
(10:09):
There's only two of them in the world. So I
did him a favor, stored the car, and then a
couple of weeks later they said, hey, would you be
interested in collaborating with us on a one to one
livery both interior and exterior for this nineteen hundred horsepower
all electric Automobilia Pinaferina Bautista. And so we debuted. The
global debut was yesterday where we showed the world that
(10:32):
I sort of what I've been working on for the
past year or so.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
So this livery is, I mean, I love your style,
but it's usually I can tell that you've done it
yourself right, and this looks so polished and like I
expect someone from design school to have made this, and
there's some you know, philosophy behind it and a computer generator.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Oh it's not what I mean, right, Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah,
I'm taking that as a compliment.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Mean the way I designed this car literally was quite
a lot of what I like to call thirty second
quick doodle sketches, which is mostly how I always do everything.
Most of the time, I don't even sketch truth be Told.
And then this livery was an evolution of what I
call a tape job, which was paper and vinyl tape
laid over the car, sort of taken inspiration from an
(11:23):
art car from Truth be Told. A lot of this
strobe effect was from a seventies Tha Challenger mopar or
no car or they have the strobe down the side.
That was my first reference point, and then it sort
of morphed into this barcode livery. But in my mind
mentally was I'd always like that Tha Challenger Ararcuda that
(11:43):
had a bold strobe down the side, So that was
the original inspiration behind it, which I applied by hand.
What you're looking at here is obviously a digital rendering
of what I did by hand, and how I work
was I'd mock up the tape on the car, then
physically take photos on my phone right there, and I'd
send them to the team in Turin and they would
(12:04):
take that inspiration, and you know, some of it was
a little too crazy for them, so some of it
did get scaled back. But it's a project that I'm
so honored to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
For me, it's just a great opportunity to do something
with the world's greatest design.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
I'm looking at a picture of I don't know why,
it's on Yahoo Finance of Magnus laying tape stripes down
the side of this hypercar, and I mean, did you
take the picture, Hannah.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
No, No, that's a that's a professional photographer.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's it's so cool. And this is only one
of a kind vehicle, right.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
So it's one of one.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yeah, who's buying it? Who gets it?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
We're gonna find out. Time will tell.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Who's going to buy it?
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Will be one lokioner who's getting a piece of Pinaferina history.
It's it's a drivable work of art. It's an art car,
you know. For me, I always say the idea is
the most important thing. And as I just shared, this
idea was based on a few doodles, some tape drawings
and a code Strobe Graphics, so we've got to find
out pretty soon.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I'm I'm also looking at pictures of you with David
day Amantia.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, Big Day.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So the chief design Officer for pen and Farina, which
that's a title like chief designa.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
He's a great guy. I mean, this was a pinche
moment for me because I met Dave at Monterey Carweek
where it just debuted another Pinaferina concept car, and he
happened to be wearing my Nike two seven seven dunks
and that was how we met.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
That was it.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And then I test drover the actual running driving car,
and then fell into this collaborative project purely by accident.
So this stuff can't be scripted. There's no PR marketing
team behind me pitching collaborations to people.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It just evolved.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
And that's kind of organically how my life has been
evolving over the past few years with these cool, mostly
art based collaborations. And this is sort of the pinnacle
of where I'm at to because it's a world renowned designer.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Can I say, so, what I think of the interiors
that you do? I always think of this blue tartan.
I don't know why maybe in the documentary in the
Urban Outlaw movie that there's some of that in there.
But you've got essentially like a blue tartan on the
interior of this as well. Tell us about the interior, Well.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
It's a throwback to my sort of fashion background and
my sort of rebellious punk attitude, which has been there
throughout my whole design career, whether it was on the
Borderwalk in Venice or the Nike collab has the red
and blue tart in the shoe, and it's bringing elements
of my background, fibers of my fabric together. The thread
that connects them together is the fashion and design element
(14:44):
which is now incorporated in this one of one Bautista
on the interior. So it's becoming a little bit of
a signature touch this rock and roll thing. And the
joke here with the Pinaferena Bautista is I'm becoming the
gentleman outlaw. This is obviously a lot more refined in
the sense of, you know, the level of execution for
(15:05):
me as being elevated. I had to up my game,
you know. I always say nothing needs to be perfect,
which it doesn't. I don't overthink things, but I definitely
had to elevate the execution level with Pinaferina, which is
a good thing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, because this is I mean, it's an electric hypercar.
This is like perfect right, that's the point of this engineering.
And I wonder, just finally, what do you think about
driving this? Have you driven it? I?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, I mean how this whole project came together was
literally over a couple of drinks after I'd driven the
actual car probably eighteen months ago, faster than it I
ever gone on my favorite road. And it was the
ability of this nineteen hundred horsepower car to put the
power down and not lose traction, and then the grip,
the suspension, the brakes, the turn in. It was a
whole package, you know. So I like speed. Speed comes
(15:55):
in a lot of different forms, whether it's you know,
makes a lot of noise or doesn't make a lot
of noise. You know, these things are deceptively fast because
you don't hear the big engine roaring. You hear the
tires squealing and suspension creaking and carbon flexing on all
those emotions. So it's recalibrating your mind around. For me,
I don't put speed and sound together necessarily in the
(16:17):
same sentences I used to. It doesn't have to be
loud to be fast. Sure, loud's exciting, intoxicating, it engages
the senses. I get it. But speed comes in a
lot of different packages, and this is just one variety
of speed.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
All right, dude, thank you so much for jumping in there.
So and Dean, thank you for the email.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yes, thanks, Please keep writing tell us if you still
think we're wrong.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
We got a bunch of good emails. We don't have
to go to all of them, but I know one
of them was about Mercedes. So someone was asking about
the Glees and the g LA which a while, those
aren't the cars that you drove in roam. You drove
the CLA, that's right, and not the cars that I love.
I love the c l E. We do have the
(17:03):
perfect guest for Victor on today.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yes we do. Thanks for writing, Victor. Let's talk to Dmitri.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
So big treat for us today to have Dmitri solacis
the President and CEO of Mercedes Ben's United States of
America here with us, live and living color in the studio.
I'm excited to be here physically as well.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I'm excited too.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, So it's a great day for all of us.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I'm happy to be with you guys here, very happy.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And this is on the eve of a big grand
opening of your new dealership, not a new location, but
a new dealership in Manhattan. Can you just tell it,
walk us through everything that you guys have done on
the new space and why it's such a big deal
for you.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
As you said, it's not a new location, but it's
a totally new store. So going back to history, it's
what in Manhattan since over seventy years and in this
look is this is.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Your oldest your oldest location in the US.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
It's one of the oldest locations in the US and
a very traditional one. But you have not always been
at the same location, so there since twenty eleven. And
now we're doing, or have done, basically in a very
short period of time, a full renovation based on the
new standards of Mosses Bends and we're adding a couple
(18:22):
of more things to this space. We have the first
top end vehicle lounge and my BA Lounge, which is
our top brand. I would say, we have an extended
space and MG Performance Center as we call it. And
we have a beautiful new boutique also with a collaboration, yes,
(18:43):
exactly exactly a cafe, and we have also collaborated with IWC.
So it's a space where it's not only more more
digital than it used to be, but it's modern, it's
more i would say warm, and it's more a place
that you can not only get into buy car or
to service you vehicle, but you can spend you can
spend time around. It's a lifestyle place.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
This sounds great because I feel like people hate having
to go to the car dealership in general. I mean
it's not thought of as a fun thing to have
to go to the car dealership. But this place actually
sounds really really nice, like I might want to be there.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
We call it the destination, right, So it's not only
to go shopping, but you can spend some time there.
You can stroll around. You can see some classic cars,
vintage cars, I'm see this, you can see some modern cars,
some sports cars. And if you end up buying a vehicle, yeah,
we've got to be good, but it's not cannot be
the reason of visiting the place.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I totally understand what you mean. Yeah, except I love
going to.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Car do you also like going to the dentist? Are
you one of those?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
I mean, I make an appoyment every three.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Months, Well, your teeth look good.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
But so I wonder do more people buy cars now online?
Or does everybody who actually buys a car, since they're
plopping down so many time of thousands of dollars, does
everybody go to the dealership for that experiences?
Speaker 3 (20:04):
It's a mix. You have still the traditional customers which
would like to go in the store, be treated by
the sales consultants, leave the whole experience, as you say,
kick tires right, drive the vehicle with a lot of money,
choose it and walk out with a new car. But
you have also the ones which trust a brand, trust
(20:26):
a store, trust a sales consultant, and they go fully
online and they can complete.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
So what's the percentage of Mercedes buyers that go fully
online or you know, via telephone, who actually don't ever
enter a dealership until they maybe take.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
I would say on average about ten percent of our
sales are fully online what we call from start to finish,
and then they might come and have the delivered of
the vehicle done in the showroom, because that's a process
that's a nice moment, right, it's a it's a one moment,
or they get delivered the vehicle in the driveway, which
you also offer.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Talk to me about my Back. You mentioned the special
my Bak attilie for lack of a better word. Can
you tell us a little bit about what that offers
these high net worth individuals and why we may aspire
at one point to be there ourselves.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I would like you to be out on my Back.
It's our top and vehicle or top end brand. It's
actually super luxury part of our brand. So we offer
these my Bak versions of additions for the S class,
for the electric, for the EQS SUV's it's a design,
(21:39):
it's the equipment, it's the comfort, it's a convenience that
the vehicle is offering. And as I said earlier, we
have now in Manhattan the first my BA Laud. So
it's an exclusive space with all the samples and colors,
and you can also individualize your product with the program
(21:59):
that call manufacturer and even a step up manufacturer made
to custom.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
So you could do that in many sto you can.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Do the studio right in the launch, so you can
choose out of a very exclusive colors, very exclusive interior
leather streams, stitching hoods, so you can basically say you
can make a vehicle which does not look like any
other else, any other in the market, or even we
go to this UH made special where you can do
(22:33):
and you can stitch, and you can choose a color
which is not it's not even in the range of
our standard colors. So these are programs which are offered
at NB Manhattan.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So when when I last had all a colonials on
my television show, it was a while back, and I
feel like we were coming out of COVID and he
was talking about a shift towards just full on luxury
because supply chains were limited, right, and they had the
(23:06):
best margins on those obviously top end cars. And I'm
not sure how closely they held to that strategy. You
held to that strategy throughout the last few years. But
now that we're facing tariffs, does it mean a total
return to focus on high margin vehicles because cheaper cars
are just not going to be as profitable if you're
(23:28):
looking at a twenty five percent tariff to get.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
It in here, I think we try to be in
different segments. Definitely, the top end vehicle segment were dominating
with brands like my bach AMGS a sports brand with
the G class and these are big, big volume. Oar
Us is the number one market, but that does not
(23:51):
mean we move or a step away from different and
other segments where there is more volume opportunity and obviously
compete with other brands. During the pandemic. What you said
earlier there was there was. There were different reasons which
also made the vehicles. We had a micro chip challenge,
(24:13):
so we could choose which vehicles we would first place
our the micro chips and what to produce.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Class and S class first as as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Right that was I would not argue with that.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yeah, there was an opportunity obviously, but today you're looking
to all segments and on the tiff topics, it's creating
obviously a big upset in the market. Still, the situation
is not very clear how to end up. But our
approach is to be us close to the market as possible,
a just our prices and keep our customers loyal to
(24:53):
the brand and offer to them our products. I think
we're in a good shape. Who have just shot a
couple of weeks back that we maintain our model here
twenty five pricing at the current MSRP level, So you.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Won't you won't be passing on any.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
No until further notes, until until any other major change happens.
So I think that gives sustetnt quiality yes in the
market and yeah, go on by Yes. So I'll always
try to be adjusting to market conditions and keeping out
our clients as happy and as satisfied as possible.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
You know, I joined you guys in Rome a few
weeks ago for the CLA debut, which is so exciting.
What's the future of a car like that potentially in
the US which isn't as high end, but it's obviously
a very special car and the most really advanced Mercedes
I've seen when it comes to technology. What's the future
of that in the US.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
So, Hannah, you're privileged in being in Rome, right right
and at the same time seeing the CLA. So tomorrow's
our US North American debut of the CLA and we
call it our smartest car ever. So it's not only
the beautiful designs the space, but it's more the technology
(26:14):
that this vehicle is bringing. So yeah, in the US,
maybe Sedance and these entry models are not the ones
which have the biggest volume for us, but as a
technology better and as the vehicle which brings us into
a new era of electric vehicles, of ice vehicles with
(26:35):
this super technology call it a computer and wheels. Right,
It's very important for us. So we're very happy to
have it here, very happy to showcase it for the
first time in New York at our new store in Manhattan,
which has, as we discussed earlier, lots of also digital
elements and lots of technology in the showroom. So happy,
(26:56):
and we plan to bring it in the market at
the end of the year. And it's again it is
one of a series of products which would come in
the future.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Is that a car you could ever produce in the US?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
This is a difficult discussion and situation because always you
produce vehicles which make sense in terms of volume and
in terms of what the market needs. So I don't know,
it's that lots of.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Car that Americans necessarily are going to be buying in.
I mean, Americans like big trucks, right, we like suv.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
My point on that was really you you actually manufacture
quite a few vehicles in the US already. If we're
dealing with tariffs, maybe you would move production of some
of some more vehicles to the US. Would that help
alleviate some of the stressors?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Well, looking to all opportunities, as you said, are well
rooted in the US since decades, not only with passenger cars,
I mean the the GLE SUV and Coop the GLS,
the two electrics the equi as UV in the equs's
UV are produced in the in the US and l
Factor in Alabama, but also the commercial vehicles. Our sprinter
(28:08):
van is produced in South Carolina. So we're well rooted. Obviously,
we're looking two opportunities and we're we're convinced and will
continue investing in the in the country. Now which product
and which model is to be seen, but has to
do with what the market likes. Right, as you said,
I think US is more and as UV in a
truck market.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
But it's a good question. I think a lot of
people are wondering how much will tariffs incentivize a big
industrial business like Mercedes Benz to move production. I mean,
isn't it expensive to move production? And you know this
administration is only going to last another you know, three
(28:50):
and a half years, So do you make a decision
like that, how long does it take? For example, if
you want to build a new factory in America, would
it be done before Trump is out of office?
Speaker 3 (28:59):
It is? I mean, you have a factory first of all,
or have two factories right in the there we have capacity,
which we have decided what makes sense. But these decisions
you said take take time to be taken and have
a long it should be long lasting. I mean, we
started with our factory in Alabama in the mid mid
(29:21):
nineties and you.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Have a long, long time ago.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Now, yeah, so we come in to stay, we invest
to stay. So we're evaluating now the situation of the conditions.
But we're determined to have more vehicles produced in the
US for the US, hopefully our.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Products, hopefully not the g Wagon. Now, I mean that
is that's that's a unique. That's a unique. But to
Matt's point, that is a big truck like vehicle that
I think is sold probably the most in the US.
I think probably Beverly Hills because I see them every
other car in Beverly Hills.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Plus Magnus Styre actually makes that. I mean, you don't
even produce that.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
You're right, that's when saying like that, would that would
make sense for me to try to move production to
the US, but you can't. It's it's Austria. You know,
this is such an.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Icon, Yeah, exactly, an icon, such a history behind it.
So not everything is easy, it's not. So it actually
cannot cannot be shipped out of the worlds on the
short notice. Yeah, that's certain precucis for that, but we're
looking to that.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
If we're done talking about basically, yeah we can, we
can pivot. Okay, so we've talked about the smile. I
like to ask people, like what got you into cars?
You weren't born as a Mercedes employee, right, So what
were your first cars that you really loved? What What
is the first car that you love that you actually
could own yourself? Like what what was it for you?
Speaker 3 (30:50):
So, I mean, good people points. I have not studied
automotive engineering. I studied medical electronic engineering and I started
working in this field. But cars were always my hobby.
And one of my colleagues triggered me a couple of
weeks back, when did you first come across Mercedes? And
(31:11):
I remember, and I went back to my photo album,
you know, still printed black and white photos, and I
found a photo of myself with four years and being
on a small pedal car which was a Mercedes. Right,
So that was my first encounter with Mercedes in Greece.
I'm great. So that was back in Greece. So I
(31:34):
always like cars. I always followed racing and developments of technology.
And I switched thirty three years back from the medical
electronics industry that was working at that time just to
my hobby, which was automotive cars, and to Mercedes. The
(31:54):
option was at the time Mercedes, but also there was
a big dream, I mean big brands, very successful, long history,
so it was for me a big achievement starting with Mercedes.
And that's how my story started thirty three years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
And what are you into? I mean, we love the
g Wagon, I love the c l E.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
You know I love an sl to be honest. Yeah,
I mean like all erasing.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You live in California. Cour Sale was born, right, and
it's the US the US product. Look always I'm asked
what car do you drive? And as I'm spoiled because
I can drive any car, any messides car, right, and
I love but I would say for me an SUV
which gives you versatility of driving everywhere of putting your
(32:40):
life in bikes, dogs, whatever. I like you C is
for me what what makes sense? But of course driving
in the cell on a nice evening down on the
pH is is.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Kind of heaven. Exact really is kind of heaven. And
it's the perfect car for the perfect road. But I
like your answer that you're not trying to be you know,
front or try to like say some fancy race car
the C one eleven or you know, it's a very
practical answer. Yeah, no, no, it's no, it's yeahs is.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
It means it's something which supports and basically fits you
life too. Yeah. Back in Griz, I have an sl
A full fifty of the early eighties, which is my
classic car. Let's say what color, light blue, beautiful? I
love it.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yes, and Dmitria, we know we just heard the news
that you will be transitioning out of the role of
top dog at Mercedes Benz USA. I'd love to just hear.
I think you joined in twenty twenty in your current role, right,
so five years can you just tell us, I don't know,
looking back, what you've seen change in the auto industry
(33:50):
and give us some wisdom.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
That well you will learn.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
I mean it's so much has changed.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Absolutely, So I say this was the most challenging and
the most intense five years of my life or of
my career. I mean, if you go back, i joined
at the late twenty twenty and we're at the beginning
of the pandemic, at the beginning of the supply crunch,
which you lived and came and joined a company who
(34:19):
were basically I mean, you've been into our headquarters in Atlanta,
to a beautiful building, but with no life. I didn't
know my colleagues, i didn't know who was around. Traveling
was a challenge to our locations in the US, to
the dealers or whatever. So it was a very challenging start.
But I would say many things have changed since then.
(34:40):
We're back into more digital were discussed earlier, right, who
was buying a car online in twenty twenty, Right in
today people do buy or at least get all the
information online. So many things have changed. Many things have
have moved into our industry, electric vehicles, plug in hybrids again,
(35:02):
digital retailing, so very intense times, new products in the markets.
I'm really glad of what I lived.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
How have you changed?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
I think that's a that's a great question. On one hand,
that's nothing is given right. Things can change from one
day to the other, and the faster you can adapt,
the better, the better you are. So things and traditions
do not apply. They help you maybe to make some considerations,
(35:34):
but you cannot. There's no blueprint from one day to
the other. So that's one thing. The second thing is
that basically in all these challenges, what makes all the
difference is the people that you have around you. And
for me, people is my team. People is our dealers,
which that the ones which are facing and serving the customers,
(35:55):
which for them was also a difficult time, right, all
of what was going on and changing. So people no
blueprints and being fast, trying things out, failing quickly adjusting
and moving forwards. That's I think. What's I learned or
(36:18):
lived in the last five years?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Yeah, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
What about America? What do you think about being here?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I think it's it's a great country with a big momentum.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Are you going to stay here where we're going to
go next?
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Yes, I'm looking to stay here in the US. I
mean I've been sixteen years, seventeen years out of my
no more more and more out of my country. And
this is the place we feel mostly mostly home.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
So yeah, okay, you mentioned evs. I have to ask,
are evs still going to happen?
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yes, eventually, you think so?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Truly? Yes, maybe not in the speed and the adoption
that work initially expecting, but IV's are offering certain advantages.
I can give an example my wife. She didn't want
to drive any V.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Why not because she had all these.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Concerns of where do I charge, what if the range
is not enough, my feeling I wanted to to have
roaring sound of the engine and all that stuff. Three
four months later, and actually three years down the road later,
she does not want to step out of an electric
The convenience of charging at home, the comfort it's offering,
(37:37):
the chalk that you have, she's fascinated. So I'm not
saying if is the only way, No, for God's sake,
but a co existence of electric vehicles, of plug in hybrids,
of internet combation engine is the future. And maybe in
one part of the world where you live in California
and be to a higher degree because infrastructure is there,
(37:58):
because mindset, because because you know somewhere else it's much less.
But the penetration development and the qualities of the evs
will be much more visible in the future.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
I love that your wife didn't want to give up
the roar of an internal combustion engine, but now she's
addicted to the torque of an EV. You married the
right woman.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Okay, yes, is she Greek too?
Speaker 3 (38:24):
No, she's Brazilian. Brazilian. Yes, she's Brazilian. But I'll tell
you the first when I got the I'm driving the
electric cig class now, the five eighty. And you know,
when you look at it externally, there's no differences, right,
except some little badges of eque technology or whatever. So
(38:46):
for a couple of days I did not declare it
was an electric and I was driving it, and it
has some sounds, right, so the sound, the talk, the
speed whatever. She didn't realize it was it was electric
only when the sign up here on the on the
on the head un it's okay, it's you time to
charge whatever, right, I said, Oh, that's electric.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
See I like that. I like not even it's not.
It's not the defining characteristic of the vehicle. If it's
if it works and it accomplishes the task, great, but
it's not the defining characteristic of whatever.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Vehicle.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
And that's great because you are it's an icon and
the doors.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Closing the doors is the defining characteristic of that vehicle for.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
So you have to slam the door. Yes, still she
didn't get used to that, right, loving the door because
in every other car.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
You say, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
You have to slam the door. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
All right. Well, it's been great having you here.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I'm gonna swing by your new store to check it out,
looking forward to is it open now? I guess by
the time this podcast, sure will be Friday.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
So yeah, Friday, and the public can go buy the
new dealership.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And yeah, except Sundays. Yeah, those are open for everyone. Yeah,
and that's some surpris ues though. It's a nice place to.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Be nice, great talk, good talk. Great to hear from Dimitri.
And I'm looking forward to going over to see the
new dealership. I'm also looking forward to going to the show.
By the way, you're here in New York, Cana. Yes,
and I thought, oh, you must be here for the
New York Auto Show.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
But that's not no, no, no, I'm I'm not going
to the Javitt Center. I think I'm very happily not
going the funny thing is auto shows are not as
relevant as they have been for press, and that's the
sad truth. So there's not a real reason to go
over there.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
It is true, or it has become the case that
auto shows are no longer where the big news breaks.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Yeah, I mean Mercedes has news. They're just not doing
it at the autosh exactly. They're doing it at their
own party.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
It's not always where the CEOs go. They're now more
likely to go to cees completely.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
And let's be honest, no CEO loved being in a
convention center all day for three days, talking to press
in a little back room, and that was the format
for auto shows for years, and they would just be
on a you know, twenty minute rotating schedule.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Still I love to go, I don't. I mean, I
wasn't even considering going. But yesterday I had Jose Munios
on my show, who now runs Hyundai, and.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Would you take your daughters?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Sorry, go ahead, good?
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, Yeah, I would definitely And I would definitely take
my daughter. And I may do that this weekend because
right now I'm just gonna go to the press days.
But you can bring you know, civilians this weekend. Yeah,
I'm just gonna go now because Jose's gonna be there
and I want to go and say thank you for
coming on my show. And also because my buddy Hit,
(41:34):
my new buddy who runs Buele, he wants to go
because he's here from Grand Rapids, you know, like, yo,
let's go to the show.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
I definitely think for consumers, for families, for kids, it's
still a great place to be inside if it's a
little bit cold or rainy out and look at a
bunch of different new cars, for sure.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
And I like to go to dealerships too, so I
guess it's just weird in that way, all right. It's
been awesome having you here, so good. It's been great
having Magnus here as well, and it was awesome talking
to Dimitri. And we'll be back here next week with
Bill Melvin, the CEO of Buell Motorcycles.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is
Bloomberg
Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, radio News. I'm Matt Miller and
I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is Hot Pursuit.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, we have a jam packed show today.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Jam packed.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
We're going to talk to the North American CEO of
Mercedes Benz for the USA.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
CEO in BUSA Dimitri Silakis, who is a wonderful leader.
He's been with the company since wow, for thirty three years,
I think, yeah, and in the current his current spot
since twenty twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
That's like as long as Jesus was alive.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Is golden age, you know, and they recently just last
night announced that he will be leaving the position. So
we get him at a really good time.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
True, but he wasn't talking any smack about Mercedes Benz.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
No, he seemed to be loyal.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, he's loved Mercedes since he was four. As we'll find.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Out that kind of It's weird when you think about
all these influences when you're super young and they do
come back. Yeah, you know, it's it's for sure accident.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I remember when I first saw like a Portia nine
to eleven and understood how cool it was. I think
I was about nine, so I wasn't that young.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
What about the first time you saw a G Wagon.
Let's get serious.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I was a teenager, Okay, I was a teenager in
the US. You were in the US. My one of
my neighbors two houses down showed up in his dad's
I think it was a two thirty. Does that make
any sense? Yeah, it was a It was it was
like a military cool vehicle. And I thought that thing
is so cool, and I asked him. I peppered in
(01:47):
with questions and it was only on our street for
a week because he was borrowing it from his dad.
But that's cool, Yeah, very very cool. I mean that's
These are the iconic shapes of the automotive industry. Nine
to eleven g Wagon and a Mustang. When I was
a little, little, little kid, my dad had a Mustang.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Really yeah, for how much we talk about corvettes, I'm
surprised that actually you are imprinted with a Mustang.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Yeah. Well, I've never been a Corvette guy until the
C seven was the first one that I really got into.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
So, anyway, I wanted to go through a list of
I wanted to go through a few of the emails
that we've been getting. Oh please, recently, so please log
onto your Bloomberg terminal because I am locked out of
my messages.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I'll try to log on it for not doing my
silist because I've lost a contact, so I'll try to
squint and see my way through.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
The main thing was not a car thing that I
wanted to talk about. It was a denim thing.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh yes, I remember that email.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
We were talking about how a lot of the sort
of Americana in terms of clothing, the best stuff is
out of Japan. And I may have been propagating a
rumor or a myth that I have heard for years
and years, which is that the original denim manufacturers like
(03:09):
Levi's and Cone Mills or whatever, they gave all of
their looms to Japan after the Second World War because
they had found more sort of cost efficient ways to
produce cheaper jeans, and that's why the Japanese are the
ones that make the best heavy you know, unsanfordized or
(03:33):
whatever means denim. And we got a message from a
guy who is like, YO, love your podcast. Dean said,
I am into cars and bikes and stuff, but I'm
mailing you about this myth. You're totally wrong. That didn't
happen that way.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Well he said it maybe he said it appears this
maybe a myth. Yeah, well he's he's not saying. It's
attached if.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
You scroll down, he attached all of the Ai conversation,
which I think is absolutely fascinating, even more interesting maybe
than than the myth.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well, I'm already taking uh take umbradge with guest taking
umbrage because I just happened to be at the Levi's
HQ ground zero in Los Angeles about two weeks ago,
where they were personally talking about how they don't have
(04:32):
access to looms and they had lost the looms because
all of the great looms went to Japan. And this
is Levi employees, you know, high up in the company.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So it's interesting. I mean, it doesn't really matter, but
this guy says the American draper looms were not actually
sent to you know, Tokyo, and that they used Toyota
looms and the only reason that their genes are better
is because they continue to use these old men manufacturing
processes and they actually care.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Because I'm in New York City and I'm traveling with
my husband because we're taking a few extra days in
the city. He is sitting in on this podcast because
he loves the show, and Magnus Magnus, this is my husband.
He has quite a background in textiles and retail and design.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That's where you made your name. Initially we've had him
on the show, so people who right, I'm.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Trying to set up his bona fides here.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
So I'm no denim expert. But how I got into
fashion was selling second nd clothing, mostly Levi five oh
ones on the Borderwalk in Venice Beach in the late
eighties and early nineties. And back then the whole rage
was what was called redline salvage five ozho ones and bigies.
And the way I know the story is Cone Mills
was the manufacturer of the denim supplied mostly to Levi's,
(06:00):
and back then the denim was woven on a narrow
loom that produced a salvage down the seam of the denim,
and that was known as the redline that was in
the side seam of the genes. Later on, it appeared
that Cone Mills started manufacturing a wider width of denim,
which required a wider loom, so those original machines that
(06:24):
wove the denim were dismantled and sold to overseas manufacturers,
mostly in Japan. And that's why the Japanese are still
producing what's known as salvage denim on these original mostly
cone mills machines which are now set up in Japan.
Denim is still produced in the States, but it's on
(06:45):
a wider width fabric on a different mill or machine,
and it doesn't have that salvaged edge, and that salvage
edge is basically not overlocked down the side seam. And
that's how you know it's salvage denim. That's the story
of the way I.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Know new stuff is like it's not slubby, it doesn't
have as much texture, it's not as heavy.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Right, I mean a lot of the Japanese denim that
you see is fourteen sixteen, eighteen twenty ounce almost feels
like cardboard.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
These are twenty five.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Well, that's real, real heavy weight. So you gotta break
him in, you know, it's a real badge of honor
to break in that hard denim. And that's rigid denim.
There's no stretch in it like a lot of denim.
Now that stretch two way, four way stretch might be
ninety eight percent cotton, two percent likely to give it stretch.
What you're wearing. The heavyweight twenty five ounce is one
hundred percent cotton.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I assume different ways. I don't wear lycra. There is
no situation in which.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
I'm wearing God, this is the biggest challenge I have
with living in Los Angeles. Let's just be honest. The
culture of lycra as an option for being in public
period after seven am, if you're outside of a workout class,
is too prevalent. It's really a shame on societ. Yes,
(08:01):
it's the problem with the world. And I would also say,
now this is not a comment specifically to Dean, who
was so nice to email us, but I would say
that just because an AI summary has some information after
you google it doesn't necessarily make it.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
True, true, fair, We're going to get to the bottom.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That would not cross a reporting standard, a standard of reporter.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
I just I found Dean trustworthy. I think he said
he had g body nine to eleven.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And that definitely means he's a good person.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Like Corbet. You know, he has some good cars too,
good tasting cout By the way, he also, I'm pretty
sure he's also the one who pointed out there's another
reason that we don't like tinted windows. You know, we
were talking about how I hate it when people totally tint.
I just yeah, and he says, you know, as a
motorcycle rider, it's also a problem because when you pull up,
(08:55):
for example, to an intersection, you want to be able
to see the driver, so you can tell if the
driver sees you. So it's very important. There are other
reasons that we don't like tint By the way, since
we have Magnus here anyway, can I please ask okay,
I want to ask about this Batista hypercar that whenever
(09:18):
I see pictures of your pad. And I haven't been
to La to your house, but I do want to
go sometime.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
You can welcome out of host. We don't let anybody
whenever I.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
See pictures of your place. There's recently been this hypercar there.
I know it's an electric hypercar just sitting in It's
like what in your loft, right.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
It's like a paper weiste what I call opp other
people's piniferina.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Yeah, so but you're it's there, I guess because you
have just recently done a collaboration with Pininferina. Tell us
about it.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
Well, the bike store, is you know Automobilia Pinniferina, based
out of Terine, Italy, the ninety five year old world
renowned Italian design house, just needed a place to stole
that car. That car is a life sign resin design
study model. That was the wind test model that debuted
at the Geneva Autos show in twenty eighteen. It's not
an actual running driving car. It's way more unique than that.
(10:09):
There's only two of them in the world. So I
did him a favor, stored the car, and then a
couple of weeks later they said, hey, would you be
interested in collaborating with us on a one to one
livery both interior and exterior for this nineteen hundred horsepower
all electric Automobilia Pinaferina Bautista. And so we debuted. The
global debut was yesterday where we showed the world that
(10:32):
I sort of what I've been working on for the
past year or so.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
So this livery is, I mean, I love your style,
but it's usually I can tell that you've done it
yourself right, and this looks so polished and like I
expect someone from design school to have made this, and
there's some you know, philosophy behind it and a computer generator.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Oh it's not what I mean, right, Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah,
I'm taking that as a compliment.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Mean the way I designed this car literally was quite
a lot of what I like to call thirty second
quick doodle sketches, which is mostly how I always do everything.
Most of the time, I don't even sketch truth be Told.
And then this livery was an evolution of what I
call a tape job, which was paper and vinyl tape
laid over the car, sort of taken inspiration from an
(11:23):
art car from Truth be Told. A lot of this
strobe effect was from a seventies Tha Challenger mopar or
no car or they have the strobe down the side.
That was my first reference point, and then it sort
of morphed into this barcode livery. But in my mind
mentally was I'd always like that Tha Challenger Ararcuda that
(11:43):
had a bold strobe down the side, So that was
the original inspiration behind it, which I applied by hand.
What you're looking at here is obviously a digital rendering
of what I did by hand, and how I work
was I'd mock up the tape on the car, then
physically take photos on my phone right there, and I'd
send them to the team in Turin and they would
(12:04):
take that inspiration, and you know, some of it was
a little too crazy for them, so some of it
did get scaled back. But it's a project that I'm
so honored to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
For me, it's just a great opportunity to do something
with the world's greatest design.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
I'm looking at a picture of I don't know why,
it's on Yahoo Finance of Magnus laying tape stripes down
the side of this hypercar, and I mean, did you
take the picture, Hannah.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
No, No, that's a that's a professional photographer.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
So it's it's so cool. And this is only one
of a kind vehicle, right.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
So it's one of one.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yeah, who's buying it? Who gets it?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
We're gonna find out. Time will tell.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Who's going to buy it?
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Will be one lokioner who's getting a piece of Pinaferina history.
It's it's a drivable work of art. It's an art car,
you know. For me, I always say the idea is
the most important thing. And as I just shared, this
idea was based on a few doodles, some tape drawings
and a code Strobe Graphics, so we've got to find
out pretty soon.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
I'm I'm also looking at pictures of you with David
day Amantia.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, Big Day.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So the chief design Officer for pen and Farina, which
that's a title like chief designa.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
He's a great guy. I mean, this was a pinche
moment for me because I met Dave at Monterey Carweek
where it just debuted another Pinaferina concept car, and he
happened to be wearing my Nike two seven seven dunks
and that was how we met.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
That was it.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
And then I test drover the actual running driving car,
and then fell into this collaborative project purely by accident.
So this stuff can't be scripted. There's no PR marketing
team behind me pitching collaborations to people.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It just evolved.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
And that's kind of organically how my life has been
evolving over the past few years with these cool, mostly
art based collaborations. And this is sort of the pinnacle
of where I'm at to because it's a world renowned designer.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Can I say, so, what I think of the interiors
that you do? I always think of this blue tartan.
I don't know why maybe in the documentary in the
Urban Outlaw movie that there's some of that in there.
But you've got essentially like a blue tartan on the
interior of this as well. Tell us about the interior, Well.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
It's a throwback to my sort of fashion background and
my sort of rebellious punk attitude, which has been there
throughout my whole design career, whether it was on the
Borderwalk in Venice or the Nike collab has the red
and blue tart in the shoe, and it's bringing elements
of my background, fibers of my fabric together. The thread
that connects them together is the fashion and design element
(14:44):
which is now incorporated in this one of one Bautista
on the interior. So it's becoming a little bit of
a signature touch this rock and roll thing. And the
joke here with the Pinaferena Bautista is I'm becoming the
gentleman outlaw. This is obviously a lot more refined in
the sense of, you know, the level of execution for
(15:05):
me as being elevated. I had to up my game,
you know. I always say nothing needs to be perfect,
which it doesn't. I don't overthink things, but I definitely
had to elevate the execution level with Pinaferina, which is
a good thing.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, because this is I mean, it's an electric hypercar.
This is like perfect right, that's the point of this engineering.
And I wonder, just finally, what do you think about
driving this? Have you driven it? I?
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, I mean how this whole project came together was
literally over a couple of drinks after I'd driven the
actual car probably eighteen months ago, faster than it I
ever gone on my favorite road. And it was the
ability of this nineteen hundred horsepower car to put the
power down and not lose traction, and then the grip,
the suspension, the brakes, the turn in. It was a
whole package, you know. So I like speed. Speed comes
(15:55):
in a lot of different forms, whether it's you know,
makes a lot of noise or doesn't make a lot
of noise. You know, these things are deceptively fast because
you don't hear the big engine roaring. You hear the
tires squealing and suspension creaking and carbon flexing on all
those emotions. So it's recalibrating your mind around. For me,
I don't put speed and sound together necessarily in the
(16:17):
same sentences I used to. It doesn't have to be
loud to be fast. Sure, loud's exciting, intoxicating, it engages
the senses. I get it. But speed comes in a
lot of different packages, and this is just one variety
of speed.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
All right, dude, thank you so much for jumping in there.
So and Dean, thank you for the email.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yes, thanks, Please keep writing tell us if you still
think we're wrong.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
We got a bunch of good emails. We don't have
to go to all of them, but I know one
of them was about Mercedes. So someone was asking about
the Glees and the g LA which a while, those
aren't the cars that you drove in roam. You drove
the CLA, that's right, and not the cars that I love.
I love the c l E. We do have the
(17:03):
perfect guest for Victor on today.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yes we do. Thanks for writing, Victor. Let's talk to Dmitri.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
So big treat for us today to have Dmitri solacis
the President and CEO of Mercedes Ben's United States of
America here with us, live and living color in the studio.
I'm excited to be here physically as well.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
I'm excited too.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Yeah, So it's a great day for all of us.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
I'm happy to be with you guys here, very happy.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
And this is on the eve of a big grand
opening of your new dealership, not a new location, but
a new dealership in Manhattan. Can you just tell it,
walk us through everything that you guys have done on
the new space and why it's such a big deal
for you.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
As you said, it's not a new location, but it's
a totally new store. So going back to history, it's
what in Manhattan since over seventy years and in this
look is this is.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Your oldest your oldest location in the US.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
It's one of the oldest locations in the US and
a very traditional one. But you have not always been
at the same location, so there since twenty eleven. And
now we're doing, or have done, basically in a very
short period of time, a full renovation based on the
new standards of Mosses Bends and we're adding a couple
(18:22):
of more things to this space. We have the first
top end vehicle lounge and my BA Lounge, which is
our top brand. I would say, we have an extended
space and MG Performance Center as we call it. And
we have a beautiful new boutique also with a collaboration, yes,
(18:43):
exactly exactly a cafe, and we have also collaborated with IWC.
So it's a space where it's not only more more
digital than it used to be, but it's modern, it's
more i would say warm, and it's more a place
that you can not only get into buy car or
to service you vehicle, but you can spend you can
spend time around. It's a lifestyle place.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
This sounds great because I feel like people hate having
to go to the car dealership in general. I mean
it's not thought of as a fun thing to have
to go to the car dealership. But this place actually
sounds really really nice, like I might want to be there.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
We call it the destination, right, So it's not only
to go shopping, but you can spend some time there.
You can stroll around. You can see some classic cars,
vintage cars, I'm see this, you can see some modern cars,
some sports cars. And if you end up buying a vehicle, yeah,
we've got to be good, but it's not cannot be
the reason of visiting the place.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
I totally understand what you mean. Yeah, except I love
going to.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Car do you also like going to the dentist? Are
you one of those?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
I mean, I make an appoyment every three.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Months, Well, your teeth look good.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
But so I wonder do more people buy cars now online?
Or does everybody who actually buys a car, since they're
plopping down so many time of thousands of dollars, does
everybody go to the dealership for that experiences?
Speaker 3 (20:04):
It's a mix. You have still the traditional customers which
would like to go in the store, be treated by
the sales consultants, leave the whole experience, as you say,
kick tires right, drive the vehicle with a lot of money,
choose it and walk out with a new car. But
you have also the ones which trust a brand, trust
(20:26):
a store, trust a sales consultant, and they go fully
online and they can complete.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
So what's the percentage of Mercedes buyers that go fully
online or you know, via telephone, who actually don't ever
enter a dealership until they maybe take.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
I would say on average about ten percent of our
sales are fully online what we call from start to finish,
and then they might come and have the delivered of
the vehicle done in the showroom, because that's a process
that's a nice moment, right, it's a it's a one moment,
or they get delivered the vehicle in the driveway, which
you also offer.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Talk to me about my Back. You mentioned the special
my Bak attilie for lack of a better word. Can
you tell us a little bit about what that offers
these high net worth individuals and why we may aspire
at one point to be there ourselves.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I would like you to be out on my Back.
It's our top and vehicle or top end brand. It's
actually super luxury part of our brand. So we offer
these my Bak versions of additions for the S class,
for the electric, for the EQS SUV's it's a design,
(21:39):
it's the equipment, it's the comfort, it's a convenience that
the vehicle is offering. And as I said earlier, we
have now in Manhattan the first my BA Laud. So
it's an exclusive space with all the samples and colors,
and you can also individualize your product with the program
(21:59):
that call manufacturer and even a step up manufacturer made
to custom.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
So you could do that in many sto you can.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Do the studio right in the launch, so you can
choose out of a very exclusive colors, very exclusive interior
leather streams, stitching hoods, so you can basically say you
can make a vehicle which does not look like any
other else, any other in the market, or even we
go to this UH made special where you can do
(22:33):
and you can stitch, and you can choose a color
which is not it's not even in the range of
our standard colors. So these are programs which are offered
at NB Manhattan.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
So when when I last had all a colonials on
my television show, it was a while back, and I
feel like we were coming out of COVID and he
was talking about a shift towards just full on luxury
because supply chains were limited, right, and they had the
(23:06):
best margins on those obviously top end cars. And I'm
not sure how closely they held to that strategy. You
held to that strategy throughout the last few years. But
now that we're facing tariffs, does it mean a total
return to focus on high margin vehicles because cheaper cars
are just not going to be as profitable if you're
(23:28):
looking at a twenty five percent tariff to get.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
It in here, I think we try to be in
different segments. Definitely, the top end vehicle segment were dominating
with brands like my bach AMGS a sports brand with
the G class and these are big, big volume. Oar
Us is the number one market, but that does not
(23:51):
mean we move or a step away from different and
other segments where there is more volume opportunity and obviously
compete with other brands. During the pandemic. What you said
earlier there was there was. There were different reasons which
also made the vehicles. We had a micro chip challenge,
(24:13):
so we could choose which vehicles we would first place
our the micro chips and what to produce.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Class and S class first as as possible.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Right that was I would not argue with that.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yeah, there was an opportunity obviously, but today you're looking
to all segments and on the tiff topics, it's creating
obviously a big upset in the market. Still, the situation
is not very clear how to end up. But our
approach is to be us close to the market as possible,
a just our prices and keep our customers loyal to
(24:53):
the brand and offer to them our products. I think
we're in a good shape. Who have just shot a
couple of weeks back that we maintain our model here
twenty five pricing at the current MSRP level, So you.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Won't you won't be passing on any.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
No until further notes, until until any other major change happens.
So I think that gives sustetnt quiality yes in the
market and yeah, go on by Yes. So I'll always
try to be adjusting to market conditions and keeping out
our clients as happy and as satisfied as possible.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
You know, I joined you guys in Rome a few
weeks ago for the CLA debut, which is so exciting.
What's the future of a car like that potentially in
the US which isn't as high end, but it's obviously
a very special car and the most really advanced Mercedes
I've seen when it comes to technology. What's the future
of that in the US.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
So, Hannah, you're privileged in being in Rome, right right
and at the same time seeing the CLA. So tomorrow's
our US North American debut of the CLA and we
call it our smartest car ever. So it's not only
the beautiful designs the space, but it's more the technology
(26:14):
that this vehicle is bringing. So yeah, in the US,
maybe Sedance and these entry models are not the ones
which have the biggest volume for us, but as a
technology better and as the vehicle which brings us into
a new era of electric vehicles, of ice vehicles with
(26:35):
this super technology call it a computer and wheels. Right,
It's very important for us. So we're very happy to
have it here, very happy to showcase it for the
first time in New York at our new store in Manhattan,
which has, as we discussed earlier, lots of also digital
elements and lots of technology in the showroom. So happy,
(26:56):
and we plan to bring it in the market at
the end of the year. And it's again it is
one of a series of products which would come in
the future.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
Is that a car you could ever produce in the US?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
This is a difficult discussion and situation because always you
produce vehicles which make sense in terms of volume and
in terms of what the market needs. So I don't know,
it's that lots of.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
Car that Americans necessarily are going to be buying in.
I mean, Americans like big trucks, right, we like suv.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
My point on that was really you you actually manufacture
quite a few vehicles in the US already. If we're
dealing with tariffs, maybe you would move production of some
of some more vehicles to the US. Would that help
alleviate some of the stressors?
Speaker 3 (27:46):
Well, looking to all opportunities, as you said, are well
rooted in the US since decades, not only with passenger cars,
I mean the the GLE SUV and Coop the GLS,
the two electrics the equi as UV in the equs's
UV are produced in the in the US and l
Factor in Alabama, but also the commercial vehicles. Our sprinter
(28:08):
van is produced in South Carolina. So we're well rooted. Obviously,
we're looking two opportunities and we're we're convinced and will
continue investing in the in the country. Now which product
and which model is to be seen, but has to
do with what the market likes. Right, as you said,
I think US is more and as UV in a
truck market.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
But it's a good question. I think a lot of
people are wondering how much will tariffs incentivize a big
industrial business like Mercedes Benz to move production. I mean,
isn't it expensive to move production? And you know this
administration is only going to last another you know, three
(28:50):
and a half years, So do you make a decision
like that, how long does it take? For example, if
you want to build a new factory in America, would
it be done before Trump is out of office?
Speaker 3 (28:59):
It is? I mean, you have a factory first of all,
or have two factories right in the there we have capacity,
which we have decided what makes sense. But these decisions
you said take take time to be taken and have
a long it should be long lasting. I mean, we
started with our factory in Alabama in the mid mid
(29:21):
nineties and you.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Have a long, long time ago.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Now, yeah, so we come in to stay, we invest
to stay. So we're evaluating now the situation of the conditions.
But we're determined to have more vehicles produced in the
US for the US, hopefully our.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Products, hopefully not the g Wagon. Now, I mean that
is that's that's a unique. That's a unique. But to
Matt's point, that is a big truck like vehicle that
I think is sold probably the most in the US.
I think probably Beverly Hills because I see them every
other car in Beverly Hills.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Plus Magnus Styre actually makes that. I mean, you don't
even produce that.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
You're right, that's when saying like that, would that would
make sense for me to try to move production to
the US, but you can't. It's it's Austria. You know,
this is such an.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Icon, Yeah, exactly, an icon, such a history behind it.
So not everything is easy, it's not. So it actually
cannot cannot be shipped out of the worlds on the
short notice. Yeah, that's certain precucis for that, but we're
looking to that.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
If we're done talking about basically, yeah we can, we
can pivot. Okay, so we've talked about the smile. I
like to ask people, like what got you into cars?
You weren't born as a Mercedes employee, right, So what
were your first cars that you really loved? What What
is the first car that you love that you actually
could own yourself? Like what what was it for you?
Speaker 3 (30:50):
So, I mean, good people points. I have not studied
automotive engineering. I studied medical electronic engineering and I started
working in this field. But cars were always my hobby.
And one of my colleagues triggered me a couple of
weeks back, when did you first come across Mercedes? And
(31:11):
I remember, and I went back to my photo album,
you know, still printed black and white photos, and I
found a photo of myself with four years and being
on a small pedal car which was a Mercedes. Right,
So that was my first encounter with Mercedes in Greece.
I'm great. So that was back in Greece. So I
(31:34):
always like cars. I always followed racing and developments of technology.
And I switched thirty three years back from the medical
electronics industry that was working at that time just to
my hobby, which was automotive cars, and to Mercedes. The
(31:54):
option was at the time Mercedes, but also there was
a big dream, I mean big brands, very successful, long history,
so it was for me a big achievement starting with Mercedes.
And that's how my story started thirty three years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
And what are you into? I mean, we love the
g Wagon, I love the c l E.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
You know I love an sl to be honest. Yeah,
I mean like all erasing.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You live in California. Cour Sale was born, right, and
it's the US the US product. Look always I'm asked
what car do you drive? And as I'm spoiled because
I can drive any car, any messides car, right, and
I love but I would say for me an SUV
which gives you versatility of driving everywhere of putting your
(32:40):
life in bikes, dogs, whatever. I like you C is
for me what what makes sense? But of course driving
in the cell on a nice evening down on the
pH is is.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Kind of heaven. Exact really is kind of heaven. And
it's the perfect car for the perfect road. But I
like your answer that you're not trying to be you know,
front or try to like say some fancy race car
the C one eleven or you know, it's a very
practical answer. Yeah, no, no, it's no, it's yeahs is.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
It means it's something which supports and basically fits you
life too. Yeah. Back in Griz, I have an sl
A full fifty of the early eighties, which is my
classic car. Let's say what color, light blue, beautiful? I
love it.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yes, and Dmitria, we know we just heard the news
that you will be transitioning out of the role of
top dog at Mercedes Benz USA. I'd love to just hear.
I think you joined in twenty twenty in your current role, right,
so five years can you just tell us, I don't know,
looking back, what you've seen change in the auto industry
(33:50):
and give us some wisdom.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
That well you will learn.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
I mean it's so much has changed.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
Absolutely, So I say this was the most challenging and
the most intense five years of my life or of
my career. I mean, if you go back, i joined
at the late twenty twenty and we're at the beginning
of the pandemic, at the beginning of the supply crunch,
which you lived and came and joined a company who
(34:19):
were basically I mean, you've been into our headquarters in Atlanta,
to a beautiful building, but with no life. I didn't
know my colleagues, i didn't know who was around. Traveling
was a challenge to our locations in the US, to
the dealers or whatever. So it was a very challenging start.
But I would say many things have changed since then.
(34:40):
We're back into more digital were discussed earlier, right, who
was buying a car online in twenty twenty, Right in
today people do buy or at least get all the
information online. So many things have changed. Many things have
have moved into our industry, electric vehicles, plug in hybrids again,
(35:02):
digital retailing, so very intense times, new products in the markets.
I'm really glad of what I lived.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
How have you changed?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
I think that's a that's a great question. On one hand,
that's nothing is given right. Things can change from one
day to the other, and the faster you can adapt,
the better, the better you are. So things and traditions
do not apply. They help you maybe to make some considerations,
(35:34):
but you cannot. There's no blueprint from one day to
the other. So that's one thing. The second thing is
that basically in all these challenges, what makes all the
difference is the people that you have around you. And
for me, people is my team. People is our dealers,
which that the ones which are facing and serving the customers,
(35:55):
which for them was also a difficult time, right, all
of what was going on and changing. So people no
blueprints and being fast, trying things out, failing quickly adjusting
and moving forwards. That's I think. What's I learned or
(36:18):
lived in the last five years?
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Yeah, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
What about America? What do you think about being here?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I think it's it's a great country with a big momentum.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Are you going to stay here where we're going to
go next?
Speaker 3 (36:31):
Yes, I'm looking to stay here in the US. I
mean I've been sixteen years, seventeen years out of my
no more more and more out of my country. And
this is the place we feel mostly mostly home.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
So yeah, okay, you mentioned evs. I have to ask,
are evs still going to happen?
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Yes, eventually, you think so?
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Truly? Yes, maybe not in the speed and the adoption
that work initially expecting, but IV's are offering certain advantages.
I can give an example my wife. She didn't want
to drive any V.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Why not because she had all these.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Concerns of where do I charge, what if the range
is not enough, my feeling I wanted to to have
roaring sound of the engine and all that stuff. Three
four months later, and actually three years down the road later,
she does not want to step out of an electric
The convenience of charging at home, the comfort it's offering,
(37:37):
the chalk that you have, she's fascinated. So I'm not
saying if is the only way, No, for God's sake,
but a co existence of electric vehicles, of plug in hybrids,
of internet combation engine is the future. And maybe in
one part of the world where you live in California
and be to a higher degree because infrastructure is there,
(37:58):
because mindset, because because you know somewhere else it's much less.
But the penetration development and the qualities of the evs
will be much more visible in the future.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
I love that your wife didn't want to give up
the roar of an internal combustion engine, but now she's
addicted to the torque of an EV. You married the
right woman.
Speaker 1 (38:20):
Okay, yes, is she Greek too?
Speaker 3 (38:24):
No, she's Brazilian. Brazilian. Yes, she's Brazilian. But I'll tell
you the first when I got the I'm driving the
electric cig class now, the five eighty. And you know,
when you look at it externally, there's no differences, right,
except some little badges of eque technology or whatever. So
(38:46):
for a couple of days I did not declare it
was an electric and I was driving it, and it
has some sounds, right, so the sound, the talk, the
speed whatever. She didn't realize it was it was electric
only when the sign up here on the on the
on the head un it's okay, it's you time to
charge whatever, right, I said, Oh, that's electric.
Speaker 1 (39:06):
See I like that. I like not even it's not.
It's not the defining characteristic of the vehicle. If it's
if it works and it accomplishes the task, great, but
it's not the defining characteristic of whatever.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Vehicle.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
And that's great because you are it's an icon and
the doors.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Closing the doors is the defining characteristic of that vehicle for.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
So you have to slam the door. Yes, still she
didn't get used to that, right, loving the door because
in every other car.
Speaker 1 (39:34):
You say, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
You have to slam the door. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
All right. Well, it's been great having you here.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I'm gonna swing by your new store to check it out,
looking forward to is it open now? I guess by
the time this podcast, sure will be Friday.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
So yeah, Friday, and the public can go buy the
new dealership.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And yeah, except Sundays. Yeah, those are open for everyone. Yeah,
and that's some surpris ues though. It's a nice place to.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Be nice, great talk, good talk. Great to hear from Dimitri.
And I'm looking forward to going over to see the
new dealership. I'm also looking forward to going to the show.
By the way, you're here in New York, Cana. Yes,
and I thought, oh, you must be here for the
New York Auto Show.
Speaker 1 (40:15):
But that's not no, no, no, I'm I'm not going
to the Javitt Center. I think I'm very happily not
going the funny thing is auto shows are not as
relevant as they have been for press, and that's the
sad truth. So there's not a real reason to go
over there.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
It is true, or it has become the case that
auto shows are no longer where the big news breaks.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Yeah, I mean Mercedes has news. They're just not doing
it at the autosh exactly. They're doing it at their
own party.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
It's not always where the CEOs go. They're now more
likely to go to cees completely.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
And let's be honest, no CEO loved being in a
convention center all day for three days, talking to press
in a little back room, and that was the format
for auto shows for years, and they would just be
on a you know, twenty minute rotating schedule.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Still I love to go, I don't. I mean, I
wasn't even considering going. But yesterday I had Jose Munios
on my show, who now runs Hyundai, and.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
Would you take your daughters?
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Sorry, go ahead, good?
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, Yeah, I would definitely And I would definitely take
my daughter. And I may do that this weekend because
right now I'm just gonna go to the press days.
But you can bring you know, civilians this weekend. Yeah,
I'm just gonna go now because Jose's gonna be there
and I want to go and say thank you for
coming on my show. And also because my buddy Hit,
(41:34):
my new buddy who runs Buele, he wants to go
because he's here from Grand Rapids, you know, like, yo,
let's go to the show.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
I definitely think for consumers, for families, for kids, it's
still a great place to be inside if it's a
little bit cold or rainy out and look at a
bunch of different new cars, for sure.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
And I like to go to dealerships too, so I
guess it's just weird in that way, all right. It's
been awesome having you here, so good. It's been great
having Magnus here as well, and it was awesome talking
to Dimitri. And we'll be back here next week with
Bill Melvin, the CEO of Buell Motorcycles.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I'm Matt Miller and I'm Hannah Elliott, and this is
Bloomberg
Hosts And Creators
Hannah Elliott
Matt Miller
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