The Metroplex Civic and Business Association (MCBA) held its bimonthly Leadership Luncheon on Tuesday, hosting Strive Asset Management CEO Matt Cole for a fireside chat.
This event, which was hosted by MCBA member and CEO of Alexo Athletica Amy Robbins, featured comments from new MCBA CEO Onyinye Akujuo and a discussion with Cole on various topics.
Akujuo opened the luncheon by welcoming the attendees, describing the MCBA as an “elite, action-driven, nonpartisan organization dedicated to fostering the continued success of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex” with roughly 10,000 members across the metroplex.
“At MCBA, we’re all helping our member companies and their employees engage with their communities in meaningful ways. While we are a business league, we go beyond revenue.”
Robbins sat down with Cole to discuss multiple topics, including Strive’s recent decision to move its headquarters to Dallas.
Cole explained that “Texas is a very business-friendly state,” which appealed to what Strive was looking for, adding that “Dallas was number one in every single area” the stakeholders were searching for.
“Obviously, there’s the rise of Y’all Street, where this really is a finance hub, a true finance hub. So, both recruiting people within the area is substantially easier, but then also getting people to move here. No matter where people are from, there’s direct flights. It’s just a great place to have as a centrally-located endpoint.”
Cole also discussed the rise of Bitcoin in recent years and how Strive has decided to invest in this trend, noting that the company has made substantial investments in its growth.
“I have not heard one single better system than Bitcoin. And this comes from going actually deep into the finance of it, and what Bitcoin actually represents. For people that haven’t used it, I would say, ‘actually do the work.’ Read the white paper, actually use Bitcoin, try it out, understand the properties of Bitcoin.”
“And when you’re doing that, and you see that, you become very bullish on it. So, for me personally, I put most of my net worth in Bitcoin in 2016. And the reason was, is because I was staring at the debt crisis, and I saw this as the answer.”
Although Cole envisions a future largely centered around Bitcoin, he did say that a few select industries will also continue growing.
“If it’s not related to Bitcoin, AI, or energy, it’s not really an investment theme that I think rises to the highest level of at least bullishness for us in the future. And we do not have enough energy in the United States.”
Cole further explained that “countries that are more energy-rich are going to prosper,” pointing to the direct correlation between energy and wealth.
“I’m guessing some people in this room have seen there’s a chart that actually charts countries,” he said.
“And they chart them on wealth, on one axis, and energy. And it’s literally a straight line. The more energy you have, the more prosperous your people are going to be.”