🔐 Why Is Quantum Computing So Hot Right Now That The Government Wants to Get Involved?

Editors Note

Last week’s article about Elon Musk’s $1 trillion dollar proposed pay package got a few likes, but when I released the YouTube video Elon Musk's $1 Trillion Dollar Pay Package From Tesla yesterday I really hit a nerve. Someone accused me of click bait, or even rage baiting them (that part might be partially true). My goal of the article and subsequent video was to lay out all the facts, and ask what my readers and viewers though - and WoW did I get a lot of feedback. Overall nearly everyone that responded defend Elon Musk’s $1 trillion dollar proposed pay package, and told me if I don’t like it I should sell my Tesla shares. That’s not how things work, so I’ll be holding onto my Tesla shares thank you very much. But I was mildly surprised how strongly people responded to a video about Elon Musk, but I probably shouldn’t had have been too surprised. Every article and video I’ve ever made about Elon Musk has received similar attention, which is why some might think I’m creating them for clickbait - but I’m not. I’m actually a HUGE fan of Elon Musk the tech guru, but not so much for his views outside of tech. So if you have strong opinions, and want to be “triggered” feel free to watch, like, and comment on the YouTube video below, and I’ll be sure to respond. With that said, onto today’s issue.

In today’s newsletter I discuss why Is quantum computing is so hot right now, Apple’s market cap just exceeded $4 trillion dollars, while Nvidia’s market cap is now over $5 trillion dollars cementing it as the world’s most valuable company by market cap, Nintendo is increasing its sales forecast for their Nintendo Switch 2, it’s out with the “Hot girl Summer” and in with “TMI Autumn” if Taylor Swift’s music is to be believed (which as a Swifie, I do!),  cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and entertainment platform Hollywood.com have jointly announced a partnership to launch a new, federally regulated prediction market for movies, television, Broadway, music, and celebrity events, OpenAI has finished their corporate restructuring into a for-profit company owned by a non-profit (confused yet?), Amazon Web Services is building its first solo subsea internet cable called Fastnet, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s has created a Palestine themed flavor Watermelon Sorbet and launched it under his Ben's Best brand, and the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays has provided a significant financial boost to both country’s local economies and Major League Baseball as a whole.

Let’s get into it.

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🔐 Why Is Quantum Computing So Hot Right Now That The Government Wants to Get Involved?

The field of quantum computing is so hot right now that even the government wants to get in on the action by investing the government’s money (which is actually YOUR money) into a handful of quantum computing companies in exchange for stock in order to ensure that the U.S. is a leader in quantum computing worldwide. Today’s we’re going to dive into what exactly is quantum computing, why is it so hot right now, and what’s the government doing investing in quantum computing companies. Let’s get into it.

Quantum computing is one of the most talked-about subjects right now, and not just in scientific circles. It has the potential to fundamentally change everything from how we protect our data to how we treat serious diseases. People are starting to realize that this isn't just a distant dream anymore. It’s here right now, and it’s a developing technology with real-world implications that are getting closer every day.

The promise of quantum computing is massive, offering breakthroughs in areas like cryptography and new pathways toward curing cancer. It's the kind of revolutionary technology that will define global economic and national security leadership for decades to come, which is why the stakes are so incredibly high.

First off, let’s level set. What exactly is quantum computing?

Quantum computing is a revolutionary form of computation that harnesses quantum mechanical phenomena like superposition and entanglement to enable quantum bits (or qubits for short) to process an exponential number of calculations simultaneously, allowing it to solve problems beyond the capability of classical supercomputers.

You get all that? Makes about as much sense to me as pigs flying, but let me break it down for ya’ll.

A quantum computer achieves its power by leveraging two unique principles: superposition and entanglement. Unlike a classical bit (which is either a 0 or a 1), a qubit can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously (which is called superposition), allowing it to process a vast number of possibilities at once.

Then we have entanglement, which links multiple qubits so that their fates are intertwined, causing their collective computational power to grow exponentially with each added qubit. This dual capability allows a quantum computer to examine and solve extremely complex simulations with unprecedented speed.

For cryptography, the threat is imminent. An algorithm developed by MIT mathematician Peter Shor in 1994 proved a powerful quantum computer could quickly factor large numbers, breaking encryption systems like RSA that secure our digital transactions. You know when you’re shopping online, and you see that little lock in your browser window when you go to check out? That means the transaction is encrypted and secure. Well, with quantum computing, you could be looking at the possibility that all encryption could be easily broken, and then nothing is really secure.

Scary stuff.

But don’t worry. Those same brainiacs that are inventing quantum computing are all thinking about how to update cryptography in a post-quantum computing world.

In the field of medicine, quantum computing offers a revolutionary path forward for fighting cancer by sifting through complex genomic data and molecular interactions to accelerate drug discovery and personalize treatment. Analysts at Bank of America estimate the global quantum computing market will grow from around $300 million dollars in 2024 to approximately $4 billion dollars by the early 2030s.

Quantum computing has recently caught Wall Street’s attention, and thus the federal government’s. On Thursday, October 23, quantum computing stocks surged after a Wall Street Journal report indicated that the Trump administration is seeking to acquire equity stakes in several key quantum computing companies in exchange for an injection of around $10 million dollars per company from the federal government (which, remember I told you was your money) This is all in an effort to ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in quantum computing worldwide.

The quantum computing companies reportedly in talks to receive government investments include IonQ, Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, Quantum Computing Inc., and Atom Computing. Following this news, quantum computing stocks saw immediate gains of 10+ percent in the stock market. The move mirrors the Trump administration's earlier action in August 2025 to take a nearly 10% stake in Intel by converting grants into equity, as well as the 15% stake the Pentagon took in the rare-earth miner MP Materials back in July 2025.

The bottom line is that quantum computing's transformative power in areas like secure cryptography and life-saving medical breakthroughs, particularly in the fight against cancer, is no longer theoretical. The enormous potential is why the technology is generating so much excitement right now, and the recent report that the Trump administration is talking to companies like about taking equity stakes in exchange for federal funding shows that the government views this as a critical strategic sector. This mix of revolutionary science and direct government interest means that quantum computing will remain one of the hottest sectors for the foreseeable future, driving both scientific innovation and significant market movement.

Quick Hits

🏦 Business

These days, not a week goes by that a company breaks a new record for highest market cap, or shatters a corporate earning report. On October 8, Apple’s market cap crossed the $4 trillion dollar mark. Then on October 29, Nvidia’s market cap crossed the $5 trillion dollar mark, making it the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. These market cap milestones are being fueled by the continuing AI boom, and Wall Street apparently can’t get enough!

🍁 Entertainment

As the season changes from Summer to Fall, out with “Hot girl Summer”, in with “TMI Autumn”, at least if we’re going by new albums from Taylor Swift and Lily Allen. Both sing about intimate situations that aren’t exactly business-friendly for this newsletter, but these artist’s sincerity and vulnerability are what fans are embracing in increasing numbers.

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ just finished its fourth straight week at No. 1 atop the Billboard 200 chart, and has sold 4,650,000 since its release, and it’s estimated she made $135 million dollars in the first week after it was released from album sales and streaming.

🎮 Tech

Nintendo increased its forecast for Nintendo Switch 2 hardware sales forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2026 from 15 million units to 19 million units, following the console's launch on June 5, 2025. To date, Nintendo has sold 10.36 million units of their Nintendo Switch 2.

I know what my kids will be asking for for Christmas.

🎲 Prediction Markets

Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com and entertainment platform Hollywood.com have jointly announced a partnership to launch a new, federally regulated prediction market for entertainment events. The platform, powered by Crypto.com’s Derivatives North America unit, will be overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and will allow users to make compliant predictions on outcomes like box office revenues from movies, television, Broadway, music, and celebrity events. The prediction market is projected to grow to $3.5 trillion dollars by 2029, and includes heavyweights like Polymarket and Kalshi.

For me, my heart will always lie with the Hollywood Stock Exchanges (HSX), where I’ve been predicting how movies will do since 1996!

🤖 AI

OpenAI has finished their corporate restructuring, and Microsoft has a 27% equity stake, which is valued at approximately $135 billion dollars based on the company's $500 billion dollars private valuation.

When OpenAI was first incorporated they were incorporated as a non-profit entity called OpenAI, Inc., who was the sole controlling shareholder of a "capped" for-profit subsidiary called OpenAI Global, LLC, which they used to raise billions of dollars in investment and grant employee stock options.

Now, OpenAI Global, LLC has converted to a Public Benefit Corporation, and renamed as the OpenAI Group PBC. The non-profit entity that was called OpenAI, Inc. has been renamed as the OpenAI Foundation, and now holds a 26% equity stake worth approximately $130 billion dollars in the for-profit company OpenAI Group PBC.

The OpenAI Foundation still retains control of the OpenAI Group PBC through the right to appoint and remove its board of directors, ensuring the non-profit mission still governs the for-profit operations, even with their minority equity stake.

Now that that’s all cleared up, OpenAI can get back to the business of shepherding in the AI apocalypse.

📼 Data

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is building its first solo subsea internet cable called Fastnet, which will run from Maryland to Ireland and is expected to be operational in 2028, transporting over 320 terabits per second of data - enough to stream 12.5 HD movies at the same time. That’s a lot of content!

🍦 Ice Cream

The ice cream company Ben & Jerry's has been going through some things lately. Back in September Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company co-founded 47 years ago because parent company Unilever wasn’t allowing him, and co-founded Ben Cohen, to pursue their social activism that they say they were promised the ability to do when their company Ben & Jerry’s was acquired in 2000 for $326 million dollars.

Now Ben Cohen, who still works for Ben & Jerry’s, has created a Palestine themed flavor Watermelon Sorbet, and is launching it under his Ben's Best brand. Ben Cohen said he parent company Unilever blocked him from launching the new flavor that he says shows his "solidarity with Palestine", so he decided to launch the new flavour “as part of a personal series highlighting causes the company has been barred from addressing publicly.” according to an article in the BBC.

Turns out in today’s politically charged climate corporations no longer have the freedom, or the courage and backbone, to stand up for free speech. 

⚾ Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays provided a significant financial boost to both country’s local economies and Major League Baseball. Direct revenue from games, including high-priced tickets, poured millions of dollars into both Los Angeles and Toronto as they hosted the games, with some estimates placing the economic benefit of each game as high as $20 million dollars. For the Toronto side, restaurant transaction volume jumped by as much as 27% near Rogers Centre on game nights. For MLB and its broadcast partner, FOX, the World Series is an advertising goldmine, where a 30-second commercial slot can cost between $350,000-$600,000, especially for later games in the series. MLB's Postseason Players' Pool reached a record high of $129.1 million dollars, with the champion LA Dodgers paying out approximately $477,000 dollars per player. 

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The Business Behind The News is written, edited, and published by Chris Thompson.