Welcome to charts of the week. Feel free to share this issue far and wide.

🤩 We have opened the Exponential.Do community to Premium readers. If you didn’t see the post about that, take a look here and apply to join.

🤑 On Friday at 5pm UK, noon ET, Ronit Ghose, Citibank’s lead financial services analyst, and I are hosting a discussion on the Future of Money. We’ll be joined by Monica Singer of Consensys and Ajit Tripathi of Aave. It is in the EV Clubhouse club.

Azeem

Department of Covid-19

Keep the windows open

We continue to make positive strides against Covid-19. As infection numbers decrease, some want to get back to everyday life as soon as possible (see this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal from last week as evidence of a more significant trend). But new data from China details just how easily the virus spreads through the air. It’s too early to let our guard down.  Via Science Direct

Revised data on suicides 

Fascinating new data on suicides over the past year in the US. We have heard from several corners that the pandemic and economic slowdown caused a spike in suicides. However, the data doesn’t suggest this and even points to 2020 having the lowest number of suicides in the past three years. Via Elizabeth Jacobs

Zero covid, fewer problems.

Countries that took a zero covid approach have managed much more normal routines with a lower hit to GDP, according to the Institute Economique Molinari. Via Yaneer Bar-Yam

The third wave is here

Europe is in the throes of a third Covid wave. The data in the above chart is hard to discount. Even more concerning is the speed at which the UK variant is fuelling the surge of infections. Via FT

Expect more of this

Stunning data on physical and digital investment by small businesses in the US. Hard to be shocked but the stark crossing of the lines in 2020 puts the last year’s events in sharp perspective. Via Morgan Housel

Department of Capital Markets

SPACS to the moon 

IPO capital raised by US SPACs in 2013: $1bn. In 2020: $83bn. In 2021, year to date: $97bn. Via Charlie Bilello / Exponential View

What’s happening in China? 

A record number of Chinese companies are bailing on their IPO plans on China’s equivalent to the Nasdaq. This graph reveals a situation that could get out of control and have major consequences for the Chinese technology ecosystem. Via FT

No value VCs

92% of VCs considered themselves value-add investors. 61% of founders rated their value-add experience as “below average”. Via Tech.eu

Long-term growth

Household equity ownership is declining but is still remarkably high in the US. Via Isabelnet

Department of the United States

Biden’s big plans

Much has been made about Joe Biden’s proposed tax hikes. Here are two graphs that paint a more accurate picture of where the money is going. Via WSJ

Paying for them may be easy

The Biden tax hike is relatively small and doesn’t fully reverse the Trump tax cuts. Via Silvia Merler

Cooler heads should prevail

Despite these tax hikes’ relatively benign reality, some publications like the Financial Times have been vociferous in their claims that they will hurt Wall Street. We’ll see if they are right. Via FT

The military-industrial complex

Striking data on how the US defence industry spurs investment in technology. What other force has this type of power to move markets and research? Via Josh Wolfe

These united states…

Always helpful to zoom out and consider just how large the United States is as a landmass. This elevation map is a fresh take. Via Joel

And finally

Please remove your shoes

I would love to see a global map, but it seems like the “West” indeed loves to keep their shoes on. Scandinavia is an interesting outlier. Via Xavi Ruiz

Endnote

A number of you have asked if you can share charts of the week with your friends. We’re delighted you enjoy it - and glad you want to recommend it. Please do, but it’ll be nice if, from time to time, you remind folks to sign up too!

Finally, if you or your firm want to sponsor this newsletter, please let us know. We’re backed up right now but happy to consider if we can.

You’re the best!

Azeem