Wall Street Week Lloyd Blankfein, Ukraine’s War-Fueled Tech Revolution, Big Tobacco’s Smoke-Free Bet, AI Data Center Gold Rush
Mar 7, 2026
Lloyd Blankfein, former Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO known for risk mastery, discusses why risk management matters when markets feel calm. Conversation covers Iran and oil shocks, late-cycle warnings and globalization shifts. Ukraine’s rapid digital rebuild and AI agents get attention. Also covered: tobacco’s move to smoke-free products and the AI data-center construction boom and worker shortages.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Protect Sensitive Data When Using AI Agents
- Do limit citizen data exposure when deploying AI by keeping the most sensitive records within national perimeters.
- Ukraine keeps personal data inside the DIA perimeter and uses a hybrid model to balance security with external capabilities.
Tobacco Companies Betting on Smoke-Free Revenues
- Jacek Olczyk and analysts show tobacco's shift: companies now pivot to smoke-free products as core revenue drivers.
- Philip Morris projects two-thirds of revenues from smoke-free by 2030 and reports high conversion rates to IQOS in some markets.
IQOS Conversion Fueled By Cultural Fit And Design
- Philip Morris reports IQOS converts many smokers: in early trials ~70% of IQOS buyers quit cigarettes.
- They targeted markets open to new gadgets (Japan, South Korea, Italy) to drive adoption and scale revenue above Marlboro in some regions.