These days, trying to find good news feels like searching for WiFi in the middle of the desert. The Gaza war has reignited, the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of stopping, trade wars loom large, and the US is openly discussing bombing Iran (which is still better than Birmingham being bombarded with rubbish). If the world were a TV series, this season’s plot would be too dark even for HBO.
But amidst the doom and gloom, some news stories still manage to make us laugh, whether intentionally or not. So, let’s take a break from global chaos and enjoy some of the most unintentionally hilarious business and political moments of recent times.
Klarna: The Next Google? Hilarious!
In a moment of either extreme optimism or complete delusion, Klarna’s CEO, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, confidently stated, “I still think Klarna can become the next Google in size!”
Now, Klarna is a “Buy Now, Pay Later” service—a fancy way of saying, “We let you split your payments like a broke university student.” It’s a useful service, sure, but calling it the next Google is like calling a bicycle the next Tesla.
For context, Klarna’s valuation once soared to $46 billion, only to crash by 85% in 2022, landing at just $6.7 billion. The company has been climbing back up, but let’s be real—Google processes over 8.5 billion searches per day, while Klarna helps people pay for sneakers in instalments. The comparison is, at best, optimistic.
Ubisoft: Criticised, Mocked, Yet Funded
If there’s one thing Ubisoft has mastered, it’s turning its reputation into a meme. Once a gaming powerhouse, it’s now better known for half-finished games, absurd controversies, and legendary bugs. And yet, somehow, Chinese tech giant Tencent just handed them €1.2 billion.
This investment left many scratching their heads. Ubisoft has spent years releasing games that are either broken, delayed, or both. Their latest title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, faced backlash before launch for featuring a Black samurai—because what’s a Ubisoft game without controversy? And yet, despite all the online outrage, it became the company’s second-best-selling game ever.
The lesson here? Game quality is optional, but marketing drama is priceless. If you can’t be the best, at least be so controversial that people buy your game just to argue about it.
F-47: The Duck-Winged Mystery Jet
In military news, the US recently revealed its next-generation fighter jet, the F-47, built by—wait for it—Boeing. Yes, the same Boeing that’s been making headlines for planes that, well, struggle to stay in the air.
The grand reveal consisted of nothing more than a CGI image, because apparently, even the Pentagon isn’t sure what the jet looks like. But the funniest part? The F-47 features a “canard” (duck-wing) design.
For years, the US military openly mocked this feature, once saying, “The best place for canards is on enemy aircraft, not ours.” And yet, here we are, with America’s next-gen fighter proudly sporting the very design they used to ridicule. It’s like spending years making fun of flip phones, only to release one and call it “revolutionary.”
At Last
If none of this made you chuckle, don’t worry— If you are a football fan, let’s congratulate Wayne Rooney just landed a new coaching gig in Dubai! Feel the happiness and hoary for the greatest!
