Take Elon Musk, for example. His name commands attention like few others, so it’s no wonder Eric Fry leveraging one of Musk’s lesser-known ventures to highlight his vision for AI’s future—and the elite investors who are already on board.
What is Fry referring to, and what investment opportunity is he suggesting? Let’s analyze his advertisement. This is part of a promotional campaign for Eric Fry’s Fry’s Stock Advisory, where he captures attention with the following approach:
He points out that several well-known figures have already invested.
And naturally, there is a deadline—because urgency is key to a compelling ad. A copywriter’s biggest fear is you taking a moment to give it some thought. Instead, they fuel FOMO, making it seem like this opportunity will vanish unless you act immediately.
The main claim is that we are entering the third stage of computing revolution—following desktop computing and mobile technology—where Elon Musk is on the verge of launching a device even more groundbreaking than smartphone.
This revolves around Neuralink, Musk’s small but ambitious company developing brain implants that enable direct mind-controlled computer interaction. The company has made early progress, with its first two patients—both quadriplegics—quickly adapting to basic computer tasks using the implant, and so far, no major side effects have been reported. However, the technology is still in its infancy, with the next patient receiving the implant only a few months ago.
Fry connects this breakthrough to Musk’s well-known concerns about AI’s risks, implying that Neuralink could serve as a bridge between humans and AI-driven technology, helping us stay ahead. Whether this vision becomes reality remains to be seen, but that’s the narrative Fry is pushing. Here’s a quote from his ad:
Fry claims that Neuralink’s neural interface represents the ultimate stage in the evolution of computing
It might seem far-fetched, or maybe it’s closer than we think—who knows? Elon Musk is no stranger to bold ideas, though he often overpromises in his efforts to generate excitement. The future is always difficult to predict, so I won’t speculate. What matters here Fry argues that is presenting an investment opportunity tied to this vision.
So, what exactly is he hinting at?
Fuel the sense of urgency and excitement.
What more do we find out about the investment?
That clue doesn’t say much. Berkshire Hathaway owns a relatively obscure portfolio through its General Re acquisition a quarter-century ago, but it’s not part of Buffett’s usual 13F filings. Managed by New England Investment Portfolio, the portfolio is public but mostly tracks the S&P500, missing the bold, long-term plays Buffett is recognized for. At around $6 billion, it’s just a small fraction—about 2%—of Berkshire’s total assets.
But Buffett isn’t the only key player in this story…
Bill Ackman takes a much more focused approach to investing than Buffett, which makes this clue more relevant. But what else do we know?
Fry throws in one final dose of FOMO to keep the hype going.
So, who is Fry talking about?
The most probable candidate here is Alphabet. Back in 2021, Google Ventures participated in a funding round for Neuralink, Musk’s brain implant company, aligning with its broader healthcare tech investments under the Calico subsidiary. However, Google wasn’t the lead investor in the $200 million round, which also included notable names like Peter Thiel and Sam Altman. Regardless of whether Neuralink achieves FDA approval, widespread adoption, and a staggering $100 billion valuation, Google’s stake would remain relatively insignificant for a company of its scale.
Pershing Square, led by Bill Ackman, indeed maintains a substantial Stake in Alphabet—although Fry’s numbers are slightly off. Ackman recently reduced his stake by 12%, bringing pershing square’s portfolio positions in GOOG, GOOGL to approximately $2,100 million—not $3.3 billion. This makes Alphabet the firm’s second-largest holding following Universal Music. Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway’s New England Investment Holdings also held a small position in GOOGL effective of June 30th, though it’s unlikely that Warren Buffett personally selected this minor allocation.
While Alphabet has some exposure to healthcare and brain-machine interface technologies, these remain a fraction of its broader operations. The company generates around $100,000 million in annual net income, primarily from digital advertising, with much bigger growth prospects in segments like Google Cloud, Waymo, and YouTube. Compared to these core businesses, its Neuralink investment is barely a footnote.
That being said, Alphabet remains an appealing long-term investment. Its dominance in digital advertising, massive cash reserves, and innovation—especially in AI—set it apart from smaller competitors. Despite regulatory scrutiny, Alphabet trades below 20 times forward earnings, making it relatively undervalued among major tech firms. If the company were ever broken up, its individual units might unlock even greater value for investors.
While Alphabet isn’t expected to dramatically outperform the market in the near term, its track record is hard to ignore. Since going public in 2004, the company has delivered an average annual return of 20%, a pace it has largely maintained in the last ten years. However, as $2 trillion firm, its sheer size makes sustained high growth increasingly difficult. Even with its scalability and efficiency, Alphabet is unlikely to Top the charts as the top-performing shares in the coming years—smaller, more volatile companies will likely take that spot.
As for Eric Fry’s mention of an “urgent deadline,” he’s likely referring to Alphabet’s upcoming earnings release. While he initially suggested October 22, the actual date is October 29. Neuralink won’t be a focal point during the call, but discussions will center around AI developments and Google Cloud’s competition with AWS, Microsoft Azure. Investors will also keep a close eye on YouTube’s ad revenue, particularly as the election season ramps up. Alphabet’s stock tends to be volatile around profits, with price swings largely driven by forward guidance. Analysts currently project $86,000 million in projected revenue and $1.84 in earnings per share for the quarter, while full-year estimates stand at $347 billion in revenue, $7.65 EPS—putting the stock at around 22 times projected earnings for 2024 at its current $165 price.
Ultimately, while Neuralink’s potential is undeniable, it doesn’t play a meaningful role in my investment thesis for Alphabet. The company’s future will be shaped by its core businesses and AI advancements rather than its small stake in Musk’s brain-interface venture.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide. Do you see Alphabet like a long-term winner, or do regulatory risks pose too big a threat? Perhaps you believe AI-driven challengers could seriously disrupt Google’s dominance. Share your thoughts in the comments below—debate is always welcome!
