*By Michael Teich*
Ethical issues could be the Achilles heel for Juul, the $15 billion company behind the vaping devices infiltrating college and high school campuses.
"The valuation is justified on the math," said Dan Primack, Business Editor at Axios. The real question, though, is, "Does it want to stop kids from getting these?"
The sleek and colorful design of the company's e-cigarettes, paired with appealing flavors such as mango and cool mint, has helped Juul emerge as a leader in the market with a 68 percent share, according to Wells Fargo. The company projects $940 million in revenue this year, but Primack said he's told that "they are blowing through those numbers." Those numbers helped Juul raise a fresh $1.2 billion in new funding last week.
But strong sales growth may not be enough to entice more traditional Silicon Valley investors to overlook the moral complexities of Juul's business, Primack said.
While the device was created as an alternative to cigarettes, he pointed out the product is falling into the hands of first-time smokers and serves as a "gateway smoke."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-ethical-issues-that-may-plague-juuls-future)
As Reddit shares begin trading at the NYSE, ‘Einstein of Wall Street’ Peter Tuchman breaks down the social platform’s debut and what it means for the overall IPO market in 2024.
CEO and co-founder of Alix, Alexandra Mysoor, discusses why it’s so important for everyone, regardless of income, to both plan and settle their estates.
After the Fed forecast three cuts to come in 2024, Kevin D. Mahn, President and CIO at Hennion & Walsh Asset Management breaks down why the market looks strong, and he sees some reasons for concern in Reddit’s choice to IPO.
Federal Reserve officials signaled that they still expect to cut their key interest rate three times in 2024 despite signs that inflation was surprisingly high at the start of the year.
