Business/Startup thread by @itsolelehmann

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I'm German.

16 years ago, the EU and US economies were neck and neck.

Today, the US economy is 50% larger than the entire EU combined.

Here's the devastating truth behind Europe's ongoing economic suicide 🧵:

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First, let's look at the numbers:

• US GDP: $25.5 trillion
• EU GDP: $16.6 trillion

But in 2008, they were nearly equal.

What the hell happened over the past 16 years?

It's simple:

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Europe chose security over growth.
America chose innovation over regulation.

The results?

America has produced 9 trillion-dollar companies (9/10 of the most valuable companies in the world).

Europe? ZERO. Nowhere to be found:

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But it goes deeper than numbers...

European talent is fleeing en masse.

I see most European entrepreneurs choosing between two paths:

• The US for higher salaries ($350k+ tech jobs)
• Southeast Asia for lower cost of living to build startups

Why?

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Because Europe made it impossible to win at home.

Take Berlin's startup scene (where I used to live):

Founders are often viewed with suspicion. "Entrepreneur" = exploiter

I witnessed tech founders being called "capitalist parasites" at local meetups.

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Meanwhile in places like Silicon Valley and NYC:

Founders are celebrated. Risk-taking is rewarded.
Failure is seen as education, not embarrassment.

To make matters even worse...

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Europeans are drowning in red tape:

• Employment laws making hiring/firing impossible
• Tax rates crushing small businesses
• Compliance costs killing innovation

To start a company in France takes 84 days
In America? 4 days.

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Even French president Emmanuel Macron admits it.

When comparing Europe to the American and Chinese markets, he said:

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The anti-innovation mindset is killing Europe.

For example, when Elon Musk built Giga Berlin, Germans protested:

"No techno-colonialism"

Tesla almost cancelled the project due to regulatory hurdles and community opposition.

This happens daily with smaller companies too.

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Europe's regulatory culture created an economic spiral of doom:

• Talent leaves
• Companies avoid investing
• Innovation dies
• Economy stagnates
• More regulation follows

This is why memes like "Europoors" exist.

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The numbers are brutal:

• 90% of EU tech talent would move to US for right offer
• European tech salaries: 50% lower than US
• Startup funding: 5x higher in US

And Europe's few tech successes?

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Most of them move to America:

• Spotify (now NYC-based)
• Klarna (major US operations)
• ARM (being acquired by NVIDIA)

The theme here is obvious:

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While Europe debates the ethics of AI...
America builds it.

While Europe regulates cryptocurrencies...
America innovates them.

While Europe protects old industries...
America creates new ones.

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The solution? In my eyes, Europe must:

1. Slash regulations
2. Embrace risk-taking
3. Support entrepreneurs
4. Lower taxes on innovation

But will they?

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As a European, I unfortunately doubt it.

The regulation addiction is too deep.
The anti-business culture too ingrained.

As one French friend/entrepreneur told me:

"I love Europe, but I can't build my future here. The system won't let me."

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This is why America keeps winning.

Not because Americans are smarter.

But because their system benefits those who build.

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Europe has become a museum:

• Great at preserving the past
• Terrible at building the future

Unless Europe slashes regulations and embraces risk-taking, the gap will only widen.

As a German, this pains me deeply. I love Europe...

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The rich culture and history.
The incredible cuisine.
The best techno scene on Earth.

The fact a 2-hour flight takes you to new worlds with new language, new culture, new country.

I'm rooted here.

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But beneath this beautiful diversity lies a common problem:

Every European country shares the same anti-entrepreneurship mindset.

It doesn't matter if you're in Berlin, Paris, or Stockholm...

The system is designed to hold builders back.

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This is forcing a generation of Europeans to make an impossible choice:

Stay in a culture we love but can't build in?

Or leave everything behind to chase opportunity?

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The question isn't if Europe will fall behind. It already has.

It's on its way to irrelevancy. And its a reason why I'm currently looking to move out of the continent.

The real question is....

Will they change course before its too late?

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Over the past 16 months, I've generated:

• $650,000+
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wen DOGE EU? @elonmusk @VivekGRamaswamy

I'm German. 16 years ago, the EU and US economies were neck and...

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