At a recent meeting, three of the biggest cattle barons in the United States accepted an anonymous invitation to a steak dinner.

After the meal, all three complimented the particularly fine quality of the steak, wondering aloud which of their enterprises had produced the cattle that bore such flavorful cuts of meat.

Then their host appeared -- a quiet and unassuming man who explained that he was the CEO of a plant-based meat-substitute startup, and that the "steaks" they had just eaten were 100% vegan, made entirely from plants. Not only that, but the production methods they had developed were so efficient that soon these plant-based steaks would be available at half the cost of real meat.

One of the cattle barons slammed his fists down and muttered some curses at this deception, before storming out of the room. The second just sat there, stunned and slack-jawed, staring at the plate.

The third folded his arms across his chest, leaned forward, and asked, "and how can I invest in your company?"



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