Some Companies Die Fast. Some Take Months.

⚰️ DEATH WATCH — AUGUST 2026

First edition. Every month, Sonny checks the pulse.

🔴 CRITICAL

Sleep Number — Chapter 11, June 12, 2026, $672 million in debt, blamed on tariffs and inflation. Selling to Canadian bedding company Sleep Country Canada for $415 million. The twist: Sleep Number recently gave Travis Kelce a 5% equity stake as part of a sponsorship deal. He is now one of the company’s largest shareholders — in a company that filed for bankruptcy months later.

🟡 ZOMBIE

Bed Bath & Beyond — Liquidated in 2023. The brand came back under new ownership, which is now buying up Kirkland’s, The Container Store, Elfa, and Closet Works. The company is dead. The name won’t stop shopping.

⚫ CONFIRMED DEAD

Rite Aid — The company’s own statement: “All Rite Aid stores have now closed.” No eulogy needed. They wrote their own.

Sonny checks the pulse monthly. Some months, there’s no pulse to check. 🐊