The Controversial Quest to Become the Ultimate Status Protein Bar

Plus: How the Beckham Boys Are Dealing With the Family Drama

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS If you, like pretty much everyone right now—the government included—are obsessed with protein, boy do we have a nutrient-rich story for you today. Dig into Sophia Herring's profile of Peter Rahal, the ambitious founder of David who is building a health and wellness empire around the shiny, gold protein bar. But as Herring details, Rahal's quest for world domination hasn't come without controversy—or lawsuits. "I have this rage in me—call it a masculine warrior energy—which is why work is so important," Rahal tells VF. Plus, in case you missed it, we've got Vanity Fair senior staff writer Ta-Nehisi Coates's striking commentary as he grapples with what the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti mean for the state of "The Homeland," writing, "Trump has clarified an inconvenient fact—the culture war is an actual war." DANIELA TIJERINA, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Inside the Quest to Become the Ultimate Status Protein Bar BY SOPHIA HERRING Peter Rahal, who founded David in September 2024, calls the bars a new frontier of health, sold as a lifestyle. It's not without controversy—or lawsuits: "In my head, I'm just the guy who sucked at school, but now people treat me differently." READ MORE More Great Reads COMMENTARY The Blood-and-Soil Nationalism That Killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good BY TA-NEHISI COATES Pretti and Good were labeled "domestic terrorists" of The Homeland—rhetoric employed by the administration to justify the state taking life, by associating the dead with national villainy. READ MORE ROYALS The Secondary Education of Prince George BY KATIE NICHOLL Prince George will start secondary school this year, and as rumors swirl about where he'll attend, sources close to Prince William and Kate Middleton tell VF they are leaning in favor of breaking tradition. READ MORE FASHION The Stylings of Connor Storrie BY JOSÉ CRIALES-UNZUETA The Heated Rivalry star found overnight fame and went viral for baring it all. Now, his stylist James Yardley tells Vanity Fair all about dressing the actor for superstardom. READ MORE Video The Bridgerton Cast Test How Well They Know Each Other BY VANITY FAIR Ahead of the season four premiere of Bridgerton, the stars of the hit Netflix series find out just how much they know about each other. READ MORE In Case You Missed It How the Beckham Boys Are Dealing With the Family Drama While David and Victoria are grappling with the estrangement of their eldest son, Brooklyn, his younger brothers, Cruz and Romeo, also seem to want to subtly suggest what they think. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.