George Hammond

Elon Musk calls on California and Delaware to force auction of OpenAI stake Latest salvo in legal battle over ChatGPT-maker’s restructuring as a for-profit company

Elon Musk calls on California and Delaware to force auction of OpenAI stake

https://www.ft.com/content/596dddb3-0607-44b9-b565-9c0d62e49b9f

Elon Musk calls on California and Delaware to force auction of OpenAI stake [FREE TO READ] Latest salvo in legal battle over ChatGPT-maker’s restructuring as a for-profit company

Scoop: Elon Musk's attorney is pushing OpenAI to auction off a large stake in its business, opening a new front in his fight with the Sam Altman.

Free link here: on.ft.com/4j7TlRc

David Sacks, from ‘PayPal mafia’ to Trump’s AI and crypto tsar Silicon Valley investor and podcast host has joined Elon Musk in securing a key role in incoming US administration

I profiled Trump's new AI and crypto tsar David Sacks over the weekend.

Those who know him describe a man who is controversial, theatrical - and offensive to those who take him literally but irreverent and witty to those who do not.

Free article below

on.ft.com/3ZEDPDu

David Sacks, from ‘PayPal mafia’ to Trump’s AI and crypto tsar Silicon Valley investor and podcast host has joined Elon Musk in securing a key role in incoming US administration

David Sacks, from ‘PayPal mafia’ to Trump’s AI and crypto tsar

https://www.ft.com/content/82e859c8-ab66-47ad-bea0-11277bcd7a86

OpenAI seeks to unlock investment by ditching ‘AGI’ clause with Microsoft Start-up discusses removing provision to protect powerful technology from being misused for commercial purposes

SCOOP w/ Cristina Criddle

OpenAI is discussing removing its “AGI” clause - which shuts out its biggest investor Microsoft from future AGI models - from its corp structure. That would extend MSFT's access to OpenAI's post-AGI tech in return for continued investment

www.ft.com/content/2c14...

Marc Andreessen helps to recruit staff for Elon Musk’s US cost-cutting body Venture capitalist has role in interviewing and identifying candidates for new Department for Government Efficiency

Scoop w/ @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social: Marc Andreessen has been helping with interviews for Elon Musk's DOGE. That should give some indication of Trump's likely tech policy, and helps explain why the president-elect is using terms like "Little Tech"

www.ft.com/content/1f14...

Elon Musk is attacking Britain. Former PMs are building ties [FREE TO READ] A London-based VC has connected Boris Johnson and the Tesla chief, who Tony Blair has praised as ‘an extraordinary innovator’

ICYMI:
- Boris Johnson recently renewed an acquaintance with Elon Musk, having been reintroduced by Sriram Krishnan, a London-based VC
- Tony Blair and Musk have been speaking on the phone recently
- The Nigel Farage-Musk bromance deepens

Scoop w/ @annasophiegross.bsky.social

on.ft.com/41jRWRb

Elon Musk’s Twitter backers gain windfall from xAI deal Investors hit by losses following billionaire’s takeover of social media platform reap rewards from shares in his AI start-up

“There are few adages in tech that really hold up,” said one investor in Musk’s companies. “Never bet against Elon is one.”

New report with @tabbykinder.bsky.social looking at how xAI's soaring valuation is a big win for Twitter investors.

www.ft.com/content/5c9c...

Europe’s Mistral expands in Silicon Valley in hunt for AI staff Paris-based group considers moving co-founder to growing Bay Area office as it hires scientists, engineers and sales specialists

European AI darling Mistral its planting a flag in Silicon Valley, competing for talent with its bigger rivals OpenAI and Anthropic.

www.ft.com/content/71e8...

Donald Trump’s return sends shivers through the anti-misinformation world Vow to crack down on the ‘censorship cartel’ has researchers worried — and Big Tech is on notice

Trump has vowed to crack down on universities involved in misinformation research, or what he dubs the "censorship cartel" - e.g. by curbing funds to those that have "flagged content for removal”, or legal threats

“I'm pretty fucking scared," one professor tells me.

www.ft.com/content/bfb4...

Thrive Capital: the venture firm staking billions on a few big bets The ‘all in or all out’ approach of Josh Kushner’s VC business inverts the traditional venture model. Will it pay off?

“Diversification is for people that don’t know what they’re doing. Investors are paid to know what they’re doing."

Josh Kushner's Thrive Capital is shaking up venture capital. Today's @FT big read asks whether it can pull off being a $5bn boutique.

www.ft.com/content/44c4...