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At the Milken Institute’s Global Conference this week, a little-known risky financial tool became the subject of a hot debate among Wall Street titans. Many private equity firms have quietly begun mortgaging their investment funds, piling leverage upon leverage. In other words, they’re taking out loans against the businesses they’ve already taken out loans to buy. At a time when dealmakers are desperate to raise new cash after the boom of the pandemic era, this mechanism — known as a net asset value loan — is allowing them to do it overnight. firms are using the tool as they set out to raise their next funds, especially those confronting a hurdle during a slow period for dealmaking: They have yet to return cash to the limited partners they tapped for their last round.

Organizations: Milken Institute’s Global Conference, Wall Street titans

☆ Jim Simons, Math Genius Who Conquered Wall Street, Dies at 86
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jonathan Kandell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jim Simons, the prizewinning mathematician who abandoned a stellar academic career, then plunged into finance — a world he knew nothing about — and became one of the most successful Wall Street investors ever, died on Friday in his home in Manhattan. His death was confirmed by his spokesman, Jonathan Gasthalter, who did not specify a cause. After publishing breakthrough studies in pattern recognition, string theory and a framework that combined geometry and topology with quantum field theory, Mr. Simons decided to apply his genius to a more prosaic subject — making as much money as he could in as short a time as possible. Spurning financial analysts and business school graduates, he hired like-minded mathematicians and scientists. Mr. Simons equipped his colleagues with advanced computers to process torrents of data filtered through mathematical models, and turned the four investment funds in his new firm, Renaissance Technologies, into virtual money printing machines.

Persons: Jim Simons, Jonathan Gasthalter, Simons Organizations: Street, Renaissance Technologies Locations: Manhattan

☆ Rivian, Lucid and other EV startups scramble to shore up cash and reassure Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article NKLARIVNLCID Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTR1T trucks on the assembly line at the Rivian electric vehicle plant in Normal on April 11, 2022. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Performance of Rivian, Lucid and Nikola stocks over the past year. Rivian reported $7.86 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments to end March, with more than $9 billion in total liquidity. Lucid, for its part, ended the first quarter with approximately $4.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents and investments, with total liquidity of approximately $5.03 billion. Unlike Rivian and Lucid, Nikola is exclusively focused on commercial vehicles rather than ones to retail customers.

Persons: Brian Cassella, Tesla, Itay Michaeli, Rivian, Rivian's, Peter Rawlinson, he's, Rawlinson, " Rawlinson, LSEG, Nikola, Thomas Okray, Okray, Derek Jenkins, David Swanson Organizations: Tribune, Service, Rivian, Lucid Group, Nikola Corp, Wall Street, Citi, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Wall, Lucid, Los Angeles Auto Locations: Normal, Illinois, Georgia, Normal , Illinois, Los Angeles , California, U.S

☆ Lucid CEO says Chinese automakers are still 'years and years behind' Elon Musk's Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewChinese EV makers are challenging Tesla — but one of the company's rivals still thinks they're years away from overtaking Elon Musk's firm in one respect. Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson said that despite their success, Chinese automakers are still some distance behind Tesla when it comes to the underlying technology that powers EVs — but warned that they could catch up quickly. Related storiesHowever, Rawlinson warned that Western car makers must not "underestimate" the ability of their Chinese rivals to quickly catch up on core EV technology. After once laughing off Tesla's Chinese rivals, Musk now seems a lot more worried, telling investors that Chinese EVs are likely to "demolish" the competition if trade barriers aren't put in place. The company has slashed prices on its high-end Lucid Air sedan to compete with Tesla, and produced less than 10,000 vehicles last year.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Peter Rawlinson, EVs, they're, Tesla, Rawlinson, they've, They're, Warren Buffett Organizations: Service, Elon, Business, Financial Times, Geneva, Tesla, Saudi Public Investment Fund Locations: London, China

☆ Hattan Alsaif: ‘When I fight, I can feel my soul alive,’ says Saudi Arabia’s groundbreaking MMA star
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Alsaif is acutely aware of her status as a trailblazer for female MMA fighters in Saudi Arabia and takes such a responsibility seriously. I feel I’m alive when I train, when I fight, in the gym – I can feel my soul alive. “When I breathe after the rounds, when I feel sick, when I feel tired, when I feel courage, when I feel scared, those moments, every part of that, it makes me feel alive. It’s something that means a lot to me.”Alsaif (right) competed in Muay Thai prior to MMA. Sadaa, coach of Saudi Arabia’s Muay Thai national team, has been central to Alsaif’s success, though his influence extends far beyond a sporting sphere.

Persons: Hattan, Saudi Arabia –, – Alsaif, “, ” Alsaif, I’m, “ It’s, Egypt’s Nada Faheem, Alsaif, ”, it’s, Abdullah Al, Feras Sadaa, Sadaa, Claressa Shields, Kelsey De Santis, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Professional Fighters League, wasn’t, Professional, League, Thailand –, Combat Games, Saudi Games, International Federation of Muaythai, Muay Thai, Al, SRJ Sports Investments Company, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Thai, Thailand, East, North Africa, MENA

☆ Saudi Arabia's $100 billion AI and semi-chip fund says it will divest from China if the US asks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi AI firm Alat would divest from China if the US requests it, CEO Amit Midha told Bloomberg. Saudi Arabia has been pouring billions into AI and semiconductor initiatives in an attempt to become a major hub. AdvertisementA new state-backed Saudi Arabian fund centered on semiconductor and AI technology has guaranteed that it would divest from China if Washington requests it. Officials have long portrayed China's access to AI and semiconductor technology as a national security threat. US officials have already had to mandate AI firms to divest from China, such as G42.

Persons: Amit Midha, —, Midha, that's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Milken Institute Global Conference, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Officials, Silicon, New York Times, United Arab Emirates, Microsoft Locations: Saudi, China, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Beijing, Alat

☆ Ali Partovi learned to code in a war zone. Now, he's trying to build a new kind of venture fund.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But amid the chaos, there was one solid thing in Partovi's life, one thing he knew he could always put in order: computer code. Related storiesNow, Partovi has reached the top echelon of seed investors, ranking 13th on Business Insider's Seed 100 list. 'Neo Scholars'Through his seed-stage fund Neo, Partovi has amassed a formidable portfolio of early-stage investments, including Ramp, Deel, Vanta, MosaicML, and many more. As these "Neo Scholars," as they're known, graduate or drop out to build startups, Neo backs them with money from its investment fund.

Persons: —, Ali Partovi, Saddam Hussein, Partovi's, Hadi, Partovi, Facebook, Uber, There's Erik Goldman, Dropbox, Vanta, There's Ari Steinberg, who's Organizations: Service, Business, Boston University, Sharif University of Technology, Harvard, Microsoft, University, CS, Stanford, Facebook, Airbnb Locations: Tehran, Iran, Iraq, North America, Silicon

☆ Lucid posts quarterly revenue beat as luxury EV sedan price cuts boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lucid Group reported first-quarter revenue above analysts' estimates on Monday as price cuts helped the company deliver more luxury electric sedans in the first three months of 2024. Revenue for the first quarter was $172.7 million, compared with analysts' estimate of $156.99 million, according to LSEG data. Lucid posted a net loss of $684.76 million, narrower than a $779.5 million loss a year earlier. It ended the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $2.17 billion, compared with $1.37 billion in the fourth quarter of last year. The company said it expects capital expenditure of $1.5 billion this year, compared with $910.6 million in 2023.

Persons: Lucid, Elon Musk, Tesla Organizations: Lucid, Air, Revenue, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Locations: Newark , California

A core demand over by the pro-Palestinian student groups at Columbia University was for the school to withdraw investment funds from what they describe as companies profiting from Israel’s war in Gaza. The group has described those companies as profiting “from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and military occupation of Palestine.” Israel denies accusations of genocide. Columbia now lists five areas where it refrains from investing: tobacco, private prison operations, thermal coal, Sudan and fossil fuels — all decisions made in the past decade. Columbia was also the first Ivy League university to divest from South Africa, and various other colleges followed suit. In 2015, Columbia became the first US university to divest from private prison companies after a student campaign raising concerns about human rights abuses.

Persons: ” Israel Organizations: Columbia University, Columbia, Ivy League, Columbia’s, Trustees Locations: Gaza, Palestine, Columbia, Sudan, South Africa

☆ BlackRock is opening a Saudi investment firm with initial $5 billion from PIF
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The BlackRock logo is displayed at the company's headquarters in New York City on Nov. 14, 2022. Asset manager BlackRock will launch an investment platform in Riyadh with the help of a $5 billion anchor investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with $10 trillion in assets under management, will "launch investment strategies across asset classes for the Saudi market, including both public and private markets, managed by a Riyadh-based investment team," a joint press release from the firm and the PIF read. The new platform will be called BlackRock Riyadh Investment Management, or BRIM. BRIM aims to help bring foreign institutional investment into Saudi Arabia as well as develop the Saudi asset management industry, expand local capital markets and investor diversification, and support the development of the kingdom's asset management talent, the release said.

Organizations: BlackRock, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Saudi, BlackRock Riyadh Investment Management Locations: BlackRock, New York City, Riyadh, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Jeff Zucker Abandons Telegraph Bid, Putting London Paper Back Into Play
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | More About Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jeff Zucker’s bid for Tory titan-hood has come to an end. The media executive on Tuesday formally abandoned his attempt to take the reins of London’s Daily Telegraph, bailing out after British political and news leaders balked at Mr. Zucker’s reliance on Emirati financiers to bankroll the effort. Mr. Zucker’s venture company, RedBird IMI, had sought government approval to complete a debt-for-equity deal that would hand it control of The Telegraph and its sister magazine, The Spectator. Because of the withdrawal, other prospective owners may now attempt to purchase the publications. “Our ownership would have seen the strongest editorial protections ever put forward for a U.K. newspaper, along with much-needed investment,” a RedBird IMI spokesperson said in a statement.

Persons: Jeff Zucker’s, “, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan Organizations: London’s Daily Telegraph, Mr, RedBird IMI, The Telegraph, The, IMI, The Spectator, RedBird, Media Investments, United Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

☆ Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia's economy minister rejected recent reports that the kingdom's $1.5 trillion NEOM megaproject, a futuristic desert development on the Red Sea coast, is scaling back some of its plans. "All projects are moving full steam ahead," Faisal Al Ibrahim told CNBC's Dan Murphy on Monday at the World Economic Forum's special meeting in Riyadh. "We set out to do something unprecedented and we're doing something unprecedented, and we will deliver something that's unprecedented." Al Ibrahim stressed that the projects would be delivered according to plan, but with the qualification that decisions were being made for "optimal economic impact." "We see feedback from the market, we see more interest from the investors and we'll always prioritize to where we can optimize for optimal economic impact," he said.

Persons: Faisal Al Ibrahim, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Al Ibrahim, we'll Organizations: Bloomberg, Saudi, NEOM, Public Investment Fund Locations: Saudi, Riyadh

☆ Rolls-Royce is growing its factory so it can build cars more slowly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

So this factory expansion isn’t about making more cars, but making more expensive cars, which takes more time and requires more space for workshops and storage of exotic materials. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Syntopia's has glass flecks to create sparkling designs. Before that, Rolls-Royce cars were built alongside Bentleys — Rolls-Royce had acquired Bentley in 1931 — at a factory in Crewe, UK. The Phantom Syntopia likely would have cost more than $3 million according to sources, although Rolls-Royce would not confirm an exact price. The Phantom Syntopia has a special Weaving Water design in its Starlight Headliner.

Persons: Royce, “ We’re, ”, Martin Fritsches, “ That’s, Bentleys —, Bentley, Stephan Winkelmann, Javier Gonzalez Lastra, Fritsches, Cullinan Organizations: CNN, BMW, Royce, Bentley, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Ferrari, ” Lamborghini, Tema Locations: Chichester , England, Crewe, cabinetry

☆ Columbia student protestors are demanding ‘divestment.’ Here’s what the university has divested from in the past
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Clare Duffy | Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Columbia University Apartheid Divest submitted a formal proposal to the committee for withdrawing investments related to Israel in December, which has yet to yield success. Students at Columbia College, the university’s undergraduate school, voted to support the divestment proposal last week. Heading a nationwide South Africa divestment movementCurrently, Columbia lists five areas where it refrains from investing: tobacco, private prison operations, thermal coal, Sudan and fossil fuels — all decisions that were made in the past decade. In April 1985, students led a three-week student demonstration against Columbia’s investments in South Africa, the New York Times reported at the time. Pete Seeger, right, speaks to the crowd at Columbia University as hundreds of students continued to protest the school's ties to South Africa, April 8, 1985.

Persons: ” Israel, Catherine Elias, Daniel Armstrong, “, ” Armstrong, Pete Seeger, Frankie Ziths, G4S, Karla Ann Cote, divests, ”, Savannah Pearson, Michael Cusack Organizations: New, New York CNN, Columbia University, Columbia University Apartheid, —, Columbia, Columbia College, CNN, Coalition, New York Times, American Express, Ford, Ivy League, University of California, Johns Hopkins University, University of North, Corrections Corporation of America, Library, “, Columbia’s, Trustees, Columbia’s Teachers College Locations: New York, Gaza, Palestine, Columbia, Vietnam, Upper Manhattan, Israel, South Africa, Sudan, Los Angeles, Chevron, Berkeley, University of North Carolina, Hill, South, United States

☆ Saudi Arabia is becoming a hot spot for global technology manufacturing with sustainable practices in mind. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI and industry 4.0 technology presents an unprecedented opportunity for manufacturers to transform their operations. Alat has already partnered with several global leaders in advanced manufacturing to work together on these challenges. Alongside advanced technology, another critical element of Alat is the use of clean energy and sustainable practices to become a leader in sustainable manufacturing. Alat will also implement sustainability best practices into every facet of its processes, which integrate the most up-to-date industry 4.0 thinking to enable sustainable manufacturing. Through the combination of advanced technology, best practices, and commitment to sustainability, Alat is reimagining manufacturing, for a better tomorrow.

Persons: Alat Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Alat, SoftBank Group, Saudi, Sustainable Technology, Insider Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ 92% of investment funds have increased their exposure to China: HSBC
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email92% of investment funds have increased their exposure to China: HSBCHerald van der Linde of HSBC discusses the outlook for China's market, saying the market is in the early stages of improving sentiment.

Persons: der Organizations: HSBC Herald, der Linde, HSBC Locations: China

☆ Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, worth more than $60M, hopes to send ‘positive message’ to struggling industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Boasting the largest prize pool in esports history, this year’s inaugural 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC) could prove to be a pivotal moment for the industry. Clubs will be able to choose which games they participate in before the best performing team across the various championships will be crowned the ultimate Esports World Cup champion for the very first time. Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, hopes this new competition in Saudi Arabia can be a game changer. “Setting the record for largest esports prize pool is a remarkable achievement, but what I’m most proud of is the positive message this sends to the wider esports and gaming community,” Reichert said in a statement. In 2023, Saudi launched ‘The National Gaming and Esports Strategy’ (NGES) which hopes to make the country the center of the competitive gaming world by 2030.

Persons: Ralf Reichert, ” Reichert, Saudi Arabia –, “, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ” Organizations: CNN, Apex, EA Sports FC, of, League, Riot, New York Times, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Saudi, National Gaming, Saudi’s, New Global Sport Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

Jared Kushner’s investment fund is not especially large by global finance standards. His $3 billion fund is financed almost entirely from overseas investors with whom he worked when he served as a senior adviser in the Trump White House. He has taken money from government wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from Terry Gou, a founder of Foxconn, the Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, whose role in Mr. Kushner’s firm has not been previously disclosed. Mr. Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, is collecting approximately $40 million a year in management fees from those investors even before any share of profits earned on investments. He has made 10 investments to date, totaling $1.2 billion, many of them in companies based abroad.

Persons: Jared, Donald J, Trump, Terry Gou, Kushner’s Organizations: Trump White House, United Arab, Foxconn, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr, Affinity Partners Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Taiwan

☆ How car buyers thinking hybrid over EV should make the decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And what would the upfront costs be to upgrade your system to allow for faster charging, if desired? Do the math on upfront cost, EV vs. hybridIf it's still a toss up between an EV and a hybrid, next consider upfront costs. By contrast, the average starting price for a hybrid car is $33,214, according to iSeeCars.com, a car search engine. Search for available auto rebates and incentivesIf you're leaning toward an EV, but still find the upfront cost daunting, look for possible rebates. He points to a study by Argonne National Lab that shows scheduled maintenance costs per mile are significantly lower for an EV versus a traditional hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

Persons: you've, Aston Martin, Sandeep Rao, there's, Rao, Steve Christensen, Maxwell Woody, Woody, Albert Gore, ZETA Organizations: Ford, General Motors, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Rover, Gallup, New York, EV, Chevrolet, Department of Energy, Battery Coalition, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, of Michigan, University of Michigan, Argonne National Lab, Honda Locations: U.S, California, Florida, Texas

☆ Opinion: Investing in oil and gas doesn’t make sense anymore
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Opinion Tom Steyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some might think that, questions of morality aside, fossil fuel investments are just too good to pass up. Even in the United States, where President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is making historic investments in clean energy, oil exports are at an all-time high. On closer examination, the simplest argument against funding new oil, gas and coal projects is not that they’re immoral. What should be even more concerning to investors is that fossil fuel companies’ challenges go beyond supply and demand. Finally, there is perhaps the greatest risk fossil fuel investors face: the industry’s massive profits are largely dependent on special treatment by governments.

Persons: Tom Steyer, Pimco, Vladimir Putin’s, Joe Biden’s, I’ve, —, there’s, Morgan Stanley, persuasively, Herbert Stein Organizations: Solutions, CNN, JPMorgan Chase, State Street, Global Energy Monitor, Farallon Capital, ” Locations: BlackRock, Ukraine, United States, Texas, Farallon

☆ Trump recently spoke to his old 'friend,' Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump recently spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, per the NYT. Trump once called the Saudi ruler "a friend of mine" whom he'd protected from congressional scrutiny. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump recently spoke to his old "friend" and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. Related storiesThat Trump has carried on his relationship with the Saudi ruler isn't too surprising. AdvertisementTrump also claimed that he'd protected the Saudi Crown Prince from congressional scrutiny following the brutal murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Persons: Donald Trump, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump, —, Trump's, isn't, Jared Kushner, Jamal Khashoggi, Bob Woodward Organizations: MBS, Saudi Consulate, Service, The New York Times, White, The Times, Times, Representatives, Trump, Saudi, Trump Organization, Reuters, Business Insider Locations: Saudi, American, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Istanbul

☆ Jain Global hires distressed debt trader Jeff Bersh
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Jeff Bersh is joining from Venor Capital and has a background in distressed debt trading. The multi-manager hedge fund is targeting a launch of up to $6 billion, making it one of the largest ever startups. AdvertisementBobby Jain is continuing to fill out his roster ahead of the expected July launch of his multi-manager hedge fund Jain Global. Jeff Bersh is said to be joining Jain Global from Venor Capital, according to people familiar with the matter. Before that he traded distressed debt at Credit Suisse — overlapping with Jain — and also worked stints at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Bear Stearns.

Persons: Bobby Jain, Jeff Bersh, —, Jain —, Bear Stearns Organizations: Jain, Venor, Service, Credit Suisse, Donaldson, Lufkin, Business Locations: Jenrette

☆ Qatari royal reportedly invested $50 million in pro-Trump news channel Newsmax
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Right-wing news outlet Newsmax received an investment of roughly $50 million from a Qatari royal between 2019 and 2020, the Washington Post reported, citing documents seen by the paper and confirmations from representatives of both Newsmax and the royal investment firm. Former Qatari government official Sheikh Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani invested in Newsmax through Heritage Advisors, a London-based investment fund that he owned, according to the report. According to the Post's reporting on Tuesday, Newsmax was looking for investors to compete with the likes of Fox News. In a statement cited by The Hill, a Newsmax spokesperson said: "In 2019 Newsmax received a minority investment from a UK-based fund with a Qatari investor that also invested in a company associated with the current Washington Post publisher. The Qatari royal "transferred his stake to a Cayman Islands-based corporate structure," the Post reported, adding that the $50 million investment represented a "significant minority stake."

Persons: George R, Newsmax, Sultan bin Jassim Al Thani, Donald Trump's Organizations: National Rifle Association, Brown Convention, Washington Post, Former Qatari, Heritage Advisors, United Arab, Doha stringently, Fox News, CNBC, Qatari, Dominion Voting Systems Locations: Houston , Texas, Newsmax, London, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatari, Cayman Islands

☆ Some VCs are over the Sam Altman hype
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In late 2023, when OpenAI sought $300 million from investors, CEO Sam Altman chose a different approach. In some corners of this clubby world, over $7 coffee and artisanal cocktails, the meteoric rise of OpenAI and Sam Altman is giving way to an inevitable backlash. "He's a kingmaker," a Silicon Valley startup founder and angel investor who knows Altman. Sam Altman and OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment. A certain somethingMany of the VCs who spoke with BI said Altman has a certain something.

Persons: —, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Altman, they'd, I've, Ali Ghodsi, Altman's, Ghodsi, Steve Jobs's, Paul Graham, he's, Sam, Jack Altman, It's, it's, Elon, Alexander the Great, Adam Neumann Organizations: Service, NEA, Business, Altman's, The Washington Post, The, YC, BI, WeWork Locations: Sequoia, Silicon Valley, The, San Francisco

☆ Saudi Arabia is building the world's first Dragon Ball Z theme park
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors try out the latest version of Dragon Ball Z Kakarot at the 2019 Gamescom gaming trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Saudi Arabia is set to become home to the first-ever Dragon Ball Z theme park — a 5.3 million square foot entertainment venue announced as part of the kingdom's huge Qiddiya project. Five of the rides at the Dragon Ball Z theme park will be "world firsts," according to the release, one of which will be a 230-foot-high roller coaster called Shenron, named after the series' magical dragon. Vision 2030, the name of this project, a brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has also set a target of 150 million tourists visiting the kingdom annually by 2030. Tourism reached a record for the country in 2023 at 106 million, according to its tourism ministry — an increase of 56% from 2019.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, It's Organizations: Toei Animation, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Nintendo, Tourism Locations: Cologne, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Riyadh —, Riyadh, City

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