DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Sam Altman says doing psychedelics during a weekend retreat in Mexico changed his life
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewSam Altman, the tech CEO behind ChatGPT, is also a big supporter of psychedelics. OpenAI cofounder shared some personal anecdotes in a recent appearance on the podcast "Life in Seven Songs," saying that doing psychedelics was one of the most transformative experiences of his life. Altman said psychedelic experiences can be "totally incredible," and for him, they've been life-altering. AdvertisementThe CEO didn't specify which psychedelics he used, but he said the experience changed him in a lot of ways.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, they've, Colab, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Peter Thiel, psychedelics, Oregan Organizations: Service, Business, PayPal, YouGov Locations: Mexico, Denver , Colorado, Oakland , California

☆ Hunting for a Private College Scholarship Can Be a Total Waste of Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( James S. Murphy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

So she and Maggie had focused their hopes on getting a private scholarship. She considered paying $700 for an online class, heavily promoted on Facebook, that promised to show parents how to find college scholarships. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students like Maggie devote countless hours to the hunt for private scholarships to pay for college. AdvertisementWith the combination of institutional aid and private scholarship she received, Maggie managed to cut her original college bill from $15,000 to $8,000. The illness is treatable, but it's likely to cost the family $5,000 out of pocket — effectively wiping out the financial value of the private scholarship Maggie received.

Persons: Maggie Beam, Siobhan, Maggie, Siobhan —, —, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz, it's, Fastweb, Jeff Levy, you'd, Ed McMahon, Peter Thiel, Ron Lieber, Dawn Brady, Chris Reeves, Aisosa, Levy, Charlain Bailey, she'd, Maggie's Organizations: Winthrop University, Rotary, Facebook, Thiel Foundation, Silicon, Niche, Community Foundation, Lehigh University ., Education's, Winthrop, Schug Foundation, Equitable Foundation, Equitable Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina, Winthrop, Carolina, California, San Diego, Aisosa Ede, Osifo, Dallas, North Carolina

☆ Mark Zuckerberg's starry watch isn't just the price of a Cybertruck, it's another major step up in his style game
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Aditi Bharade | Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewHere's the latest sign of Mark Zuckerberg's style evolution — a luxury watch depicting the Milky Way. Mark Zuckerberg spotted yesterday during the @AcquiredFM live wearing a DB25 Starry Varius in rose gold from De Bethune. 👀 pic.twitter.com/raZRTyzmAz — ZwapX (@zwapxofficial) September 11, 2024This is not the first premium watch Zuckerberg has been spotted wearing. "His recent style evolution, shown by a love for premium watches and subtle luxury, suggests a shift." To be sure, Zuckerberg's style evolution might have less to do with aesthetics and more to do with an intentional strategy to cultivate a relatable and attractive personal image.

Persons: —, Mark, De Bethune, Bryan Li, Mark Zuckerberg, De, 👀, ove Organizations: Service, De Bethune DB, Business, Swiss Locations: De Bethune, ife

☆ Peter Thiel predicts the 2024 election won't be close: 'One side is simply going to collapse'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewPeter Thiel, the right-wing tech billionaire who's known for his contrarian views, is making another unusual prediction: The 2024 election won't be close. But he also argued that the last two presidential elections may have been historical aberrations in terms of how close they were. You know, most presidential elections aren't," Theil said. He went on to claim that if the election is indeed close, Harris and Democrats will "cheat" via ballot harvesting and election rule changes. When pressed on how he would change US elections, Thiel said he'd prefer to see just one day of voting, "practically no" absentee ballots, and stronger voter ID laws.

Persons: —, Peter Thiel, who's, Thiel, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, it's, Theil, — JD Vance, Blake Masters, Vance, that's, I've, Harris, he'd Organizations: Service, Business, Trump voters, Trump Locations: Ohio, Arizona

☆ Dozens of business leaders endorse Kamala Harris for president
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Liam Reilly | Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dozens of business leaders are throwing their weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she is the stronger candidate for the American economy and the future of democracy. In a three-page letter, a group of 88 business leaders — including high-profile current and former executives from major public companies across tech, media, and finance — emphasized that they believe a Harris administration can better nurture the private sector. The endorsements underscore the support Harris has not only in Silicon Valley, a traditional Democratic stronghold, but in some corners on Wall Street and at some consumer-facing companies. On the campaign trail, Harris has positioned herself as perhaps friendlier to business than President Joe Biden. The letter is a vote of confidence for Harris as she and former President Donald Trump appear neck and neck ahead of the November election.

Persons: Kamala Harris, —, Harris, “, James Murdoch, Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Lynton, Jeremy Stoppelman, Hoffman, Jeff Lawson, Laurene Powell Jobs, Peter Chernin, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Trump, Elon Musk, David Sacks, San Francisco, Doug Leone, Joe Lonsdale, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, CNBC, Democratic, Century Fox, Emerson Collective, TCG, Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Trump, San, Republican National Convention, America PAC, Sequoia Capital, Palantir, ABC Locations: Silicon Valley, United States

☆ JD Vance urges billionaire Peter Thiel to back Trump campaign: 'Get off the sidelines'
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Republican vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) speaks at a rally at trucking company, Team Hardinger on August 28, 2024 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump's presidential running mate JD Vance is urging Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel to "get off the sidelines" and financially support the Republican ticket, Vance told the Financial Times. A representative for Thiel did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Vance's remarks. The Trump campaign has been contacted for additional comment.

Persons: J.D, Vance, Hardinger, Donald Trump's, JD Vance, Peter Thiel, Thiel, Peter, Kamala Harris, Trump Organizations: Sen, Silicon, Republican, Financial Times Locations: Erie , Pennsylvania, Silicon Valley, Wisconsin, Ohio

☆ VCs are fighting, investors are annoyed, and the presidential election has become a constant distraction that Silicon Valley just wants to be over
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Ben Bergman | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. She didn't sign, not because she doesn't support Harris (she does) but because she sees no upside in broadcasting her political intentions. The former president has also received endorsements from famous VCs Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Doug Leone, and David Sacks. Now, executives are waiting until after the election concludes to make any decision, according to a source familiar with the matter. Publicly supporting candidates has no upside for LPs, especially considering many LPs have their own agendas, added a VC.

Persons: —, Kamala, Kamala Harris, Harris, We're, Joe Biden, David Hornik, Israel —, There's, Leslie Feinzaig, VCs, Elon Musk, Trump, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Doug Leone, David Sacks, Reid Hoffman, Reed Hastings, Ron Conway, Graham, Walker, MAGA, they're, Divya Kakkad, Sacks, Jesse Middleton, Middleton, Cameron Lester, Lester, tradespeople, ServiceTitan, I've Organizations: Service, Business, San Francisco, Lobby Capital, August, Republicans, Israel, Netflix, Graham, Craft Ventures, Jefferies, Publicly Locations: San, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Bay, New York

☆ Lucy Guo's second act: After the 29-year-old left Scale AI, she has the 'itch to build' something new
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But Lucy Guo, the 29-year-old cofounder of data labeling startup Scale AI blurs the line between the two archetypes. Yet this is the persona many have come to know since Guo left Scale AI in 2018. But, midway through the program, they pivoted again, this time to what would eventually become Scale AI. Lucy GuoThe idea of Scale AI came from a suggestion by one of their YC roommates, who proposed creating an "API for humans." Advertisement"The itch to build"After Scale AI, Guo decided to apply her learnings to a new entrepreneurial opportunity: investing.

Persons: —, Lucy Guo, Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Guo, she's, Adam D'Angelo, Alexandr Wang, Alex, Wang, Guo's, Cruise, Dave Fontenot, Kylie Jenner's lipsticks, Jake Paul's, Passes Organizations: Service, Business, Fry's Electronics, Carnegie Mellon University, Thiel, Facebook, Multicoin, Bond Locations: Miami, Fremont , California, San Francisco, China, hackathons, Quora

☆ Opinion | Nate Silver on How Kamala Harris Changed the Odds
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Ezra Klein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +81 min

You know, Hillary Clinton, who was, I think, kind of a terrible candidate, won the popular vote by two points. So I don’t think they gave her a very good hand to play. It doesn’t matter who you are, it matters that you’re right and you’re able to prove it or bet on it in some way. What wasn’t in the Harris model that should have been?” “Yeah, maybe you really can meme your way to victory. And there’s something in it that I don’t think she can explain how she does it, but it makes her a fascinating leader.

Persons: Nate Silver, ”, ESPN’s Nate Silver, Silver, He’s, “ Savage, ” “, he’s, Ezra, Harris, we’ve, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, There’s, Hillary Clinton, she’s, She’s, Gavin Newsom, It’s, Biden, I’m, you’re, Joe Biden, Democratic Party Harris, Liz, —, “, Donald Trump, that’s, George W, Bush, Donald Trump wasn’t, it’s, Michael Jackson, Woody Allen, ’, Chick, don’t, George Floyd, ‘ COVID, COVID, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Michael Moritz, Elon, Mark Cuban, Thiel, Max Chafkin, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Marc Andreessen, Ted Cruz, Sam Bankman, Tom Brady, SBF, Carrick Flynn, Oregon’s, I’m Carrick Flynn, Tara MacAulay, vouched, Bill Clinton, Tyler Cowen, they’ve, Jane, JD Vance, Peter Thiel’s, Vance, Trump, Steve Bannon, Don Trump, Jr, Tucker Carlson, Tim Walz, Josh Shapiro, Tell, you’ve, Shapiro, Walz, I’ve, Iglesias, Obama, Susan Collins, Joe Manchin —, Jon Tester, ” “ Sherrod Brown, I’d, Dana White, Hulk Hogan, Joe Biden’s, — let’s, Mike Donilon, Kennedy, ” “ Tim Alberta, Georgia —, Brian Kemp, Blake Masters, Rick Scott, ” “ Trump, Doug Burgum, Black, didn’t, — Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Michael Jordan, everyone’s, Nancy Pelosi’s, Nancy Pelosi, Joe ’, we’re, I’ll, John Coates, Richard Rhodes, Natasha Schüll, Natasha Organizations: Oracle, Trump, Democratic Party, Facebook, Twitter, The New York Times, ’ Harvard University, Democratic White House, Republican White House, Democratic, Silver, George, Vegas, Poker, extroversion, Elon, Sequoia Capital, McLaren, Paypal, Republican, New, PAC, Alameda, Las, Ohio Senate, underperform, White, UFC, RNC, Biden, Biden ., National Association of Black Journalists, Deutsche Bank, Manhattan Project, Design Locations: Nate, Russian, Russia, ’, Elon, Florida, predestiny, Bahamas, Sam, Africa, New York, Oregon, Las Vegas, Petersburg, United States, Ohio, Trump, Minnesota, ” “ Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Gaza, Chicago, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada , Arizona, Biden . Georgia, Carolina, Arizona, Ukraine, LA, It’s, Vegas

☆ Mark Cuban says Silicon Valley tech bros have lost their grip on reality and now want to be the board of directors to Trump's CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Now, Trump enjoys the support from Silicon Valley bigwigs like Tesla CEO Elon Musk and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. They want to vote for normal people they can relate to," Cuban wrote in an X post on August 6. Representatives for Cuban and the Trump campaign didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Mark Cuban, Donald Trump, It's, Jon Stewart, Trump, Cuban, Stewart, they've, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Vance, Musk, Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, Tim Walz, Walz, Walz didn't, didn't Organizations: Service, titans, Business, PayPal, Tesla, Trump, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Democratic, Ivy League, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Yale Law School, Cuban, Business Insider Locations: Silicon, United States, America, Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay, Minnesota

That’s why, he said, he invested in AppHarvest, a startup that promised a high-tech future for farming and for the workers of Eastern Kentucky. Despite promising local jobs, the company eventually began contracting migrant workers from Mexico, Guatemala and other countries, numerous former employees told CNN. After about a week on the job, Vance took a meeting with AppHarvest founder Jonathan Webb, as Webb later recounted in a Fox News podcast interview. The company’s health care benefits attracted Morgan, a single father, who told CNN he took a pay cut to join the startup. Such comments ring hollow to some former AppHarvest workers, who argue Vance’s rhetoric as a candidate for vice president doesn’t align with the reality they experienced.

Persons: JD Vance, Vance, “ It’s, it’s, ” Vance, AppHarvest, Donald Trump’s, Kentuckians Vance, weren’t, ”, Anthony Morgan, “, Luke Schroeder, AppHarvest’s, JD, Jonathan Webb, Webb, Peter Thiel’s, Thiel, Steve Case, Vance “, Morgan, ” Morgan, ’ ” Anthony Morgan, Shelby Hester, Hester, ” Hester, Grist, Andrew Miller, David Attenborough, Bethany, Gary Broadbent, “ AppHarvest, Mitch McConnell, Hester’s, Mitch Smith, bigwigs, CNN AppHarvest, Martha Stewart, Broadbent, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Fox, Republican, US Department of Labor, PayPal, AOL, Fox News, AppHarvest, Morehead State University, Workers, Kentucky’s Education, Labor Cabinet, Kentucky Center, Investigative, Kentucky Republican, Securities and Exchange Commission, Retirement Association, Senate, Republican National Convention Locations: AppHarvest, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Mexico, Guatemala, Ohio, Silicon Valley, Morehead, Appalachia, gurneys, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Canada, ”

☆ Secret to Startup Success: Being an Obnoxious Risk-Taker
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Nate Silver | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Of the billionaires on the 2023 Forbes 400 list — the 400 richest people in the United States — 70% are basically self-made. In 1982, only 40% of the Forbes 400 had started their own business; the majority were simply scions of inherited wealth. The Forbes 400, however, is the extreme right tail of the curve. But you're not sniffing the Forbes 400 list, where the bidding starts at about $3 billion. I don't think VCs are deliberately picking founders they think are unreliable, although sometimes it seems like it.

Persons: Raj Chetty, That's, Chamath Palihapitiya, Palihapitiya, Josh Wolfe, Wolfe, Elon Musk, Thiel, Jeff Bezos, we're, Sam Bankman, Andreessen Horowitz, A16z, Adam Neumann, Neumann, WeWork, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Horowitz, they've, Benchmark's Gurley, Gurley, Nate Silver Organizations: Forbes, United States —, Social Capital, Burger, Lux, VCs, New York Times, Penguin Press, Penguin Publishing, Penguin Random Locations: United States, America, Sri Lanka, Canada, Coney, Israeli, Silicon, Canyon Point , Utah

☆ Opinion | JD Vance Has Right-Wing Friends in High Places
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The single most troubling thing about Senator JD Vance — his bizarre understanding of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien notwithstanding — is his close relationship with some of the most extreme elements of the American right. Yarvin has also written favorably of human bondage (slavery, he once wrote, “is a natural human relationship”) and wondered aloud if apartheid wasn’t better for Black South Africans. Take Vance’s view that the United States is in a period of Romanesque decline. “We are in a late republican period,” Vance said on a podcast in 2021.

Persons: JD Vance, Tolkien, —, Vance, Peter Thiel, Curtis Yarvin, provocateur, Yarvin, “, Thiel, ideologues, ” Vance Organizations: Black South Locations: United States, “, Overton

☆ 'These are not normal;' A new type of dealmaking for AI startups is rattling Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Ben Bergman | Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Google unnerved Silicon Valley last week when it agreed to pay $2.5 billion to license Character.AI's technology, hire its two superstar cofounders and 20 percent of employees. The deal came after AI developers Adept and Inflection both effectively sold themselves to Amazon and Microsoft, respectively, in recent months. It was only last year Character.AI raised $150 million in venture funding, which valued the company at $850 million. Its appeal as a chatbot that uses AI to make virtual characters that interact with users seems decidedly niche. Related storiesMost of the founders and investors Business Insider spoke to for this story say Google has little interest in Character.AI's actual product.

Persons: cofounders, Brent Queener, Kyle Sanford, Character.AI, Iris Sun, Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas, Jack Selby, Peter Thiel's, Steve Brotman, Shazeer, De Freitas, PitchBook's Sanford, they're, Roy Bahat, Arvind Jain, Cameron Lester, Lester Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Bonfire Ventures, Business, Apple, Big Tech, AZ, Biden Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Alpha Partners, FTC, DOJ, New York Times, Google, Madrona Venture, Bloomberg Beta, Jefferies

☆ Palantir jumps 11% on Microsoft partnership to sell AI to U.S. defense, intel agencies
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Todd Haselton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, walks to the morning session at the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 10, 2024. Palantir shares closed up 11% on Thursday after the company announced a partnership with Microsoft to sell secure cloud, analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities. Palantir reported earnings earlier in the week, raising its annual revenue forecast to between $2.74 billion and $2.75 billion, from $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion. Microsoft said the partnership would allow U.S. defense and intelligence organizations to build AI tools for action plans and logistics, among other things. Palantir, co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel, will work with Microsoft to provide trial services and training sessions.

Persons: Alex Karp, Peter Thiel, Palantir Organizations: Palantir Technologies, Allen, Co . Media, Technology Conference, Microsoft, Foundry, Apollo, AIP, intel Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, Gotham

☆ Sequoia's Michael Moritz says Trump's Silicon Valley supporters are making a 'big mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Sri Muppidi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewWhile some Silicon Valley investors and startup leaders are going red hoping for a more "tech-friendly" White House, Michael Moritz, a storied Sequoia Capital investor, believes that does not reflect the Valley overall. "Fortunately, at least in Silicon Valley, Trump will not prevail," Moritz wrote in a Financial Times opinion piece, which was also posted on LinkedIn. Like the rest of the nation, Silicon Valley is deeply divided over whom to support in the upcoming presidential race. In his piece, Moritz chided Trump supporters in Silicon Valley. Moritz added that Trump had historically not performed well among Silicon Valley voters.

Persons: —, Michael Moritz, Trump, Moritz, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Doug Leone, Shaun Maguire, Roelof Botha, Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Fund's Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Chamath, Vance, Sen, JD Vance, Palmer Luckey, Elon Musk, VCs, Kamala, Harris, Vinod Khosla, Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban, Ron Conway Organizations: Service, Sequoia Capital, LinkedIn, Business, Google, PayPal, Democratic, Republican, Tech, Trump, VR, Bloomberg, PAC, Street Journal, Netflix, Harris, Politico Locations: Silicon Valley, Sequoia, Park City , Utah, Silicon, Palo Alto , California, Newport Beach , California, Washington ,, Francisco, San Jose

☆ Palantir raises annual revenue forecast on AI strength; shares surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies poses beside the company's logo ahead of an interview with Reuters in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland May 23, 2022. Palantir Technologies raised its annual revenue forecast for the second time this year on Monday, the latest sign that the generative AI boom is driving demand for its software services. The company co-founded by billionaire Peter Thiel now expects annual revenue between $2.74 billion and $2.75 billion, compared with $2.68 billion to $2.69 billion expected earlier. It also raised its annual revenue expectation from U.S.-based companies by $11 million, to $672 million. The company forecast third-quarter revenue between $697 million and $701 million, compared to analysts' average estimate of $679.1 million, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Alex Karp, Peter Thiel, Ryan Taylor, Reuters Palantir, Karp Organizations: Palantir Technologies, Reuters, Big Tech, Microsoft, Palantir Locations: Davos, Switzerland

☆ Opinion | The Far Right Doesn’t Own ‘The Lord of the Rings’
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( David French | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tolkien and “The Lord of the Rings.”These days, however, Tolkien isn’t just relevant to nerd world. Critical factions of the new right at home and the far right in Europe have latched on to Tolkien’s work. By “new right” I mean the post-Reagan right, a movement that embraces state power as a means of fighting and winning the culture war. But they’re getting Tolkien wrong, and the way in which they are getting Tolkien wrong matters for all of us. Last month, Politico’s Adam Wren wrote an extended analysis of the way that the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy shaped JD Vance.

Persons: Tolkien, Reagan, they’re, Politico’s Adam Wren, Vance, “, ” Vance, Peter Thiel, Nancy Organizations: “ Star, Anduril Industries Locations: Europe

☆ Trump's bitcoin strategy was shared behind closed doors with CEOs who raised $25 million. Here's what he told them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

Bitcoin 2024 attendee wears "Make Bitcoin Great Again" baseball cap. Trump said on Saturday that his campaign has raised $25 million from the crypto industry since it began accepting cryptocurrency donations in May. "Make Bitcoin Great Again" hats displayed for sale at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Tennessee, US, on Saturday, July 27, 2024. "The rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry," Trump declared that afternoon in the main auditorium as he warmed up the crowd. As Riot's Les put it, "I think the core message that we communicated to President Trump was, 'This is your industry leadership group.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jon Cherry, Donald Trump White, Tyler, Cameron Winklevoss, Paul Grewal —, David Sacks, Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Marsha Blackburn, Vivek Ramaswamy —, Kid Rock, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Les, Fred Thiel, Zach Bradford, Chris Cook, Amanda Fabiano, Michael Saylor wasn't, Saylor, Trump, That's, Donald Trump's, Les, he's, litigator, Tracy Hoyos, Cyrus strummed, " Hoyos, López, Hoyos, Cyrus, López Trump, Marathon's Thiel, Thiel, David Bailey, Bailey, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Gary Gensler —, Kamala Harris, Cook, Saturday's, CleanSpark's Bradford, Riot's Les, indoctrinating, Bradford, they've, It's, we're Organizations: Republican, Getty, Music City Center, GOP, Gemini, Trump, U.S ., State Department, Marathon Digital Holdings, CNBC, Music City, Riot, Attorney, Bitcoin, BTC Inc, U.S . Securities, Exchange, US, Bloomberg, indoctrinating Trump, Industry, Mar Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, San Francisco, Nashville, Mar, Lago, U.S, San Bernardino County, López

☆ Blake Masters, a close ally of JD Vance and Peter Thiel, just lost another election
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Blake Masters lost to Abe Hamadeh in the GOP primary for Arizona's 8th congressional district. He was backed early on by Sen. JD Vance — and got a last-minute dual endorsement from Trump. It's the second election Masters has lost in two years. He was Arizona's GOP Senate nominee in 2022. The former venture capitalist, an ideological ally of Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and tech billionaire Peter Thiel, was defeated by Abe Hamadeh in a crowded GOP primary in Arizona's 8th congressional district.

Persons: Blake Masters, Abe Hamadeh, Sen, JD Vance —, Masters, —, JD Vance, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump, Vance, who'd Organizations: GOP, Trump, Service, Business Locations: Ohio, Arizona's

Some of those contributors are among those involved in a donor collective supporting Mr. Trump. Mr. Buskirk, who made some money in the insurance business, has strong relationships with tech donors. Some of those contributors are among those involved in a donor collective called the Rockbridge Network that Mr. Buskirk created. Its twice-a-year meetings have drawn appearances by Mr. Trump, as well as megadonors including Peter Thiel, Rebekah Mercer, Steve Wynn and David Sacks. Mr. Buskirk gained a following in the Trump orbit with a publication called American Greatness.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, JD Vance, Christopher Buskirk, Mr, Vance, Buskirk, “, Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, Harris’s, Virginia “, Elon Musk, ” Mr, Peter Thiel, Rebekah Mercer, Steve Wynn, David Sacks, Donald Trump Jr Organizations: Trump ., America, The New York Times, Mr, PAC, Trump, Federal, Commission, America PAC, Rockbridge Network, Rockbridge, Mar, CNN Locations: Ohio, Arizona , Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Virginia

☆ A.I.’s Benefits Outweigh the Risks - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

I’m optimistic, paradoxically, because I don’t think A.I. I don’t think A.I. In fact, I think instead of replacing us, I think A.I. are based on an underestimation of the human mind. “mind” is like the human mind.

Persons: —, Michael Ignatieff, Angus Fletcher, ”, it’s, It’s, Peter Thiel, Tyler Cowen, A.I, “, ” Keats Organizations: Ohio State University, Harvard Business School, Boston Consulting Group Locations: Canadian

How the election is dividing techThe tech world has long been divided by rivalries: Macs versus PCs, open source versus closed source. It’s a reminder, as DealBook has noted, that Silicon Valley’s libertarian wing is feeling more emboldened to flex its money and influence to buck what has become a traditionally Democratic consensus. Who’s who: Some of the most vocal Democratic donors among the tech elite are Hoffman; Vinod Khosla, the venture capitalist; Aaron Levie, the C.E.O. On the Republican side are a camp of libertarians that includes Musk and the investors Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Then there are those staying neutral, including Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, who are ostensibly trying to avoid antagonizing whoever wins in November.

Persons: Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, Ryan Mac, Erin Griffith, Mike Isaac, DealBook, Who’s, Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, Aaron Levie, Roger McNamee, Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Organizations: Republican

☆ Why Silicon Valley Is Going to War Against the Media, Journalists
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Just 20 years ago journalists covered the tech industry "like it didn't matter, like it was this hobbyist, interesting, plucky thing." The pro-tech media gives tech's main characters the chance to write their way back to the original storyline. Trae Stephens, a partner at Founders Fund, described Pirate Wires as a kind of daily affirmation for Silicon Valley. Related storiesTrae Stephens, a partner at Founders Fund, described Pirate Wires as a kind of daily affirmation for Silicon Valley. Of the members of the news media I talked to about pro-tech media, some were backhandedly laudatory.

Persons: Mike Solana, Solana, Peter Thiel, —, David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Friedberg, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, There's, Coogan, John Coogan, Andreessen Horowitz, Marc Andreessen, they're, Balaji Srinivasan, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump's, Tyler Le, Sam Bankman, Warren Buffett, Trae Stephens, Andreessen, Palmer Luckey, It's, Dick Lucas, Lucas, Joe Rogan, Kamala, Stephens, Packy McCormick, Taylor Lorenz, Ryan Mac, Kevin Roose, Jesse Singal —, Casey Newton, Casey isn't, Casey, Newton, Erik Torenberg, Anthony Fauci, Ellen Pao, Katherine Maher, George Soros, Joe Biden, Chesa Boudin, Boudin, Gavin Newsom, Palihapitiya, Sacks, Trump, JD Vance, Brian Merchant, Ben Smith, Eric Newcomer, he's, Lulu Cheng Meservey, Balaji Srinivasan's, Zoë Bernard Organizations: Fund, Tech, Founders Fund, Apple, Elon, Elite, Sequoia Capital, Pirate, Penguin Group, Big Tech, Card Industry, Washington Post, TechCrunch, Media, NPR, Google, Disney, Twitter, Republican National Convention, Bloomberg, monetization, San, Business Locations: San Francisco, Substack, Silicon Valley, New York, Silicon, Solana, Miami, Francisco, California, Los Angeles

☆ Bitcoin: We're about 6 months into an 'institutional kind of boom,' digital asset technology firm says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | 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 EmailBitcoin: We're about 6 months into an 'institutional kind of boom,' digital asset technology firm saysFred Thiel, CEO of Marathon Digital Holdings, says "if you look at the bitcoin ETF, it has reduced the friction for buying, holding and owning bitcoin significantly."

Persons: Fred Thiel Organizations: Marathon Digital Holdings

Search resuls for: "Thiel"

25 mentions found