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LONDON (AP) — Italian regulators said they told OpenAI that its ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot has violated European Union’s stringent data privacy rules. The watchdog started investigating ChatGPT last year, when it temporarily banned within Italy the chatbot that can produce text, images and sound in response to users' questions. The growing popularity of generative AI systems like ChatGPT are also drawing increasing scrutiny from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. Competition regulators in the 27-nation EU and Britain, meanwhile, are also examining Microsoft's OpenAI investments. AI systems also face broader oversight in the EU, which is f inalizing its groundbreaking AI Act, the world's first comprehensive rulebook for artificial intelligence.

Persons: OpenAI, chatbot, ChatGPT, “ Organizations: San, EU, Data, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Google, Microsoft, Competition Locations: San Francisco, Italy, EU, Britain

☆ New California city backed by Silicon Valley billionaires will be about 18,600 acres — less than half the size of the purchased land
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Notably, the acreage is less than half of the nearly 55,000 acres Flannery Associates purchased presumably for the project since at least 2018. Flannery Associates has spent about $800 million grabbing up land throughout the county that sits about 60 miles above San Francisco. But the group also has been in a contentious legal battle with a handful of Solano County landowners since May. In a lawsuit, Flannery Associates accused landowners of conspiring to inflate the land prices. In response, attorneys for the landowners accused Flannery Associates of using "strong-arm tactics" to pressure landowners into selling their land.

Persons: —, Flannery, Solano County —, Flannery Associates, Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs, Reid Hoffman, Flannery overpaid, Jan Sramek, Flannery Will Ruin, Mitch Mashburn, Mashburn Organizations: Silicon, Service, Flannery Associates, Solano Homes, Jobs, Clean Energy Initiative, New York Times, LinkedIn, Local, NBC Locations: California, Solano County, Vallejo , Fairfield, Solano, San Francisco, Silicon

☆ Masseuse accuses New York Knicks owner Jim Dolan of sexually assaulting her and looking the other way when Harvey Weinstein did, too
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein," Croft said. "Towards the end of the massage, Dolan pulled Ms. Croft towards him. "On each of these occasions, Dolan made unwelcome advances toward Ms. Croft, and she felt obligated to submit to sex with him." Croft told Dolan that she met Weinstein and that he was "sexually aggressive" with her, and Dolan did not "express any surprise at the news," the lawsuit says. Perry continued: "Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims.

Persons: —, masseuse, Jim Dolan, Harvey Weinstein, Dolan, Weinstein, Kellye Croft, James Dolan, Croft, Croft's, Frank Franklin II, Weinstein —, ETIENNE LAURENT, Danya Perry, Perry, Mr, Douglas Wigdor, Wigdor, Jennifer Bonjean Organizations: Service, Business, Garden Entertainment Corp, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, Attorneys, Eagles, JD, Azoff Company, NBA, Toronto Raptors, AP, Getty Locations: Madison, California, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Dolan's, Angeles

☆ What the unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents say — and don't say — about Stephen Hawking
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Stephen Hawking's name came up in the newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents. In 2015, Epstein offered to pay people to disprove an allegation that Hawking was in an "underage orgy." AdvertisementThere's been a lot of chatter about Stephen Hawking's name appearing in the newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents — but has the renowned physicist been accused of anything? And the unsealed documents, from a civil lawsuit Giuffre filed against Maxwell in 2016, do not include any such allegations from Giuffre. The release involving Hawking was the first batch of documents unsealed.

Persons: Stephen Hawking's, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Hawking, —, There's, Ghislaine Maxwell, Maxwell, Virginia Giuffre, clinton, hawking, ted, Epstein bankrolled, Hawking hasn't, Giuffre, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Stephen Hawking Organizations: Service, New, Independent Locations: New York, Giuffre

☆ Charlie Munger once funded a $185 million windowless dorm at his alma mater, the University of Michigan: 'You never saw a happier bunch of students'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Investing legend Charlie Munger once bankrolled a windowless dorm at the University of Michigan. Munger, who passed away on Tuesday, once funded a $185 million dorm at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. In 2013, Munger donated $110 million to construct the Munger Graduate Residences. Advertisement"You never saw a happier bunch of students," Munger told CNN about a visit he made to Munger Graduate Residences in 2021. "It was a mistake on my part," Munger told CNN.

Persons: Charlie Munger, Munger, —, Luiza, Macadeo Organizations: University of Michigan, CNN, Service, Munger Graduate, Bloomberg, University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Locations: Munger, Santa

NXTP/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Latin American venture capital firm NXTP has raised $98 million for a fund targeting technology startups largely in Brazil and Mexico, it said on Tuesday. Despite current macroeconomic headwinds, there is an "enormous" opportunity to invest in Latin American startups, said NXTP managing partner Darly Bendo. "We're seeing really low software penetration in Latin America" ranging from small-and-medium-size businesses to large corporations, he said. NXTP is now eyeing opportunities to invest the funds in startups primarily in Brazil, followed by Mexico. "It's an interesting moment to be investing in Latin America," said Busse, who pointed to buy-in from international and institutional investors in the latest fund as proof of increased demand.

Persons: NXTP, Darly Bendo, Alexander Busse, Bendo, Busse, Kylie Madry, Sonali Paul Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, MEXICO CITY, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Handout, MEXICO, Brazil, Mexico, America

☆ Bahrain seeks to balance anger over Gaza with ties to Israel, US
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The deal to normalise ties with Israel, signed in 2020 by Bahrain when Donald Trump was president, brought few business benefits to Bahrain, unlike those it offered United Arab Emirates, a regional commercial hub which signed at the same time. Six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Bahrain would not abandon its ties with Israel, even though parliament - a body that remains subservient to the monarchy - has made a strident statement suggesting Israel relations were in the freezer. Bahrain is trying to preserve the relationship with Israel while also managing public opinion, one of the sources said. "They can't abandon normalisation with Israel without endangering this whole strategic framework," said Kristin Smith Diwan, a researcher at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. The sources said the public confusion over relations with Israel appeared to have eased pressure on the government in its efforts to balance domestic outrage and ties with Israel.

Persons: Hamad I Mohammed, Donald Trump, Kristin Smith Diwan, Abraham, Israel, Mamdooh Al Saleh, Smith, Tobias Lindner, Alexander Cornwell, Maha El, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Michael Georgy, William Maclean Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rare, U.S . Navy Fifth Fleet, United, Reuters, Gulf States Institute, Bahraini, Abraham, Islamic, Abraham Accords, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Muharraq, Bahrain, MANAMA, Gaza, Gulf, United States, Iran, Manama, United Arab Emirates, Reuters Bahrain, Washington, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahraini, Jerusalem, Bahrainis, Tehran, Islamic Republic, East, U.S, Kingdom of Bahrain, Maha El Dahan, Dubai

☆ A 24-year-old singer died in the hotel room of music ex David Bolno. Their relationship ran deeper than he has admitted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Camila Sterling, an aspiring singer, overdosed in music exec David Bolno's hotel room. Friends feel there's no closure around Sterling's death. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Bolno also seems to have created a record label with the primary purpose of releasing Sterling's music. AdvertisementRead Business Insider's full report on Camila Sterling's life and death here .

Persons: Camila Sterling, David Bolno's, Bolno bankrolled, Bolno, —, David Bolno, Drake, Justin Bieber, Sterling, Camila Sterling's, Moet, tusi Organizations: Service, Miami Beach, Daily Mail, luxe Paramount Miami Worldcenter, Puerto Rican, DTB Records, Bolno, BI Locations: Colombian, Miami

In a statement on the social media platform X, Shear dismissed speculation that OpenAI's board ousted Altman because of a spat over the safety of powerful AI models. OpenAI dismissed Altman on Friday following a "breakdown of communications," according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. [1/4]Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S. November 16, 2023. In a separate post on X, Altman shared Nadella's message with the words, "the mission continues". loadingThe decision not to reinstate Altman as OpenAI's chief confounded efforts by investors and employees to steady the startup's path.

Persons: OpenAI, Emmett Shear, Sam Altman, Shear, OpenAI's, Altman, Satya Nadella, Greg Brockman, Carlos Barria, Nadella, Szymon Sidor, Brockman, Richard Windsor, Ilya Sutskever, Jeffry Dastin, Anna Tong, Urvi, Stephanie Kelly, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Miyoung Kim, Sam Holmes, Susan Fenton Organizations: Microsoft, OpenAI, Reuters, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, The, Radio Free Mobile, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, San Francisco, OpenAI, San Franciso, Bengaluru, New York

☆ UBS dragged into the red with Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZURICH, Nov 7 (Reuters) - UBS Group (UBSG.S) posted a $785 million loss in the third quarter after expenses tied to the Swiss bank's takeover of Credit Suisse while signalling that its core wealth business is stabilising. Stripping out the impact of the takeover, UBS made an underlying profit of $844 million. With the takeover, UBS now oversees more than $5 trillion in assets. It has been working to recover from the exodus of client funds from Credit Suisse with above-market rates on deposits. It also continued to cut staff, which accounted for a big chunk of the more than 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.22 billion) of costs related to integration.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Goldman Sachs, Colm Kelleher, Noele Illien, John O'Donnell, Christopher Cushing Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Switzerland, Zurich

☆ UBS dragged into the red by Credit Suisse takeover but inflows cheer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ZURICH, Nov 7 (Reuters) - UBS Group (UBSG.S) reported a $785 million loss in the third quarter after expenses tied to the Swiss bank's takeover of Credit Suisse while signalling that its core wealth business is stabilising. "We are executing on the integration of Credit Suisse at pace and have delivered underlying profitability for the group in the first full quarter since the acquisition," said Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti. Analysts at Goldman Sachs had expected $14 billion for the group, with the Swiss bank already disclosing $8 billion for the months of July and August. It has been working to recover from the exodus of client funds from Credit Suisse with above-market rates on deposits. UBS has continued to cut staff, which accounted for a big chunk of the more than 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.22 billion) of costs related to integration.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Goldman Sachs, Andreas Venditti, Colm Kelleher, Noele Illien, John O'Donnell, Christopher Cushing, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Swiss, Zurich, Switzerland

The witnesses painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. She was apprehensive about the move, she said, because she knew that would mean borrowing $1 billion in FTX customer funds for the transaction. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. But Mr. Sun, who testified after securing an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue charges against him, said he had once again told Mr. Bankman-Fried that none of those options were supported “by the facts.” Mr. Bankman-Fried responded by saying “something like, ‘Got it,’” Mr. Sun testified.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, Caroline Ellison —, Adam Yedidia, Mr, Yedidia, FTX, ” Caroline Ellison Ms, Ellison, Ms, Gary Wang Mr, Wang, ”, coder, Nishad Singh Mr, Singh, Gabe, Gabe Bankman, ” Mr, Prosecutors, Barbara Fried, Nishad Singh, Sun, ’ Organizations: Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Mr, Prosecutors, America Locations: Bahamas, Alameda, Binance, Pandemics

☆ Storylines Residential Cruise Faces Backlash From Investors, Ex-Employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Kate Taylor | Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Storylines' first cruise ship was initially scheduled to launch in 2019; it's now set for December 2026. Nine former employees, consultants, and investors told Insider that they'd come to doubt the MV Narrative would ever be built. The only existing residential cruise ship is The World. Many Storylines buyers remain optimistic about the residential cruise ship. "The ball is in your court," Punton told buyers in July in a video that's since been taken down.

Persons: Alister Punton, Punton, Shannon Lee, Mike Kasperzak, Jim Holt, Holt, Angela Nuran, Paul Cosentino, Cosentino, We're, Lee, it's, Alexandre Caillol, Condé, superyachts, Sean Fremder, Weeks, Caillol —, —, Marco Polo —, PitchBook, Alexandra Zodian —, Caillol, Michael Edwards, Edwards, he'd, Martin Buggy, Melissa Edyvean, Edyvean, Paul Read, Salvatore R, Mercogliano, Pat Helmers, Helmers, Michael Perisi, Andrew Lentz, didn't, Lentz, Wrocław . Lentz, Andrew, I'm, Lee ., Dick Rosman —, Lee —, Krzysztof Kontek, Kontek's, Michal Jackiewicz, Brodosplit, Brian Martin, Read, Nuran, We've, he's, New Zealand —, Kasperzak, " Lentz Organizations: Punton, Army, West —, Industry, CNN, Brodosplit, Regent Seven Seas, Wall Street Journal, Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries, Utopia, Beverly Hills, Rock City, The Raiders, Raiders, Holland America's, Mariners, New Zealand Locations: massages, Croatian, Beverly, Punton, Queensland, Australia, Broadbeach, California, Rock, Brisbane, Netherlands, Caillol, Polynesia, French Polynesia, France, London, Australian, British, Delaware, Sweden, Tahiti, Perth, Ecuador, Poland, Wrocław, Mexico, Florida, New

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. But Mr. Sun, who testified after securing an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue charges against him, said he had once again told Mr. Bankman-Fried that none of those options were supported “by the facts.” Mr. Bankman-Fried responded by saying “something like, ‘Got it,’” Mr. Sun testified. Prosecutors then played a clip from an interview that Mr. Bankman-Fried gave ABC’s “Good Morning America” days before FTX filed for bankruptcy in November.

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. She was apprehensive about the move, she said, because she knew that would mean borrowing $1 billion in FTX customer funds for the transaction. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. Prosecutors then played a clip from an interview that Mr. Bankman-Fried gave ABC’s “Good Morning America” days before FTX filed for bankruptcy in November.

☆ Exclusive: Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was an FBI informant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Another source close to Thiel told Insider that while they could not confirm that Thiel was a CHS, Thiel did speak to Buma occasionally. "[They] will be either an 'FBI source' or a 'former FBI source' and, in turn, his or her conduct or misconduct will reflect upon the FBI." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesAs a CHS, Thiel was assigned a code name and an internal serial number to track his reporting. Thiel, Johnson said, was directed by the FBI not to report on his interactions with Donald Trump or other US political figures. Johnson told Insider that he brokered an introduction between Thiel and the FBI special agent who would become his handler.

Persons: Peter Thiel, Trump, Thiel, Johnathan Buma, Charles Johnson, Johnson, MAGA, Donald Trump, Drew Angerer, Scott Horton, Buma, Sen, J.D, Vance of, Blake Masters, —, Vance, Joe Biden's, Vance of Ohio, Anna Moneymaker, Masters, Mithril's, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz's, Ginger Gaetz, Bill Barr, Rudy Giuliani, Alex Wong, Jeffrey Epstein, Enrique Tarrio, Tarrio, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Buma, CHS, Trump, Trump Tower, Republican National Convention, Joe Biden's Department, Getty Masters, Mar, Masters, Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency, US Army, NSO Group, Forbes, Mithril, Clearview's, Committee, Capitol, Founders Fund, Boys Locations: Los Angeles, Germany, United States, New Zealand, Malta, Silicon, Vance of Ohio, Arizona, Palantir, American, Russian, Atlantic City, schwartz79@protonmail.com

Hailed by Xi as a “project of the century,” the BRI has emerged as a glaring symbol of China’s rise as a global power. Chinese investment in BRI projects has tapered off as the world’s second-biggest economy slows. The opening ceremony of Cambodia's Morodok Techo National Stadium, funded by China's Belt and Road Initiative, in Phnom Penh on December 18, 2021. Later that year, Xi pledged that China would not build any new coal-fired power projects abroad. The BRI has also spurred other countries to increase their own efforts toward supporting infrastructure projects in the developing world.

Persons: Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Xi, –, Cambodia's, Lon Jadina, William & Mary, Marshall, China, ” Organizations: Beijing CNN, Initiative, China's, Getty, BRI, Boston, Global, Policy, William &, Marshall Plan, Global Development Policy Center, World Bank, Global Development, United Arab, European Union Locations: Beijing, China, Israel, Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, Ukraine, United States, Phnom Penh, AFP, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Sri Lanka, West Africa, America, Southeast Asia, Hambantota, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, East

☆ Global watchdog reveals tensions at heart of Credit Suisse debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Logos of Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS are seen before a news conference in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. The report, however, exposed tensions and conflicts at the heart of a process that ultimately required Switzerland to initially back the emergency rescue of Credit Suisse by rival UBS (UBSG.S) with public money to avert panic. The officials summed up that the "resolution" rules for shutting a collapsing bank without panicking markets could have worked for Credit Suisse, though public money would still likely have been needed. The FSB report sheds new light on events that led to Credit Suisse's downfall. The FSB said Switzerland's action preserved financial stability, even if it raised questions as to why the resolution was not chosen.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Karin Keller, Sutter, Switzerland's Keller, FINMA, Andrew Bailey, Arturo Bris, Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Arthur Wilmarth, it’s, Tatiana Bautzer, Elisa Martinuzzi, Stefania Spezzati, Pete Schroeder, Mark Potter, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Credit Suisse, UBS, REUTERS, UBS Group, Swiss, U.S, Bank of England, IMD, Bank, MRV Associates, Banco, George Washington University Law School, Thomson Locations: Zurich Switzerland, Switzerland, Swiss, U.S

"I'm very, very lucky because I wouldn't have had the courage to go and do that acquisition, but I give all the credit in the world to Dave Clark," Petersen said. "There's a perfect complement of skill sets," Petersen told Forbes in June 2022. Petersen told Clark he should engage with Shopify's team, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. Clark, Petersen and Wagers met in Texas in mid-August to fine-tune the forecasts. Flexport told CNBC that an employee's politics are not relevant in personnel decisions.

Persons: Dave Clark, Ryan Petersen, he'd, Petersen, Clark, excoriated Clark, we've, Clark wasn't, Jeff Bezos, It's, Flexport, Clark overspent, Flexport's, He'd, Sanne Manders, Dave, Shopify, Tobias Lutke, Lutke, Shopify's, glanced, didn't, Fund's Trae Stephens, Michael Ronen, SoftBank, Andreessen Horowitz, Bob Swan, Samyukta Lakshmi, Kenny, Stuart Leung, pare, Leung, —, Lindsey Wasson, Clark's, Stephens, Peter Thiel, Trump's, Petersen's, Sen, Joe Manchin, Chris Ferro, Ferro, Parisa Sadrzadeh, couldn't, Amazon, Sadrzadeh, Burak Yolga, Yolga, Nelly Organizations: North, Amazon, Twitter, CNBC, UPS, FedEx, Milken Institute Global Conference, Bloomberg, Getty, Forbes, Deliverr, Shopify's, Anduril Industries, Intel, Intel Corp, U.S ., Clark, Republican, Founders Fund, Democratic, Street Journal, Flexport Locations: Phoenix, Silicon, Clark, Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Flexport, Deliverr, Miami, Flexport's Bellevue , Washington, Bengaluru, India, Flexport's, Asia, U.S . West Coast, Texas, Ohio, Arizona, Thiel's, West Virginia, Seattle, integrations

Follow live updates on the Sam Bankman-Fried fraud trial. A year ago, Sam Bankman-Fried was a fixture on magazine covers and in the halls of Congress, a tousle-haired crypto billionaire who hobnobbed with movie stars and bankrolled political campaigns. The charges against Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, have put the rest of the crypto industry on trial with him. He has emerged as a symbol of the unrestrained hubris and shady deal-making that turned cryptocurrencies into a multitrillion-dollar industry during the pandemic. The demise of FTX in November helped burst that bubble, sending other high-profile companies into bankruptcy and provoking a government crackdown.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried Locations: Manhattan

☆ Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into soccer, golf, and Formula 1. Its crown prince doesn't care if anyone calls it 'sportswashing.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into sports in a bid to transform its economy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made the sector a key part of his Vision 2030 plan. But the reality is that the crown prince has a grander ambition: to level up Saudi Arabia's economic growth. "But Saudi Arabia is piling into other sports too, because they want to achieve a lot in a short period of time." AdvertisementAdvertisementAs Crown Prince Mohammed made clear last week, all this forms part of a broader strategy to supercharge Saudi Arabia's economy through investment.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, bankrolled, —, Cristiano Ronaldo, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Joshua, –, Jamal Khashoggi, they've, Steve Luciano, AP Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio, PIF, LIV Golf, Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, LIV, Joshua, that's, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Frank Warren, Prince Mohammed, Mohammed bin Salman, Leon Neal, Simon Chadwick, Chadwick, megastars, Ronaldo –, Salman, bin Salman, Saudi Arabia –, St Andrews, Nick Kyrgios, who've, Elsa, he'd, they'll Organizations: Newcastle United, Service, Washington Post, Saudi, Investment Fund, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle, AP, Saudi Pro League, Georgetown University Qatar, PGA, WWE, Fox News, SKEMA Business School, Indian Premier League, FIFA Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, England, Riyadh, Brazil, Liverpool, Kingdom, Jeddah, Lille, France, Reiche, Iran, Miami, Augusta, bankroll

☆ PGA Tour says LIV merger attracts unsolicited investor interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the logo of PGA Tour during the Canadian Open’s Championship Pro-Am after news was released of a new partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Nick Lachance/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - PGA Tour said its planned merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf and DP World Tour has garnered unsolicited interest from investors as it continues to finalise an agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour. The PGA said that while it did not solicit additional investment interest, it has a responsibility to members, sponsors and fans to thoroughly evaluate all potential options. Any investments that come from the talks will be made into PGA Tour Enterprises, a subsidiary of the PGA Tour, which it would permanently control. PGA said additional investor interest is not about politics, but because the PGA Tour has, for the first time, created an investment vehicle in PGA TOUR Enterprises and its business is strong.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, LIV Golf, Juby Babu, Chris Reese Organizations: Tour, Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, PGA, PGA Tour Enterprises, Bloomberg, Enterprises, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ China has poured billions into Africa’s infrastructure. Is it now tightening the tap?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The impact of those funds is felt across Africa, where residents in major cities like Lagos, Nairobi and Addis Ababa now transit daily via railways, highways and airports built in recent years with Chinese loans and often by Chinese construction firms. But understanding how much money is flowing out of China into global development is notoriously tricky as Beijing doesn’t share this data openly and a wide range of financial entities play roles. How all this plays out could have a significant impact on developing countries’ access to much-needed infrastructure funding. China is also navigating the second decade of the Belt and Road amid stark economic challenges at home. China in 2017 released guidance on promoting a “green” Belt and Road, which called for sustainable development and strengthening environmental protection.

Persons: laud, Xi, Roberto Matchissa, Oyintarelado Moses, ”, Moses, Ammar A, Malik, “, Austin Strange, Yasuyoshi Chiba, AidData’s Malik, HKU’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Initiative, Boston University Global Development, Center, Getty, CNN, Global China Initiative, Global Development Policy, William, Mary’s Global Research Institute, University of Hong, Global Development Locations: China, Hong Kong, Africa, Beijing, Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Ukraine, Maputo, Katembe, Mozambique, AFP, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Ghana, University of Hong Kong, Kenya, United States, China’s

☆ ProPublica: Clarence Thomas attended Koch network donor events
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —Justice Clarence Thomas attended a private dinner in 2018 during a winter donor summit of the Koch network, the political organization founded by libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch, ProPublica reported Friday. Thomas attended Koch donor events at least twice over the years, according to interviews with three former Koch network employees and one major donor conducted by ProPublica. Thomas arrived for the 2018 dinner on a Gulfstream G200 jet, although a Koch network spokesperson told the outlet that the network did not pay for the private jet and it was not disclosed on his financial disclosure forms for that year. A spokesperson for the Koch network told ProPublica that Thomas wasn’t present for fundraising conversations. CNN has reached out to the Supreme Court for comment.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Koch, Charles, David Koch, ProPublica, Thomas, ”, Thomas ’, Thomas wasn’t, ” Thomas, Loper, Raimondo, Critics, Clarence Thomas ’, Charles Koch, Harlan Crow, Lisa Graves, Crow Organizations: Washington CNN —, Koch, ProPublica, Gulfstream G200, CNN, Loper Bright Enterprises, Inc, Conservatives, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, True, Research, GOP Locations: Congress, Washington

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