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☆ RFK Jr.'s expected VP pick is a Silicon Valley lawyer who's given thousands to Democrats — including AOC's 2020 primary challenger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

RFK Jr. is set to announce Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley lawyer, as his VP pick. She's contributed thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates since 2018. A Silicon Valley lawyer and philanthropist, Shanahan is currently the president of Bia-Echo, a private foundation that funds programs related to women's reproductive longevity, criminal justice reform, and the environment. Khanna, whose district encompasses much of Silicon Valley, has received $17,800 from Shanahan since 2019. Here are all of the federal Democratic candidates and groups who have received money from Shanahan since 2018:Advertisement

Persons: Nicole Shanahan, She's, Pete Buttigieg, Marianne Williamson, Ro Khanna, —, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Shanahan, Sergey Brin, Kennedy, Abigail Spanberger, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Shanahan's, Joe Biden, Khanna, he'd, Williamson, Michelle Caruso, Cabrera, Ocasio Organizations: RFK Jr, Democratic, Service, Google, Rep, Biden Victory Fund, Democratic National Committee, Shanahan, Republican Locations: Bia, California, Virginia, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Silicon Valley, Iowa

☆ Why Walmart's quick success in generative AI search should have Google worried
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Michelle Castillo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

During a call with analysts after its February earnings, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon talked about the gen AI search capabilities in its app. As a technology company, Walmart has to experiment a lot, and in the case of adding generative AI search capabilities, there's a very low cost for failure, she said. AI and search, shopping business model shiftsIt's not only Walmart investing in this type of search in the retail sector. Amazon's AI shopping assistant Rufus lets people have a conversation with the platform about what they need rather than just looking for direct items. "Google is anxious is about search in general, and the question this raises is will it be a death by a thousand cuts for Google Search?"

Persons: Doug McMillon, McMillon, Marc Lore, Sucharita Kodali, Kodali, Sergey Brin, Brin, Rufus, Jacob Bourne, Bourne, it's Organizations: Google, Walmart, Amazon, Insider Intelligence, Ikea, Lowe's

☆ I worked at Google for 7 years and watched the open culture die. The company is doomed to repeat unnecessary embarrassment if they don't fix it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( David Kiferbaum | Big Technology | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He observed the fall of Google's open culture and its impact on Google's product. His controversial memo questioning Google's diversity practices noted that "Google's political bias has equated the freedom from offense with psychological safety, but shaming into silence is the antithesis of psychological safety." Rather than reaffirm Google's culture of open questioning and psychological safety by actively challenging Damore's assertions, leadership fired Damore and ended the discussion. Google leadership did further damage to the company's open culture following employee protests of military contracts and executives' alleged sexual harassment. AdvertisementThe closing of Google's open culture harmed the product.

Persons: David Kiferbaum, —, Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Larry Page, Sergei Brin, James Damore, Damore, Sundar, TGIF, what's Organizations: Google, Big Technology, Service, CNN

☆ Sergey Brin once hosted a bizarre baby shower where big-name guests wore oversized diapers and onesies, book says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sergey Brin once hosted a bizarre baby shower featuring oversize diapers and adult onesies. Brin, who stepped back from Alphabet in 2019, has returned to help shape Google's AI strategy. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementGoogle cofounder Sergey Brin once hosted a bizarre baby shower where guests wore oversized diapers and adult-sized onesies.

Persons: Sergey Brin, Kara Swisher's, Brin, —, Kara Swisher, San Francisco soiree, Swisher, Wendi Deng, Rupert Murdoch, Anne Wojcicki, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, Larry Page, John Doerr, she'd, Page Organizations: Service, San, Francisco, Business, Microsoft Locations: San Francisco

☆ Google's Gemini firestorm shows the risks of the company's race to catch up with its AI rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) 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. The company has been defending itself against fierce backlash sparked by its AI chatbot's image-generating feature. The product has landed Google at the center of what was described in some circles as a "woke" culture war. AdvertisementGoogle's 'Gemini era' is all about GPT-4Pichai claimed late last year Google was entering its "Gemini era." The model is widely seen as the company's answer to OpenAI's GPT-4, a product heavily backed by Microsoft and already powering many of the company's AI products.

Persons: —, execs, Critics, Andrés, Sergey Brin, Sundar Pichai, Brin, Alex Heath, Heath, Pichai, OpenAI's, Google's Bard, Bing, Gvirtz, Sandra Wachter, Wachter Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Big Tech, King's Business School, Engineers, Gemini, Microsoft, chatbots, Financial, Oxford Internet Institute

The Dells contributed nearly $976 million to their charitable funds, which distribute gifts to a wide array of charities. Together, the 50 donors on the list contributed a total of $11.9 billion to charity in 2023. Only 23 of the richest Americans on the Forbes 400 list donated enough to appear on the Philanthropy rankings. 13 on the list, they contributed $210 million to the Institute for Protein Innovation, which shares its data with scientists for free. _____Maria Di Mento is a senior reporter and Jim Rendon is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article.

Persons: Michael Bloomberg, Phil Knight, Penny, Michael Dell, Susan, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, Bernie Marcus, Ken Langone, Arthur Blank, “, ”, Renee Kaplan, — Franklin Antonio, Hugh Hoffman, —, Tim Springer, Chafen Lu, Diego’s Jay Kahn, Lauder, Sergey Brin’s, Michael J, Robert Kraft, Lucia Woods, David, Kathleen LaCross, Pierre Omidyar, Pam, They’re, John, Laura Arnold, Laura, ” Laura Arnold, Wendy Schmidt, Eric Schmidt, “ Younger, Kaplan, Jeff Sobrato, _____ Maria Di Mento, Jim Rendon, Kay Dervishi Organizations: New, New York City, Nike, Bloomberg, Knights, University of Oregon, Dells, Forbes, Forward, Qualcomm, Summer Science, SETI Institute, ALS Association , University of Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, Nature Center, Yale University, Institute for Protein Innovation, Price Club, Apple, San Diego Foundation, Discovery Foundation, Google, Fox Foundation, Parkinson’s Research, New England Patriots, Foundation, Combat, Ms, Foundation for Women, Chicago Foundation for Women, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, eBay, District of Columbia, Associated Press, Philanthropy Locations: New York, Portland , Oregon, Ohio, Moderna, California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts

☆ Google co-founder Sergey Brin says in rare public appearance that company 'definitely messed up' Gemini image launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Brin, 50, spoke to entrepreneurs on Saturday at the "AGI House" in Hillsborough, California, just south of San Francisco, where developers and founders were testing Google's Gemini model. He also commented on the flawed launch last month of Google's image generator, which the company pulled after users discovered historical inaccuracies and questionable responses. Brin was also asked how online advertising will be disrupted considering ad revenue is core to Google's business. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images“I of all people am not too terribly concerned about business model shifts,” Brin said. Beyond AI, Brin was asked about Google's difficulties in hardware given recent advancements in virtual reality.

Persons: Sergey Brin, Google David Paul Morris, Brin, ” Brin, “, Larry Page, He's, ”, Gemini, “ that’s, Prabhakar Raghavan, Google's, Sundar Pichai, Raghavan, Brin didn't, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Elon Musk's, Eric Schmidt, that’s, I'm Organizations: Google, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Gemini, Google Inc, Allen & Co . Media, Technology Conference, Apple Vision Locations: Hillsborough , California, San Francisco, Sun Valley , Idaho, U.S

☆ Sergey Brin says Google 'definitely messed up' after its Gemini chatbot caused a firestorm. He has a lot riding on its success — or failure.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sergey Brin says Google "definitely messed up" with Gemini's image generation. The Google cofounder says he came out of retirement because of AI's "exciting" trajectory. AdvertisementGoogle cofounder Sergey Brin has weighed in on the company's Gemini drama. Speaking at San Francisco's AGI House, Brin said the company had "definitely messed up on the image generation." Since then, Brin has been spotted at Google's Silicon Valley headquarters and has been directly involved with developing the company's AI strategy.

Persons: Sergey Brin, —, Brin, Larry Page, Elon Musk, Adolf Hitler, Gemini, Hitler Organizations: Service, Gemini, Google, The New York Times, Big Tech, BI, Business Locations: Francisco's

☆ Why Zuck, Ivanka Trump and the world's rich and famous are flocking to a lavish party in India
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and other CEOs and celebs are at a wedding pre-party in India this weekend. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The centibillionaire's grip on domestic commerce makes him a powerful partner for Western companies trying to break into the Indian market. Vital growth frontierUS executives are eager to cozy up to Ambani and Reliance because they see dollar signs when they look at India.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Mukesh, —, Sundar Pichai, Ivanka Trump, Mukesh Ambani's, Ambani, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Anant, Radhika Merchant, Mukesh Ambani, Nita, Prodip Guha, Tim Cook, Cook, Apple's, Ted Sarandos, Meta Organizations: Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Service, Reliance Industries, Bloomberg, Qualcomm, Intel, Hindustan Times, Amazon, Indian Locations: India, China, New Delhi

☆ An Indian mega-party is attracting so many private jets that officials set up extra passport control for all the VIPs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Guests like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Ivanka Trump, led to a surge in private jets at the local airport. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . is underway in India, and the local airport is pulling out all the stops to cope. That kind of guestlist brings a long trail of private jets and the local airport in Jamnagar isn't built for it. It said around 50 of them were private jets coming from other countries, meaning passport control for their occupants.

Persons: India's Ambani, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Ivanka Trump, —, Ambani, Anant, Radhika Merchant, Mukesh Ambani, Ajit Solanki, Sergei Brin, Mexico's Carlos Slim, It's, Larry Fink, Rihanna, Jamnagar isn't, Priscilla Chan, DK Singh Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Reliance Industries, of, Immigration Locations: India, Jamnagar, Reliance Township, Indian, Gujarat, Davos, of India

☆ How Google lost its way
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hugh Langley | Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Just two months after Google launched Gemini, its flashy new AI model, the company revealed that it had already built a better version. AdvertisementThen, days later, Google scrambled to explain why its image generation tool spit out racially inaccurate depictions of historical figures. Users have long bemoaned — and researchers recently found — a decline in the quality of Google Search results. The fact that Google is not far and away the self-driving-car leader, it's, like, a total joke," the former Google director said, adding that the problem of Google's lost supremacy is "maybe impossible to solve, frankly." Google now is reminiscent of the Steve Ballmer-era Microsoft, which missed the smartphone, search, and cloud waves and was overtaken by Apple, Google, and Amazon.

Persons: OpenAI, Sora, Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai's, Pichai, —, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Lea Suzuki, Getty Brin, Page, Google, Googlers, Axel Springer, Diane von Furstenberg, Giovanni Giannoni, Michael Avrukin, Vuk Valcic, wouldn't, Patrick Mork, Eric Lehman, Lehman, ChatGPT, Caesar Sengupta, Sengupta, Alexa, Google's, Steve Ballmer, Satya Nadella, Hugh Langley, Lara O'Reilly Organizations: Google, Hollywood, Industry, San Francisco Chronicle, Business, Penske Media, Microsoft, Amazon, The New York Times, Oracle, YouTube, Apple, IBM, Meta Locations: Silicon Valley, Silicon, —

☆ The Google Gemini conspiracy theory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Google had to pull parts of its fancy Gemini AI model after it spat out inaccurate images and text. To catch you up: Google had to pull part of its fancy new Gemini AI model after it spat out inaccurate pictures, including depicting Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as Asian. One theory is that Googlers are too woke and their biases have infected what could be a powerful and useful AI model. AdvertisementIs this Google future? Probably not as profitable revenue as Google Search, but that's still a lot.

Persons: —, there's, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, it's, Mark Shmulik, Bernstein, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, that's Organizations: Google, Service

☆ Google's mission is organizing the world's information. Its 'woke' AI debacle prompted critics to say it's failing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSince its inception, Google has had a mission statement that is now practically enshrined as lore: "To organize the world's information and make it accessible and useful." Its AI, critics say, risks suppressing information instead by being too "woke." AdvertisementGoogle's AI troublesGoogle has more than 90% of the search market, giving it dominant control over the world's information flow online. Advertisement"The original mission was to index all the world's information. In a blog published Friday, Google vice-president Prabhakar Raghavan acknowledged some of the images Gemini generated turned out to be "inaccurate or even offensive."

Persons: —, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Gemini, Peter Kafka, Adolf Hitler, Elon, David Sacks, Critics, Sam Altman, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Bilal Zuberi, Brad Gerstner, Microsoft —, Elon Musk, OB1CCZHan3, Prabhakar Raghavan, overcorrected, Raghavan Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Craft Ventures, Lux Capital, Microsoft, Elon Locations: Menlo Park, AFP

☆ Google cofounder Sergey Brin faces wrongful-death lawsuit from pilot's widow over fatal plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Google cofounder Sergey Brin is facing a wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a plane crash last year that killed two crew members en route to a private island in the South Pacific. The lawsuit also alleges that Brin intentionally delayed the recovery process. The suit identifies Brin, Google, and Bayshore Global Management — Brin's family office — as the "owner/operators" of the aircraft. While the lawsuit does mention various recovery efforts conducted by Brin's team, it alleges frequent and drawn-out delays. Olarte Maclean alleges that Brin's representatives cited weather conditions at the crash site and their interactions with the USCG as excuses.

Persons: Sergey Brin, Brin, Lance Maclean, Dean Rushfeldt, Olarte Maclean, Steven C, Marks, Larry Page Organizations: South Pacific, Business, Coast Guard, Los Angeles Times, Google, Bayshore Global Management, Bayshore, LA Times, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Brin's, Seafly LLC, Southern Cross Aviation, BI Locations: South, California, Hawaii, Santa Rosa , California, Fiji, Honolulu, Fiji's Mamanuca

☆ Sergey Brin's ex-wife was the primary funder of an RFK Jr.-supporting Super Bowl ad panned by some in the Kennedy family
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -supporting Super Bowl ad that shook up the Kennedy family was backed by a tech-connected figure. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Advertisement"She's a very strong supporter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.," Tony Lyons, a co-chairman of American Values 2024, told Business Insider on Tuesday. Kennedy, as Business Insider has previously reported, has made numerous false claims about vaccines and vaccine safety. Shanahan played a part in putting together the archival footage for the Kennedy ad.

Persons: —, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Sergey Brin, ” Shanahan, John F, Tony Lyons, Bobby Kennedy, Shanahan, Bobby Shriver, Kennedy’s, Lyons, husband Brin, Elon Musk, Brin, Musk, Neuralink Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Times, Business, RFK, PAC, People Magazine

“It seems like a great opportunity to highlight that he’s running for president,” Ms. Shanahan said. “I do think we have an environmental health crisis in this country,” Ms. Shanahan said. Stefanie Spear, the press secretary for the Kennedy campaign, did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Mr. Mellon’s role has raised eyebrows among some Democrats, with fears widespread in the party that Mr. Kennedy could siphon votes away from Mr. Biden. “Neither of us were willing to give up on the idea of the Super Bowl ad,” Mr. Lyons said.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, John F, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Sergey Brin, Ms, Shanahan, ” Ms, ”, ” Mr, “, ” Tony Lyons, Shanahan’s, Stefanie Spear, Brin, Biden’s, —, Biden, Emily Elconin, Lyons, Gavin de Becker, de Becker, Kennedy’s, Timothy Mellon, Donald J, Trump, Mr, he’s, Jim Rutenberg Organizations: Sunday, Google, CBS Sports, Paramount, Paramount Global, PAC, Bay Area, Democratic, Democratic National, Trump, Federal Locations: Bay, United States, New York

☆ Meet the Woman Who Helped Pay for That R.F.K. Super Bowl Ad
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Rebecca Davis O Brien | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Super Bowl ads cost a fortune. So when a group backing the presidential bid of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran a 30-second ad for him during Sunday night’s game, the political world took notice. How had the super PAC of a long-shot independent candidate paid for such a costly spot, and whose idea was it to adapt a vintage John F. Kennedy ad for his nephew’s campaign? In an interview on Monday, Ms. Shanahan said she had given $4 million to the super PAC, American Values 2024, about a week before the game, for the express purpose of helping pay for a Super Bowl ad. She also helped coordinate the ad’s production, she said, including navigating concerns from CBS Sports and Paramount, which broadcast the Super Bowl.

Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, John F, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Sergey Brin, Ms, Shanahan Organizations: Sunday, Google, CBS Sports, Paramount

☆ 23andMe considers splitting up company to revive stock price
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of 23andMe sank 21% on Thursday, a day after the genetic testing company reported dismal fiscal third-quarter results and discussed splitting itself in two to help juice its stock price. 23andMe reported revenue of $45 million for the quarter, down from the $67 million it reported in the same period last year. The five-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company went public in 2021 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, a deal that valued the company at around $3.5 billion. The company has launched additional therapeutics and research businesses, but its share price has tumbled more than 95% from its peak. They lowered their target price for the stock to 85 cents from 90 cents.

Persons: 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, Sergey Brin, Forbes, Joe Selsavage, Selsavage Organizations: TechCrunch, 23andMe, Nasdaq, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, CNBC Disruptor, Citi, CNBC PRO Locations: San Francisco , California, 23andMe

☆ Jeff Bezos is just $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's wealthiest person once more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeff Bezos is not far off overtaking Elon Musk to become the world's richest person once more. AdvertisementJeff Bezos is only about $8 billion away from overtaking Elon Musk as the world's wealthiest person following a surge in Amazon stock — and a slump for Tesla — this year. Meanwhile, Musk holds about 411 million Tesla shares, or a roughly 13% stake in the automaker, worth about $76 billion. It's certainly striking that Musk's net worth has crashed from about $340 billion at its peak in late 2021 to about $200 billion today. However, Tesla stock is still up more than six-fold since the start of 2020, while Amazon shares have less than doubled.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, —, Tesla, Bezos, Musk, Mark Zuckerberg's, Buffett, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Brin Organizations: Elon, Bloomberg, Service, Tesla, Amazon, SpaceX, Twitter, Big Tech, Meta, Berkshire Hathaway Locations: Delaware, Berkshire

☆ 23andMe is low on cash and its stock is worth pennies. The CEO wants another chance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Just three years ago, DNA testing company 23andMe was the golden child of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. In 2018, 23andMe agreed to a five-year exclusive drug development partnership with GSK (formerly GlaxoSmithKline). Genetic testing company 23andMe, once valued at $6 billion, is facing the possibility of delisting from NASDAQ. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesSo far, the partnership between GSK and 23andMe has produced more than 50 new drug targets. But drug discovery is a very long process and it can be anywhere from 10 to 15 years on average from target discovery to an FDA-approved drug.

Persons: New York CNN —, 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, ” Wojcicki, “, Susan Wojcicki, Sergey Brin, Kyle Grillot, Wojcicki, they’ve, ”, we’re, “ We’ve, Steven Mah, TD Cowen, Mah, they’re, Justin Sullivan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nasdaq, CNN, Stanford, Palo Alto High School, YouTube, Google, 23andMe Inc, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, P Biotech ETF, GSK, GlaxoSmithKline, NASDAQ, Big Pharma, it’s Locations: New York, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles , California, U.S, London, Sunnyvale , California, United States

☆ Google cofounder Larry Page quietly bought a Puerto Rico island for $32 million, records show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Google cofounder purchased Cayo Norte, a large private island in Puerto Rico, in 2018, according to documents reviewed by Business Insider. Cayo Norte sits about 20 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico and just northeast of Culebra, another island that forms an archipelago. Cayo Norte is known for its white sandy beaches, surrounding coral reefs, and preserving a refuge for endangered sea turtles. Google cofounder Larry Page bought Cayo Norte, an island in Puerto Rico. Page purchased the Lollik islands, which sit 23 miles east of Cayo Norte, in 2014 for $23 million, BI previously reported.

Persons: —, Larry Page, Page, Lucinda Southworth, Cristina Rosado, Southworth, Dan Shelley, Hugh Langley, Shelley, Louis Padrón, Richard Gautier, Wayne Osborne, Great Hans Lollik, Hans Lollik, Osborne, Lucinda Southworth C, Mary Ann Lucking, Lucking, Sergey Brin, Kimberly White, Sundar Pichai, Brin, Kitty Hawk Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Virgin Island Properties, US Virgin, BI, LLC, Area, Cayo Norte, SVI Investments, Virgin Islands Locations: Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, US, Puerto Rico's Fajardo, Cayo, Culebra, SVI, Padrón, Virgin, Great, Conservation, Kimberly White Cayo

☆ 'Morale is at an all-time low': Ex-Googler writes scathing letter slamming layoffs and 'eroded' culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He also accused CEO Sundar Pichai of lacking "visionary leadership." AdvertisementAn ex-Google employee has published a highly critical letter attacking the firm's "eroded" culture and accusing CEO Sundar Pichai of lacking "visionary leadership." AdvertisementHickson is unusually candid, however, especially in his remarks on CEO Sundar Pichai. AdvertisementHickson says these layoffs have "insidious" effects on the culture that can cause employees to "dramatically dial back any risk-taking." AdvertisementAs for whether Google's culture can be salvaged, Hickson thinks it can, but says the "clock is ticking."

Persons: Googler, Sundar Pichai, —, Ian Hickson, Hickson, Larry Page, Sergey Brin Organizations: Google, Service, Business, BI

☆ Steve Ballmer, who started as Bill Gates’ assistant, is the 5th-richest person in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Bill Gates’ former assistant at Microsoft is now the fifth-richest person in the world, per Bloomberg’s tally, and only one spot behind Gates on the real-time list of the world’s richest people. This figure is only some $5 billion shy of Gates’ estimated net worth of $122 billion. Ahead of Ballmer are only Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. And rounding out the top 10 behind Ballmer are Larry Ellison, Warren Buffet, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin. While Gates dropped out to start Microsoft, Ballmer graduated in 1977 with degrees in applied mathematics and economics.

Persons: Bill Gates ’, Gates, Steve Ballmer, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Ballmer, Larry Ellison, Warren Buffet, Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, CNN Ballmer Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, CNN, Harvard University, Los Angeles Clippers, Bloomberg, Ballmer Locations: New York

☆ Google cofounder Sergey Brin's secretive 'air yachts' have been approved for flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sergey Brin's airship company LTA Research recently received flight clearance for its vessel Pathfinder 1. Brin launched the company in 2016 and plans to use his airships to deliver humanitarian aid. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementAdvertisementGoogle cofounder Sergey Brin's secretive airship is ready to take flight. LTA Research, Brin's company that aims to deliver humanitarian aid through "lighter than air" blimp-like vehicles, announced this week that its Pathfinder 1 vessel received its airworthiness certificate.

Persons: Sergey Brin's, Brin, —, Sergey, Alan Weston, Weston —, — Weston, Ruben Sprich, It's Organizations: LTA Research, Pathfinder, Service, LTA, Moffett, NASA, Google, Goodyear, IEEE Spectrum, Financial Times, Boeing, Bloomberg, Weston, FAA Locations: airspaces, Bay, Palo, Akron , Ohio

☆ Alphabet to report third-quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Alphabet is set to report third-quarter earnings after the bell Tuesday. During the third quarter, Google made focused layoffs in various business organizations within the company. In the latest quarter, Google reshuffled its smart assistant that included layoffs as part of an effort to "supercharge" products with AI. Earlier this month, product managers and designers for Google's ChatGPT competitor Bard were reportedly skeptical about the tool's helpfulness. Along with the changes in its business, Google has seen a dramatic shake-up in its upper ranks.

Persons: StreetAccount, it's, Sergey Brin, Google's, hyping, Bard, Ruth Porat, CNBC she'll, Eddy, Apple's, iPhones Organizations: LSEG, Google, TikTok, CNBC, Department of Justice Locations: Zurich, Switzerland

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