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☆ Elon Musk says he gets 'swarmed' at parties by people wanting to discuss work, and struggles to trust people, reporter who secured rare interview says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk gave an unexpected interview to the BBC late Tuesday. According to James Clayton, the reporter who spoke to Musk, the billionaire opened up about his personal life. Musk said he's often "swarmed" by people at parties wanting to discuss work, Clayton wrote. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Musk spoke with BBC correspondent James Clayton about his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in October and the six months that have followed including the layoffs.

☆ Trump's legal troubles are threatening to upend the 2024 GOP race, and he's not even charged
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Former President Donald Trump faces possible criminal charges as he's running for president. "If it's a circus, there's only one ringmaster and that's Trump," said GOP pollster B.J. Operatives thinking of ways to land punches on Trump say GOP primary candidates could argue that he would lose the general election because of his legal troubles. Political insiders widely concede that a potential indictment — and how Trump responds — could still backfire on GOP challengers and strengthen Trump. While the circumstances surrounding the 2024 primary are uncharted territory, polling shows a cohort of GOP voters has grown weary of Trump and is seeking an alternative.

☆ Google's Bard AI chatbot is now open to users in the US and UK. Here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google is making its AI chatbot, Bard, available to the public. Bard works much like OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT, although there are some differences. The company said that it will grant access to its artificial intelligence chatbot, known as Bard, in the US and UK starting Tuesday. Users will be met with a warning that "Bard will not always get it right" when they open it. Google will improve Bard over time, and users will be able to submit written feedback about their experiences.

Google (GOOGL), which for years ranked as the top company to work for in the United States, laid off thousands of workers by e-mail. During her early years there, she worked in marketing and became known as the “The Bard of Google” for the internal emails she sent celebrating the company’s culture. Google employee affected by January layoffs“The problem was, suddenly, you didn’t work for a company that was sending stuff to space or building autonomous cars,” Rout said. Hundreds of Google employees in Switzerland staged a walkout last week to protest layoffs, partly out of frustration with the lack of transparency. About a month before the January layoffs, one former employee said Google painted “You Belong” on one of the walls in their working area.

☆ Google ends enterprise sales of Google Glass, its augmented reality smartglasses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google has stopped selling its Glass Enterprise smart glasses, the company announced on Wednesday on its website. Glass Enterprise was the successor to Google Glass, a lightweight glasses product that displayed tiny bits of information on a transparent screen in the user's field of view. Google's retreat comes as rivals, including Meta and Apple , are investing in augmented reality and virtual reality technology which could end up in devices that are much more sophisticated Google Glass. The discontinuation of Glass does not mean that Google has given up on augmented reality or smartglasses, though. Last summer, Google previewed a different pair of smartglasses that could translate and transcribe speech in real-time, and said it would continue to test augmented reality glasses prototypes in public.

☆ Goldman’s new strategy gets baptism of fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jeffrey Goldfarb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, March 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank is providing a slightly awkward showcase for Goldman Sachs’ (GS.N) manifold talents. It’s true to the new unified “One Goldman Sachs” strategy expounded by Chief Executive David Solomon, dampened by the client not living to tell the tale. The investment bank Solomon now leads scrambled throughout the financial crisis to help panicked clients shore up their finances. SVB’s financial models had to be revised on the fly and approved by its board as the situation deteriorated. There also was no soothing imprimatur from Buffett, or a rich Silicon Valley grandee such as Larry Ellison, Steve Ballmer or Larry Page.

☆ A new surprise for U.S. savers: Turn 529s into retirement money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But starting in 2024, up to $35,000 in 529 funds can be redirected into a Roth IRA penalty-free. "Maybe this provision gives parents some comfort, to know that excess money could be used in future for their child's retirement." As a result, these new 529 rules might mean that parents need not be as nervous about money getting trapped. "Many parents and grandparents are worried about overfunding their 529 plans," said Mitchell Kraus, a financial planner in Santa Monica, California. "This will ease some concerns, as excess money can be used for future generations' retirement."

☆ What are dual-class shares and why do they matter for investors like us?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), Ford Motor (F) and Estee Lauder (EL) are the four Club holdings that maintain a dual-class structure. Dual-class stock structures generally designate shares as part of Class A or Class B, with one carrying more weight than the other. Google Co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page took their nascent firm, now Alphabet, public in 2004 with a dual-class stock structure. Advantages A dual-class structure allows founders, C-suite executives or key investors to maintain control and execute their long-term vision for the business. Bottom line Dual-class shares are not ideal, but they're not a deal breaker either.

☆ Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have been publicly criticizing each other for years — but now Meta is mirroring Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the launch of Meta Verified, Mark Zuckerberg is appearing more like Elon Musk by the day. Now, let's look at why people are starting to say that Zuckerberg "idolizes Elon Musk." With the announcement of Meta Verified, Meta's new verification subscription service for Facebook and Instagram, many have drawn comparisons between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Schilsky added: "I think it's clear that Mark Zuckerberg idolizes Elon Musk." Black VCs like Beta Boom's Kimmy Paluch are addressing long-standing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the industry head-on.

☆ Former Google staffer says she's gone from viewing the company culture as 'paradise' to 'quite grim'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ex-Googler Claire Stapleton said her perspective on Google's culture has shifted dramatically over the years. Stapleton said she was once a "cheerleader" for Google, but now she sees its culture as "quite grim." In 2018, Stapleton, organized a protest, walking off the job along with about 20,000 Google workers in response to the company's handling of sexual harassment allegations. Now nearly four years later, Stapleton says she sees Google's culture as "quite grim," especially since the company laid off about 12,000 employees in February. Stapleton is one of several former Google workers to speak out against the company in recent months.

☆ YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki says she's stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki speaks during the opening keynote address at the Google I/O 2017 Conference at Shoreline Amphitheater on May 17, 2017 in Mountain View, California. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said Thursday that she's stepping down. Wojcicki, 54, joined YouTube as the CEO in 2014. Wojcicki said she agreed with Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai to, in the longer term, take on an advisory role across Google and Alphabet. "When I joined YouTube nine years ago, one of my first priorities was bringing in an incredible leadership team."

☆ Sergey Brin appears to make first request in years to access Google code as AI battle heats up, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sergey Brin last month appeared to make his first request in years to access code, Forbes reported. The Google cofounder made the request on January 24 following the release of ChatGPT. It follows reports of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai asking Larry Page and Brin for help in the AI battle. In December, Pichai called Larry Page and Brin following a "code red" following the release of ChatGPT. While Brin's code access was followed by a small technical change, some employees didn't welcome his request, Forbes reported.

☆ Alphabet shares fall 7% following Google's A.I. event
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

During the event Wednesday, which was livestreamed from Paris, Google executives discussed some of Bard's capabilities. Shares of Alphabet slid during the event, suggesting that investors were hoping for more in light of growing competition from Microsoft. Google's event took place just one day after Microsoft hosted its own AI event at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Microsoft's event centered around new AI-powered updates to the company's Bing search engine and Edge browser. Though Microsoft's latest AI investments increase the pressure on Google search, some analysts say it will take time for Microsoft to see any significant gains.

☆ ChatGPT's founder blasts Google as a 'lethargic search monopoly' as the tech giant's AI war with Microsoft heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called Google a "lethargic search monopoly" in an interview on Tuesday. Google has said it's own ChatGPT rival, Bard, will be coming to the public in a matter of weeks. Altman said he sees tremendous upside to Microsoft's decision to incorporate OpenAI's technology into its search engine. Microsoft announced the integration of an AI language model into its "new Bing" search engine on Tuesday. Google's search engine represented over 91% of the global search market in the past 12 months, while Bing accounted for about 3%, according to data from SimilarWeb.

☆ Bill Gates calls ChatGPT 'every bit as important as the PC' or the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bill Gates says AI chatbots like ChatGPT will become "every bit as important" as PCs or the internet. Gates' Microsoft helped launch the era of personal computers decades ago. "This is every bit as important as the PC, as the internet," the Microsoft cofounder added. According to Gates, AI could have a similar impact on society. The company also called in Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to help address the issue, the Times reported in January.

☆ Google CEO promises new AI features are coming to search 'very soon' amid competition from ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Thursday that the company will soon add advanced AI features to its search engine. Pichai said that it will release the large language model "in the coming weeks and months" so the company can get more feedback. Weakness in the advertising business appeared in an 8% revenue decline in YouTube's advertising revenue and a 2% fall in Google's Search and Other revenue. Google's prime business is web search, and the company has long touted itself as a pioneer in AI. But generative AI products like ChatGPT could pose a threat to the entire model of internet search, as they can provide creative answers to more complicated queries.

☆ Gmail creator warns Google is 'only a year or two away from total disruption' because of AI like ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gmail creator Paul Buchheit says Google is only one or two years away from "total disruption" due to AI chatbots. The engineer said advancements in AI like ChatGPT could make Google's search engine irrelevant. "Google may be only a year or two away from total disruption," Buchheit tweeted on Wednesday. "AI will eliminate the Search Engine Result Page, which is where they make most of their money. At the time, The Information had reported that Microsoft planned to use ChatGPT to power its own search engine, Bing.

☆ Warren Buffett is the only top-10 billionaire to become poorer this year after Berkshire Hathaway missed out on the stock market's rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Berkshire Hathaway stock is trailing the S&P 500's 5% gain and the Nasdaq's 10% jump this month. Amazon stock has jumped 17% this year, while Microsoft stock has inched up 1%. Investors flocked to Berkshire stock in 2022, sending its stock price up about 3% even as the S&P 500 slumped 19% and the Nasdaq tumbled by one-third. While Buffett is the only top-10 billionaire in the red this year, he's still ranked fifth in the index. Adani Group's stock price has plunged in recent days after short-seller Hindenburg Research released an incendiary report on the company.

☆ Meet Gautam Adani, the Indian industrialist who started 2023 worth almost as much as Elon Musk, but whose wealth has plummeted rapidly
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gautam Adani's wealth has fallen by more than a quarter over the first month of 2023. Adani founded the Adani Group, which was the target of a bombshell report by a short seller. Adani is founder and chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate with businesses spanning energy, mining, ports, and airports. A report by Hindenburg Research, an investment-research firm and short seller, was the catalyst for the downwards spiral of Adani's wealth. According to Bloomberg, he holds close to 75% stakes in Adani Enterprises, Adani Power, and Adani Transmissions.

☆ Google CEO defends job cuts in animated town hall as employees demand clarity on process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Google CEO Sundar Pichai led the companywide meeting and told employees that executives will see their bonuses cut. "I understand you are worried about what comes next for your work," Pichai said. Prior to the job cuts, Google had made the decision to pay out 80% of bonuses this month with the rest expected in March or April. Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, offered some perspective on the areas that saw cuts. Last month, Google employees asked executives at an all-hands meeting whether the AI chatbot ChatGPT represents a "missed opportunity" for Google."

☆ Google called on cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in ChatGPT fightback after issuing a 'code red', report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google asked Larry Page and Sergey Brin for help combatting ChatGPT, per The New York Times. The release of OpenAI's writing bot sparked concerns over the future of Google's search engine. The release of ChatGPT on November 30 has sparked internal concerns over the continued dominance of Google's search engine. Vic Gundotra, a former senior vice president at Google, told The Times the cofounders had always been keen on AI. Page was reportedly unimpressed with a new Gmail feature in 2008, saying: "Why can't it automatically write that email for you."

☆ Two researchers aim to better understand L.A.’s homelessness crisis with smartphone surveys
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Jake Traylor | Jake Traylor Is An Associate Producer For Msnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Two California researchers aim to get a real-time understanding of homelessness using a perhaps unexpected resource found among unhoused people: smartphones. Larry Posey works in MacArthur Park to share information about the PATHS study. Amy Stein / USC/UCLAOnce a month, a growing number of PATHS participants in Los Angeles County are texted a link to a 15-minute survey. Recruiters for the PATHS study share information with participants via postcard and directly into a web-based interface. The PATHS study found that 90% of participants would be interested in some type of interim or permanent housing.

☆ 11 podcasts that busy venture capitalists and founders say they trust right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Investors at JetBlue Ventures, Mighty Capital, and other VC firms shared their favorite podcasts. Another recommendation is "Origins" by partners at the biotech VC firm Notation Capital. Here are 11 great options, recommended by VCs, founders, CEOs, and other industry insiders. "The main thing about the VC world is building relationships, and Harry is an example of a great networker," Gershfeld said. "BTC is the single-most important asset in the world, and that podcast gets to the heart of why that is."

☆ Inside the 'doomsday' layoffs at Goldman Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insider reporters were in attendance — here's the inside scoop …If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Now, on to this week's top stories …David Solomon is the CEO of Goldman Sachs. Michael Kovac/Getty ImagesGoldman Sachs conducted its worst layoffs in over a decade this week. One laid-off associate called it the "doomsday," adding: "Every 10 minutes, I just kept hearing that someone was being let go." We talked to Goldman Sachs employees who were fired — here's what they told us.

☆ Google's moonshot factory is coming down to Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The project, known internally by its codename, "Valkyrie," was the typical science-fiction-sounding idea that Google's self-described "moonshot factory" was designed to dream up. But amid a lack of successful launches and a tech industry facing economic headwinds, insiders say the lab is now hitting the hard-reset button and rethinking its purpose within Alphabet, Google's parent company. X swapped standard corporate titles like "Communications Lead" and "Manager" for grander and more-nebulous names like "Factory Whisperer" and "Firestarter." Its internet-balloon unit, Google Loon, meant to bring people in rural areas online, was shuttered in January 2021. "I think the infusion of VC people is a good thing," one former senior X employee said.

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