The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Photo via Getty.

CEO Murder Spotlights Executive Security Spending

By Martin Peers · Dec 4, 2024 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

No one is ever likely to again question the money companies spend on executive security. Wednesday’s shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson, as he walked to a company investor conference in midtown Manhattan was a good reminder of why companies such as Meta Platforms, Snap, Coinbase and Tesla spend millions to protect their... No one is ever likely to again question the money companies spend on executive security....

"Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper at Wednesday’s DealBook Summit. Photo via Getty.

Creator Economy

Alex Cooper’s Trump Call; Influencer Marketing M&A

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 4, 2024 2:23pm PST

Alex Cooper’s popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast was one of a handful to host Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris in the run-up to November’s election. But she could have hosted both candidates. Donald Trump’s campaign reached out about appearing on the show, Cooper said on stage at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday. ... Alex Cooper’s popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast was one of a handful to host Democratic...

Khloe Kardashian. Photo via Getty.

Khloe Kardashian to Launch High-Protein Popcorn Brand

By Ann Gehan · Dec 4, 2024 1:11pm PST

Khloe Kardashian is preparing to launch a line of high-protein snacks and popcorn called Khloud with the backing of Michael Kives’ firm K5 Global, deepening the ties between the former talent agent turned investor and the famous family. The collaboration highlights two still-hot areas in an overall sluggish consumer market—companies... Khloe Kardashian is preparing to launch a line of high-protein snacks and popcorn called Khloud...

Matt Garman delivers a keynote address during AWS re:Invent 2024. Photo by Getty.

Amazon’s Message to Nvidia and Anthropic; Andreessen Horowitz’s Latest AI Agent Bet

By Amir Efrati and Theo Wayt · Dec 4, 2024 7:00am PST

Matt Garman delivers a keynote address during AWS re:Invent 2024. Photo by Getty.

Amazon’s Message to Nvidia and Anthropic; Andreessen Horowitz’s Latest AI Agent Bet

By Amir Efrati and Theo Wayt · Dec 4, 2024 7:00am PST

Amazon has relied on artificial intelligence from Anthropic and hardware from Nvidia to boost its cloud sales growth over the past two years. But at the company’s annual re:Invent conference on Tuesday, executives came out with swagger to change the narrative about how dependent it has been on these outside companies. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy... Amazon has relied on artificial intelligence from Anthropic and hardware from Nvidia to boost its...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Apple Hits Snags Adapting Baidu’s AI Models for China Users

By Qianer Liu and Wayne Ma · Dec 4, 2024 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Apple and Chinese search giant Baidu are working together to add artificial intelligence features to iPhones sold in China next year, according to two people familiar with the situation. But the two companies have run into snags that, if unresolved, could hurt Apple’s hopes of boosting iPhone sales in its second biggest market outside the... Apple and Chinese search giant Baidu are working together to add artificial intelligence features...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks at re:Invent today. Photo by Amazon.

Apple Scratches Amazon’s Back

By Martin Peers · Dec 3, 2024 5:00pm PST

Here’s news we didn’t expect: Apple is endorsing Amazon’s cloud service. That’s what happened on Tuesday at Amazon Web Service’s annual conference, re:Invent, when an Apple artificial intelligence executive, Benoit Dupin, took the stage to talk up AWS—and to mention that Apple is using AWS’ custom-made chips for search and testing its AI chips.... Here’s news we didn’t expect: Apple is endorsing Amazon’s cloud service. That’s what happened on...

When Databricks Will Be As Big as Snowflake; A Sleeper Fintech IPO Candidate

When Databricks Will Be As Big as Snowflake; A Sleeper Fintech IPO Candidate

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 3, 2024 3:42pm PST · 2 comments

Ali Ghodsi is taking aim at giants. The Databricks CEO is no longer just sniping at $60 billion competitor Snowflake, but has ambitions for his company to be as big as $300 billion Salesforce, according to Jon Victor’s profile on the everywhere-at-once computer science professor. Reading the piece, I couldn’t help but think about the... Ali Ghodsi is taking aim at giants. The Databricks CEO is no longer just sniping at $60 billion...

Cameo CEO Steven Galanis. Photo courtesy of HBO.

Cameo’s Open Casting Call

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 3, 2024 2:00pm PST

Cameo CEO Steven Galanis. Photo courtesy of HBO.

Creator Economy

Cameo’s Open Casting Call

By Kaya Yurieff · Dec 3, 2024 2:00pm PST

As shutdowns and acquisitions continue to hit the creator economy, some of the sector’s buzziest pandemic darlings are still chugging along and trying to revamp their businesses. The latest: On Tuesday, Cameo announced it’s making it easier for online personalities to sign up to join the video shoutout service. The startup said its new... As shutdowns and acquisitions continue to hit the creator economy, some of the sector’s buzziest...

Lina Khan. Photo by Getty

Microsoft’s AI Software Sales, OpenAI Deal Targeted by FTC Probe

By Aaron Holmes · Dec 3, 2024 11:24am PST

As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ramps up its sweeping new antitrust investigation into Microsoft, FTC officials have been asking Microsoft's rivals about the impact of its artificial intelligence deals and range of products, according to someone involved in the discussions and a second person briefed on the discussions. Specifically,... As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ramps up its sweeping new antitrust investigation into...

Art by Clark Miller

The Rush to AI Opens Doors to Cyberattacks

By 87-4424346 Spitler · Dec 3, 2024 10:42am PST · 2 comments

There’s much talk about superintelligent artificial intelligence that controls humans, leading to a grim dystopian future. That’s still largely hypothetical. A more immediate AI risk is playing out under our noses: a cascading, AI-fueled cyberattack. There’s much talk about superintelligent artificial intelligence that controls humans,...

AWS CEO, Matt Garman. Photo via Getty.

How AWS Can Move the Needle in AI; 2025’s AI Books

By Anissa Gardizy · Dec 3, 2024 7:00am PST

Amazon Web Services’ annual conference for customers kicks off this morning with products AWS Chief Matt Garman said would be “needle-moving.” But what happened to the products unveiled by AWS at last year’s re:Invent?A year ago, Garman’s predecessor, Adam Selipsky, tried to make a splash by unveiling an artificial intelligence chatbot and... Amazon Web Services’ annual conference for customers kicks off this morning with products AWS...

Photo by Getty.

Temu and Shein Delivery Providers Face Labor Complaints

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Dec 3, 2024 6:00am PST

Photo by Getty.

Temu and Shein Delivery Providers Face Labor Complaints

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Dec 3, 2024 6:00am PST

The growth of Temu and Shein has spurred the rise of little-known delivery startups that help them keep prices ultralow for shoppers. Now those budget delivery services are facing a growing number of legal complaints about their pay practices. With a click of a button, shoppers on these and other sites like AliExpress set in motion a delivery... The growth of Temu and Shein has spurred the rise of little-known delivery startups that help...

Photo via Getty

Judge Rebuffs Musk; Intel Searches for a Savior

By Martin Peers · Dec 2, 2024 5:00pm PST

These are heady days for Elon Musk, whose friendship with Donald Trump has accentuated his already immense power in the tech industry. But there’s one quarter where Musk can’t yet get what he wants: the Delaware courts.Late Monday afternoon, the Delaware judge hearing the long-running fight over Musk’s Tesla pay package reaffirmed her January... These are heady days for Elon Musk, whose friendship with Donald Trump has accentuated his...

The Rise of the Tech Bro

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 2, 2024 2:02pm PST

On the latest More or Less: A debate over the "tech bro" and a special guest from Hollywood. Hope you enjoy! Apple Spotify On the latest More or Less: A debate over the "tech bro" and a special...

Brex’s Leadership Reset

By Akash Pasricha · Dec 2, 2024 9:00am PST

Brex’s org chart, as it is today, is practically unrecognizable from a year ago. Six of CEO Pedro Franceschi’s seven direct reports stepped into their roles in the past 12 months. Plus, two co-CEOs ran the corporate card company until June, when co-founder Henrique Dubugras exited. This overhauled slate of top leaders is overseeing... Brex’s org chart, as it is today, is practically unrecognizable from a year ago. Six of CEO...

Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Where AI Valuations Are Cheap

By Sri Muppidi and Rocket Drew · Dec 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Where AI Valuations Are Cheap

By Sri Muppidi and Rocket Drew · Dec 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Some recent fundraisings, including for video generator Synthesia, have suggested valuations for AI startups are coming down to earth. But at 30 times next year’s revenue, you wouldn’t exactly call these deals cheap. You could, however, use that description for the startups that provide computing resources to AI developers.Take Lambda, a... Some recent fundraisings, including for video generator Synthesia, have suggested valuations for...

Ali Ghodsi. Art by Clark Miller. Screenshots via YouTube.

Databricks’ ‘Truth-Seeking’ CEO Wants to Be Bigger Than Salesforce

By Jon Victor · Dec 2, 2024 6:00am PST · 1 comment

New managers acclimating to life at data analytics software firm Databricks are often shocked when CEO Ali Ghodsi calls up one of their team members out of the blue to question them about a product they’re working on. Or drops into a low-level meeting unannounced. Or phones the data scientists working for a customer. For Ghodsi, it’s... New managers acclimating to life at data analytics software firm Databricks are often shocked...

Byd introduces its electric Shark pickup in Mexico City in May. Photo: Photo: Mariceu Erthal/Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: How Trump Set the Stage for a Grand EV Bargain With China

By Steve LeVine · Dec 2, 2024 4:30am PST

Last March, President-elect Donald Trump, addressing a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, dove into a recurring theme: Chinese automakers were planning to build plants in Mexico and export their electric cars into the U.S. tariff free, exploiting a loophole in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade treaty. Trump said that if elected, he would stop them... Last March, President-elect Donald Trump, addressing a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, dove into...

Art by Clark Miller

The Value of Self-Exile

By Abram Brown · Nov 30, 2024 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: The Information’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide • E-commerce: A bet on Big Brother billboards • The Top 5: What to wear to Silicon Valley’s holiday parties • Plus, we feast!: A lover scorned and scorched; a buddy film seasoned with punchlines and pathos; the TikToker who cheeses for... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: The Information’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide...

What to Wear to Silicon Valley’s Holiday Parties

By Esther Achara · Nov 30, 2024 5:00am PST

What to Wear to Silicon Valley’s Holiday Parties

By Esther Achara · Nov 30, 2024 5:00am PST

As every Silicon Valley titan surely knows, assembling a holiday party wardrobe that works across occasions—perhaps time zones, too—requires considerable strategic thinking: Underperformance isn’t an option, and neither is cutting deeply against the cultural grain. Thankfully, stylist Victoria Cárdenas Hitchcock has a... As every Silicon Valley titan surely knows, assembling a holiday party wardrobe that works across...