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

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Recent Editions

Jeff Lawson, CEO of Twilio. Photo by Getty.

Hedge Fund Anson Builds Stake in Twilio, Pushes for Sale

By Maria Heeter · Nov 28, 2023 5:00am PST

Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson might have breathed a sigh of relief when the leader of tech investing at Legion Partners, an activist hedge fund that had agitated for change at Lawson’s software company, left for another fund. But the investor picked up where he left off, leading his new employer, Anson Funds, to buy a stake in Twilio. Anson is... Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson might have breathed a sigh of relief when the leader of tech investing at...

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) takes Elon Musk (left) on a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza after the October 7th Massacre took place there, on November 27, 2023 in Kfar Aza, Israel. Photo by Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)/Handout via Getty Images.

Israel Gets Sensible and Thoughtful Musk

By Martin Peers · Nov 27, 2023 5:00pm PST · 3 comments

After a week of OpenAI and Thanksgiving, we’re back to regularly scheduled tech programming. That means Elon Musk is once again all over the news, this time visiting Israel in what appears to be an effort to counter perceptions, rekindled by this tweet from two weeks ago, that he is antisemitic. Not surprisingly, we got the respectable version... After a week of OpenAI and Thanksgiving, we’re back to regularly scheduled tech programming. That...

Photo by AFP via Getty

Creator Economy

Why Your TikTok Feed Is Looking More Like YouTube

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 27, 2023 2:00pm PST

This morning, I published a deep dive into TikTok’s push into longer videos. While TikTok popularized 15-second clips, last month it began testing videos that are 15 minutes. It’s also incentivizing creators to post longer videos with a new creator fund that only rewards videos that are more than a minute. And it’s been testing full-screen... This morning, I published a deep dive into TikTok’s push into longer videos. While TikTok...

Gary Marcus. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

Why OpenAI’s Breakthrough Isn’t a Harbinger for Humanity-Ending AGI

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Nov 27, 2023 7:00am PST · 4 comments

Gary Marcus. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

Why OpenAI’s Breakthrough Isn’t a Harbinger for Humanity-Ending AGI

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Nov 27, 2023 7:00am PST · 4 comments

OpenAI’s boardroom drama was barely resolved on Thanksgiving Eve last week when forums and news sites exploded in speculation at the implications of a scientific breakthrough that the company was reported to have made. A Reuters report suggested this discovery could “threaten humanity,” although our article was a tad more circumspect (you... OpenAI’s boardroom drama was barely resolved on Thanksgiving Eve last week when forums and...

Art by Clark Miller

TikTok Ignited a Frenzy for Short Videos. Now It Wants Longer Ones

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 27, 2023 6:00am PST · 4 comments

YouTube, Instagram and other apps have spent years trying to compete against the TikTok juggernaut by offering short videos resembling the 15-second clips that made TikTok famous. Now TikTok is stepping up a push to get its creators to make longer videos like the ones found on other apps. In late October, TikTok invited dozens of creators to its... YouTube, Instagram and other apps have spent years trying to compete against the TikTok...

Ford's flagship electric Mustang Mach-E SUV. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Electric: In 2024, a New Reality for the EV and Battery Industries

By Steve LeVine · Nov 27, 2023 4:30am PST

For automakers, 2023 began with chronic shortages and soaring prices of key metals used in batteries. Electric vehicles were in short supply and consumers seemed prepared to buy any EV they could get their hands on almost regardless of the price.The year could hardly be ending more differently: The world is unexpectedly awash in battery-grade... For automakers, 2023 began with chronic shortages and soaring prices of key metals used in...

Art by Clark Miller.

Scene and Heard

While One Crypto Party Was Ruined, Another Raged On in Amsterdam

By Kari McMahon · Nov 25, 2023 6:00am PST · 3 comments

In the final week of October, over 3,000 crypto believers descended into woods on the outskirts of Amsterdam, arriving by shuttle bus to a gritty campus emblazoned in purple neon lights. Gaggles of hoodie-clad developers wandered the halls of industrial warehouses packed with lavish lounges, ball pits and barista stands where attendees could... In the final week of October, over 3,000 crypto believers descended into woods on the outskirts...

120 Sleepless Hours

120 Sleepless Hours

By Jon Steinberg · Nov 25, 2023 6:00am PST · 3 comments

120 Sleepless Hours

120 Sleepless Hours

By Jon Steinberg · Nov 25, 2023 6:00am PST · 3 comments

Hi, welcome to your Weekend.For the reporters and editors at The Information, the Thanksgiving holiday couldn’t have come at a better time: We needed to sleep! The same is undoubtedly true for the staff at OpenAI, who watched their CEO and president get whacked; an interim CEO promoted and then demoted; another interim CEO hired and met with “f—... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.For the reporters and editors at The Information, the Thanksgiving...

The referee flips a coin prior to the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders game on Thanksgiving 2023. Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty.

Thanksgiving’s Football Streaming Mess

By Martin Peers · Nov 24, 2023 3:00pm PST · 9 comments

If we learned anything over Thanksgiving, it’s how much of an opportunity there is for Disney chief Bob Iger to turn ESPN into a streaming hub for all sports. If you tried to catch the three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day without the benefit of cable TV (or an online version of cable, like YouTube TV), you would have discovered—as my household... If we learned anything over Thanksgiving, it’s how much of an opportunity there is for Disney...

Art by Clark Miller.

The Information’s Top Tech-Adjacent Gifts for 2023

By The Information Staff · Nov 24, 2023 9:00am PST · 17 comments

With all of the turmoil afoot this week in Silicon Valley, you may have lost sight of what really matters: its Black Friday, folks! As in past years, The Information’s highly discerning staffers have been busy testing out gear that we know for certain will satisfy holiday recipients. From the technologically assisted (a golf... With all of the turmoil afoot this week in Silicon Valley, you may have lost sight of what really...

Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao leaving court after pleading guilty to violating money-laundering laws. Photo by David Ryder/Getty.

Pro Weekly: A Historic Week for AI and Crypto Org Charts

By Akash Pasricha · Nov 24, 2023 8:00am PST

Welcome back!What a week for tech news, and what a week for The Information’s Org Charts! The OpenAI and Binance shake-ups prompted major reorganizations at the biggest companies in artificial intelligence and crypto, respectively, all of which we’ve reflected in the companies’ Org Charts. At OpenAI, Sam Altman is back as CEO after the... Welcome back!What a week for tech news, and what a week for The Information’s Org Charts! The ...

A man walks past the OCC offices in Washington, D.C. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

A Bank Watchdog Crowned Its First Chief Fintech Officer. His Work History Was A Web Of Lies.

By Michael Roddan · Nov 24, 2023 6:00am PST · 12 comments

A man walks past the OCC offices in Washington, D.C. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

A Bank Watchdog Crowned Its First Chief Fintech Officer. His Work History Was A Web Of Lies.

By Michael Roddan · Nov 24, 2023 6:00am PST · 12 comments

In March, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—the powerful federal banking regulator—tapped Prashant Kumar Bhardwaj as the first person to lead its mission to police fintech firms and the banks that power them. On the surface, Bhardwaj seemed to be well qualified to be the OCC’s new deputy comptroller and chief... In March, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—the powerful federal banking...

OpenAI Made an AI Breakthrough Before Altman Firing, Stoking Excitement and Concern

By Jon Victor and Amir Efrati · Nov 22, 2023 3:37pm PST · 25 comments

One day before he was fired by OpenAI’s board last week, Sam Altman alluded to a recent technical advance the company had made that allowed it to “push the veil of ignorance back and the frontier of discovery forward.” The cryptic remarks at the APEC CEO Summit went largely unnoticed as the company descended into turmoil. But... One day before he was fired by OpenAI’s board last week, Sam Altman alluded to a recent...

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty.

OpenAI Drama’s First Season Ends but Second Season Is Possible

By Martin Peers · Nov 22, 2023 3:30pm PST

The OpenAI soap opera’s first season is over. And just in time for all involved—even reporters—to take a break for Thanksgiving. Their moods may vary. While many people, including executives, employees and investors in OpenAI, are surely thrilled the boardroom drama got resolved with Sam Altman’s reinstatement as CEO, doubtless a few aren’t so... The OpenAI soap opera’s first season is over. And just in time for all involved—even reporters—to...

Photo via Shutterstock

Creator Economy

Deep Discounts at TikTok Shop

By Margaux MacColl · Nov 22, 2023 1:18pm PST · 1 comment

The upcoming few days will be a test of TikTok’s recent, aggressive effort to expand into e-commerce. Recently I've gotten a taste of TikTok shopping. In a few words: it's seductive, as long as the discounts last.Overnight last month I realized the app had sneakily wedged a new TikTok Shop tab between my For You and Following page, and, after... The upcoming few days will be a test of TikTok’s recent, aggressive effort to expand into...

Sam Altman: Religious Cult Leader or CEO?

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 22, 2023 12:22pm PST · 3 comments

Sam Altman: Religious Cult Leader or CEO?

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 22, 2023 12:22pm PST · 3 comments

In a crash pod filmed hours before The Information broke Sam Altman would be returning to OpenAI, the More or Less gang got to the root of why the last five days of chaos around OpenAI is like nothing we've seen before in business. For those of you looking for the broader significance—and where the industry goes next—this... In a crash pod filmed hours before The Information broke Sam Altman would be returning to...

Inside a Sama AI office. Photo via Sama

You Can Separate a For-Profit Company From a Nonprofit. I Helped Do It

By Ben Parr · Nov 22, 2023 11:04am PST · 11 comments

In the turmoil around the firing and rehiring of former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, many people have looked to OpenAI’s complex governance structure, which marries its original nonprofit mission with a rapidly growing for-profit company now generating revenue at a pace exceeding $1 billion a year. OpenAI’s structure is indeed complex: It... In the turmoil around the firing and rehiring of former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, many people have...

Thrive's Josh Kushner, Sam Altman and Ashton Kutcher. Photos by Getty

Thrive-Led OpenAI Tender to Continue After Altman Returns

By Maria Heeter and Kate Clark · Nov 22, 2023 10:25am PST · 8 comments

An OpenAI employee share sale that values the firm at $86 billion is back on track following Sam Altman’s reinstatement as CEO late Tuesday night, a person familiar with the matter said. The deal, in which a group of investors led by Thrive Capital will buy up to $1 billion of stock—and conceivably more—held by employees or... An OpenAI employee share sale that values the firm at $86 billion is back on track following Sam...

Art by Clark Miller

From King to Exile to King Again: The Inside Story of Sam Altman’s Whiplash Week

By Paris Martineau and Julia Black · Nov 22, 2023 10:00am PST · 4 comments

Late Thursday afternoon, on what would become the eve of his firing from OpenAI, Sam Altman joined rivals from Google and Meta Platforms on stage at the APEC CEO Summit in San Francisco to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. In an uncanny foreshadowing of the drama to come, the event’s moderator was Laurene Powell Jobs, whose... Late Thursday afternoon, on what would become the eve of his firing from OpenAI, Sam Altman...

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao leaves the U.S. District Court on Nov. 21 in Seattle. Photo by David Ryder/Getty.

One Binance Saga Comes to a Close

By Aidan Ryan · Nov 22, 2023 9:15am PST · 2 comments

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao leaves the U.S. District Court on Nov. 21 in Seattle. Photo by David Ryder/Getty.

One Binance Saga Comes to a Close

By Aidan Ryan · Nov 22, 2023 9:15am PST · 2 comments

Just when it felt like crypto could coast into Thanksgiving with OpenAI drama dominating headlines, U.S. officials barged in with a settlement in long-running investigations into Binance.The deal is on one hand a seismic shift for the world’s biggest crypto exchange. (You can view our updated Binance org chart here.) Its founder Changpeng Zhao... Just when it felt like crypto could coast into Thanksgiving with OpenAI drama dominating...