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

From left: Li Bin photo from Zhongguancun Rongxin Financial Information Technology Alliance, Screenshot of China's president Xi Jinping via YouTube, Apple CEO Tim Cook photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan

Meet the Investor Bailing Out China’s Chip Industry

By Wayne Ma and Juro Osawa · Feb 22, 2022 6:00am PST

Last month, executives from two Chinese private equity firms hunkered down in a conference room at the Beijing headquarters of Tsinghua Unigroup. Once a star of China’s plan for semiconductor supremacy, Unigroup last year began choking on its own debt, filing for bankruptcy last July, and a government-led group had selected the two firms... Last month, executives from two Chinese private equity firms hunkered down in a conference room...

In the 1910s and 1920s, the Ford Model T cracked open the automobile market for the masses. Photo: Courtesy William Creswell/Creative Commons

Tesla and Its Rivals Don’t Want to Make Cheap EVs. That Choice Will Come Back to Haunt Them

By Steve LeVine · Feb 20, 2022 2:00pm PST

Welcome back to The Electric!Be sure to register for the live chat at noon on Thursday: “The Straight Dope on the New Oil—Lithium.” My guest will be Joe Lowry, CEO of Global Lithium and one of the world’s foremost experts on the metal. Is there a shortage of lithium? Joe says the answer is yes—and that it will last through the decade. Tune... Welcome back to The Electric!Be sure to register for the live chat at noon on Thursday: “The...

Mapping Playboy's Digital Reinvention, Where NFTs Are the Magazine and the Metaverse Is the Mansion

Mapping Playboy's Digital Reinvention, Where NFTs Are the Magazine and the Metaverse Is the Mansion

By Jon Steinberg · Feb 19, 2022 8:00am PST

Hi, welcome to your Weekend!For most of our kids’ lives, my wife and I have avoided giving them much technology. We’re not puritanical about it, but we saw little upside in letting our two girls own their own phones, tablets, smartwatches, or gaming consoles. But now that they are 12 and 10 years old, the daily drumbeat to let them have all of... Hi, welcome to your Weekend!For most of our kids’ lives, my wife and I have avoided giving them...

A London bus advertising Gopuff services. Photo: AP

A Vibe Shift in Venture

By Nick Wingfield · Feb 18, 2022 5:00pm PST

A London bus advertising Gopuff services. Photo: AP

A Vibe Shift in Venture

By Nick Wingfield · Feb 18, 2022 5:00pm PST

Earlier this week, The Cut published a story entitled “A Vibe Shift is Coming. Will Any of Us Survive It?” that quickly went viral, at least among the blue checkmark crowd on Twitter (the story was about a possible comeback of decadence in fashion and other parts of popular culture). The Information’s own Berber Jin today identified a different... Earlier this week, The Cut published a story entitled “A Vibe Shift is Coming. Will Any of Us...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

The Bunnies Have Left the Mansion: Inside Playboy’s Quest to Reinvent Itself as a Tech Company

By Annie Goldsmith · Feb 18, 2022 1:00pm PST · 4 comments

Mia Khalifa would be an obvious choice for a Playboy Playmate of the Month, if such a thing still existed. Instead, one of the biggest names in adult entertainment just signed up for its digital equivalent. Khalifa, a social media influencer and former porn star with 27 million Instagram followers, is set to join Playboy’s new subscription... Mia Khalifa would be an obvious choice for a Playboy Playmate of the Month, if such a thing still...

Post-Pandemic Changes Shine a Spotlight on Emerging Female Executives

By The Information Staff · Feb 18, 2022 12:18pm PST

At the Women in Tech Leadership Forum, The Information brought together top female executives to discuss the incoming and evolving generation of employees, customers, and products following the workplace disruption brought on by the pandemic. The various forums examined different aspects of the post-pandemic workplace, including multiple... At the Women in Tech Leadership Forum, The Information brought together top female executives to...

Ro Khanna photo by Sam Gavin. Cover courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

Ro Khanna’s “Dignity in a Digital Age” Looks to Spread Tech Wealth Beyond the Valley

By Jon Steinberg · Feb 18, 2022 12:00pm PST · 5 comments

This is 10 Questions, in which we ask tech authors to pull back the covers on their recently released books. Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. Ro Khanna is best known as a three-term congressman from Silicon Valley, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a vocal critic of the Big Tech companies headquartered... This is 10 Questions, in which we ask tech authors to pull back the covers on their recently...

Art by Haejin Park

The Boys Who Cried ‘Dox!’

By Margaux MacColl · Feb 18, 2022 11:00am PST · 6 comments

Art by Haejin Park

The Boys Who Cried ‘Dox!’

By Margaux MacColl · Feb 18, 2022 11:00am PST · 6 comments

When Danny Casale tells me he is “completely, fully doxxed,” a series of nightmare images flash through my mind: videogame designers bombarded with rape and death threats, SWAT teams swarming the homes of innocent people, journalists inundated with crude photos. For me, and I imagine for most people familiar with the term, “doxxing” still... When Danny Casale tells me he is “completely, fully doxxed,” a series of nightmare images flash...

Anthony Eisen is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Afterpay

Q&A

What’s Next for Afterpay After Acquisition by Dorsey’s Block

By Malique Morris · Feb 18, 2022 10:35am PST

Afterpay co-CEO Anthony Eisen is experiencing the buy now, pay later industry at an inflection point as competition mounts and the pandemic tailwind for e-commerce fades. And stand-alone services have two options to battle that: Differentiate themselves or look for a deal to scale up. The Australia-based online lender is now part of... Afterpay co-CEO Anthony Eisen is experiencing the buy now, pay later industry at an inflection...

Brian Robbins talks about 'SpongeBob SquarePants' at an investor day event for Paramount+. Screengrab via Vimeo.

Why Disney+, Paramount+ and Legacy Media Streamers Can’t Escape the Past

By Andrew A. Rosen · Feb 18, 2022 9:00am PST · 2 comments

PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sign up here. Cultural criticism is not investment advice. But investors with emerging concerns about the future of streaming business models will find their echo in a criticism of streaming services’ vast... PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every...

Daniel Sundheim, founder and chief investment officer of D1 Capital Partners, in 2019. Photo: Bloomberg.

Tiger Global, D1 Capital Signal Pullback From Big Private Tech Deals Amid Market Rout

By Berber Jin · Feb 18, 2022 6:00am PST · 5 comments

Responding to a steep sell-off in technology stocks, some hedge funds and other investment firms with large public stock portfolios have been turning away from investing in the most mature startups, reducing what’s been a crucial source of funding for the better part of two years. Instead they are focusing on buying beaten-down public tech... Responding to a steep sell-off in technology stocks, some hedge funds and other investment firms...

Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire. Photo: Sequoia Capital.

What Sequoia’s New Fund Says About its Crypto Ambitions

By Aidan Ryan · Feb 17, 2022 5:30pm PST

Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire. Photo: Sequoia Capital.

What Sequoia’s New Fund Says About its Crypto Ambitions

By Aidan Ryan · Feb 17, 2022 5:30pm PST

Sequoia Capital’s announcement Thursday that it was raising between $500 million and $600 million for a new fund focused exclusively on cryptocurrency startups is notable for a few reasons. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based firm had already signaled its intent to go deep on crypto last year, allocating 20% of its new investments to the sector. The... Sequoia Capital’s announcement Thursday that it was raising between $500 million and $600 million...

Palantir CEO Alexander Karp. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Flaws in Palantir's Big Tech-Like Growth Tactic

By Martin Peers · Feb 17, 2022 5:00pm PST

Enterprise software firm Palantir has proudly trod its own path in the tech industry, embracing an openly nationalist attitude that is in keeping with its roots serving the defense and intelligence communities. In his first appearance on a company earnings call today, CEO Alexander Karp even described Palantir as a company that “in every way... Enterprise software firm Palantir has proudly trod its own path in the tech industry, embracing...

Lyonel Dougé, CEO of TipSnaps. Photo: TipSnaps

Creator Economy

Crowdfunding the Creator Economy; A Teen TikToker’s Violent Stalker

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 17, 2022 2:05pm PST

A growing number of startups are making it easier for creators to finance their video production beyond maxing out their credit cards. Below we look at three that offer a creator-focused version of the crowdfunding popularized by Kickstarter and GofundMe. On U.K.-based Ko-fi, for example, creators can set a crowdfunding goal and accept... A growing number of startups are making it easier for creators to finance their video production...

A Hai Robotics machine operating in a warehouse. Credit: Hai Robotics

Sequoia-Backed Chinese Robot Maker Valued at $2 Billion Amid U.S. Expansion

By Juro Osawa · Feb 17, 2022 11:30am PST

Venture capitalists are betting Chinese robots can go global. Shenzhen-based Hai Robotics, a maker of robots for warehouses, is close to raising about $170 million from investors at a valuation higher than $2 billion, including the new capital, according to two people familiar with the matter. The previously unreported fundraising comes as the... Venture capitalists are betting Chinese robots can go global. Shenzhen-based Hai Robotics, a...

A look at the Peceptus Lego demo. Tagged pieces can be used to build a specific model. Credit: Singulos Research.

Perceptus Pitches Smarter AR; Kid Cudi Raises $9 Million for AR Concerts

By Mathew Olson · Feb 17, 2022 11:00am PST

A look at the Peceptus Lego demo. Tagged pieces can be used to build a specific model. Credit: Singulos Research.

Perceptus Pitches Smarter AR; Kid Cudi Raises $9 Million for AR Concerts

By Mathew Olson · Feb 17, 2022 11:00am PST

It can take newborns a couple years to understand object permanence, and then a few more years after that to have a deep understanding of the characteristics and rules that define those objects, like puzzle pieces or coins with differing values.You can imagine, then, how hard it would be to make an AR app that does anything close to what a... It can take newborns a couple years to understand object permanence, and then a few more years...

Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud. Photo by AP.

Vimeo Is Looking Like a Prime Takeover Target

By Aidan Ryan · Feb 17, 2022 6:00am PST

Barry Diller’s IAC internet-media empire has a long track record of successful spin-offs, including companies such as travel booking site Expedia, ticket seller Ticketmaster, and dating app company Match. Vimeo, its latest, hasn’t exactly shared their fate. Since its May separation from IAC, the video software firm’s stock has... Barry Diller’s IAC internet-media empire has a long track record of successful spin-offs,...

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett. Photo: Bloomberg

No, Warren Buffett Didn’t Just Invest $1 Billion in Crypto; Snoop Dogg’s NFT Record Label

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 16, 2022 5:57pm PST

Warren Buffett once famously called bitcoin “rat poison squared.” And despite the frenzy of media coverage this week about Berkshire Hathaway upping its stake in Nubank, a Brazilian digital bank, Buffett probably hasn’t changed his tune as much as people think. With a market capitalization of more than $40 billion, Nubank is one of... Warren Buffett once famously called bitcoin “rat poison squared.” And despite the frenzy of...

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai appearing at a conference last November. Photo by Bloomberg

What the Future Holds for Alphabet vs. Meta

By Martin Peers · Feb 16, 2022 5:00pm PST

Just when it looked like Wall Street’s shellacking of Meta Platforms’ stock had ended, we got more news today that reinforced anxieties about the company formerly known as Facebook. Yes, Google’s announcement that it will follow Apple in curtailing ad tracking can only make life harder for Meta’s ad business. (For more on Google’s plans, see our... Just when it looked like Wall Street’s shellacking of Meta Platforms’ stock had ended, we got...

Meta Platforms President Nick Clegg in 2017, before he joined the company. Photo by Bloomberg

By Promoting Clegg, Meta Mimics Microsoft as It Braces for New Political Battles

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan and Mark Di Stefano · Feb 16, 2022 2:25pm PST

Meta Platforms President Nick Clegg in 2017, before he joined the company. Photo by Bloomberg

By Promoting Clegg, Meta Mimics Microsoft as It Braces for New Political Battles

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan and Mark Di Stefano · Feb 16, 2022 2:25pm PST

Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Wednesday tried to send a message to regulators and lawmakers who have trained their sights on the company: Nick Clegg, a former deputy British prime minister, is the person they should haul before the cameras, not CEO Mark Zuckerberg. By promoting Clegg, who was leading communications and policy for the company,... Facebook owner Meta Platforms on Wednesday tried to send a message to regulators and lawmakers...