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

Stephen Zhu. Photo by Didi.

The Big Interview

Exclusive: Top Didi Executive Outlines How Ride-Hailing Will Bounce Back

By Yunan Zhang and Shai Oster · May 7, 2020 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

After a two-month lockdown, China is coming back to life. Even without a big marketing push or substantial discounts, Didi Chuxing has seen use of its ride-hailing apps recover to about 70% of their levels before Covid-19, as The Information previously reported. But Didi’s senior vice president Stephen Zhu hints that the West may not... After a two-month lockdown, China is coming back to life. Even without a big marketing push or...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg

Curbing Tech Ambitions: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · May 6, 2020 6:13pm PDT

Today brought so many tech headlines it’s hard to know where to begin. Uber confirmed the layoffs Amir previously reported. And then there was more big news from Facebook, as well as first quarter updates from Lyft and Peloton. I've been wondering lately whether Silicon Valley companies, as they downsize, are going to pare back... Today brought so many tech headlines it’s hard to know where to begin. Uber confirmed the...

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel. Photo by Bloomberg.

Endeavor Looks to Sell Stake in Epic Games

By Jessica Toonkel · May 6, 2020 10:43am PDT · 5 comments

Entertainment firm Endeavor Group is looking to sell part of its minority stake in videogame firm Epic Games as it seeks to raise cash, say people familiar with the situation. Endeavor, which owns the WME talent agency as well as extensive live-event businesses, has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.The sale could raise as much as... Entertainment firm Endeavor Group is looking to sell part of its minority stake in videogame firm...

Art by Sam Lessin

How Google and Apple Need to Play the Covid Contact Tracing Debate’s Next Phase

By Sam Lessin · May 6, 2020 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Art by Sam Lessin

Modest Proposals

How Google and Apple Need to Play the Covid Contact Tracing Debate’s Next Phase

By Sam Lessin · May 6, 2020 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

The challenge platform companies face in managing the balance between privacy and security is a perennial issue for the tech industry. Nowhere is this challenge more immediate or stark, however, than in what we see unfolding with Covid-19 digital contact tracing.There is a clear choice to make. Contact tracing capabilities can be built in a way... The challenge platform companies face in managing the balance between privacy and security is a...

Disney's headquarters in Burbank, Calif. Photo by Bloomberg

Disney’s Dividend Symbolism: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · May 5, 2020 6:36pm PDT

Greetings!We got more evidence today that the pandemic is likely to accelerate the shift in economic power from entertainment to tech. Disney, the mightiest of the Hollywood giants, suspended its half-yearly dividend, symbolizing just how much entertainment has been devastated by the current crisis. Last week, when big tech companies reported... Greetings!We got more evidence today that the pandemic is likely to accelerate the shift in...

Rony Abovitz, founder and CEO of Magic Leap, arrives at Allen & Co. in 2017. Photo by Bloomberg

Magic Leap in Talks to Raise Money From ‘Major Health Care Company,’ CEO Tells Staff

By Alex Heath · May 5, 2020 1:17pm PDT · 3 comments

Magic Leap is in talks to secure funding from a health care company, according to emails CEO Rony Abovitz sent to staff. The capital could save the highly valued startup from making further cuts to its already diminished workforce. Abovitz said last week that Magic Leap signed a term sheet and was in advanced negotiations with “a major... Magic Leap is in talks to secure funding from a health care company, according to emails CEO Rony...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo: Bloomberg

Airbnb to Cut 25% of Work Force

By Cory Weinberg · May 5, 2020 12:01pm PDT · 4 comments

Airbnb is planning to lay off 1,900 employees, or roughly a quarter of its total work force, CEO Brian Chesky told employees Tuesday, as the coronavirus pandemic takes a brutal toll on the travel business.Revenue this year is expected to be less than half what it was in 2019, Chesky said in a memo. The company had $4.8 billion in revenue last... Airbnb is planning to lay off 1,900 employees, or roughly a quarter of its total work force, CEO...

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar. Photo by Bloomberg

AT&T Had Talks About Selling Crunchyroll

By Tom Dotan and Jessica Toonkel · May 5, 2020 11:52am PDT · 1 comment

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar. Photo by Bloomberg

AT&T Had Talks About Selling Crunchyroll

By Tom Dotan and Jessica Toonkel · May 5, 2020 11:52am PDT · 1 comment

AT&T’s WarnerMedia has had discussions about selling Crunchyroll, a streaming service that specializes in Japanese anime, according to people familiar with the matter.Possible buyers include Sony, which owns a rival anime service called Funimation and which has had discussions with WarnerMedia in recent months. There are no active... AT&T’s WarnerMedia has had discussions about selling Crunchyroll, a streaming service...

From left to right: Michael Greenfield, Peter Hollens and Jade Sherman. Art by Mike Sullivan

How YouTube Stars Are Getting Paid During the Pandemic

By Nick Bastone · May 5, 2020 7:02am PDT

Patrick Lacey, a YouTube creator who runs the 2 million subscriber TierZoo channel, was pulling in nearly $11,000 a month from ads on videos that rated wild animals as if they were players in a video game. Then came the coronavirus shutdowns and a dive in spending from advertisers. His paycheck from YouTube ads in April plunged to around $4,800.... Patrick Lacey, a YouTube creator who runs the 2 million subscriber TierZoo channel, was pulling...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg

Silver Lake’s Expanding Portfolio: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · May 4, 2020 5:57pm PDT

Greetings!Financial crises are great opportunities for investors with cash to burn. They’re able to grab opportunities that others fear to touch. Exhibit A is Silver Lake, which on Monday spent another $750 million investing in India’s Jio Platforms, following closely Facebook’s investment in the same firm.Silver Lake’s... Greetings!Financial crises are great opportunities for investors with cash to burn. They’re...

Lime scooters in Gothenburg, Sweden, last year. Photo: AP

Uber in Talks to Lead $170 Million Lime Investment at Lower Valuation

By Cory Weinberg and Amir Efrati · May 4, 2020 4:52pm PDT · 1 comment

Uber is in talks to lead a $170 million financing in scooter rental firm Lime, whose business has dropped sharply amid the coronavirus pandemic, executives at the startup told investors last week. The potential deal would value Lime on paper at $510 million, after the proposed cash infusion, a 79% drop from its previous valuation.Uber already... Uber is in talks to lead a $170 million financing in scooter rental firm Lime, whose business has...

Zumper CEO Anthemos Georgiades.

Startups Withdraw Applications for Government Loans, Fearing Backlash

By Kate Clark · May 4, 2020 1:07pm PDT · 2 comments

Zumper CEO Anthemos Georgiades.

Startups Withdraw Applications for Government Loans, Fearing Backlash

By Kate Clark · May 4, 2020 1:07pm PDT · 2 comments

One week after submitting paperwork for a $2 million government loan from the Small Business administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, Zumper CEO Anthemos Georgiades asked his bank to withdraw the application. He worried taking the money was ethically dubious and legally risky.“CEOs are having trouble sleeping thinking their... One week after submitting paperwork for a $2 million government loan from the Small Business...

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, left, and Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom. Photos by Bloomberg

Google Engineers Flirted With a Zoom Acquisition—Before a Push to Beat It

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 4, 2020 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Not long ago, Google and Zoom Video Communications had cordial relations. In 2018, several thousand Google employees were using Zoom as an alternative to Google’s own videoconferencing product, said a person with direct knowledge of the situation. The popularity of Zoom within Google even prompted some Google Cloud engineers to discuss... Not long ago, Google and Zoom Video Communications had cordial relations. In 2018, several...

To Return or Not to Return? That Is the Question

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 2, 2020 7:46am PDT · 3 comments

This week, it was finally time to confront the question I have been avoiding for weeks: how and when our team at The Information should go back to our offices. I think that day is still likely far away in San Francisco and New York. (Our Hong Kong team just moved into their new digs!) But in the interest of being prepared, I felt that I had... This week, it was finally time to confront the question I have been avoiding for weeks: how and...

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

Elon the Stock Picker: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · May 1, 2020 5:18pm PDT

Hello,Today, this study from a pre-eminent educational research group came across my screen, and it is too devastating not to share. Too many parents are skipping meals to feed their kids, or even pulling back on feeding them. As we follow all aspects of the crisis, I know many of you continue to think about the human toll. I hope you will... Hello,Today, this study from a pre-eminent educational research group came across my screen, and...

The Information’s 411 — Earnings and Learnings

By Tom Dotan · May 1, 2020 4:18pm PDT · 1 comment

The Information’s 411 — Earnings and Learnings

By Tom Dotan · May 1, 2020 4:18pm PDT · 1 comment

Alex walks us through the first quarter earnings for Snap, Twitter and Facebook to see how they fared at the onset of the pandemic. We break down why Snap ended up posting a surprisingly strong quarter, powered by its growing direct response ad business. Alex walks us through the first quarter earnings for Snap, Twitter and Facebook to see how they...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Discovering Your Spouse’s Annoying Work Personality

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 1, 2020 7:02am PDT · 1 comment

The age-old question “How was your day?” seems laughably unnecessary at a time when many people are spending their days in close proximity at home, well aware of how their partner’s day has been going. For the millions of people who have been able to bring their office jobs home during the coronavirus lockdown, the switch is... The age-old question “How was your day?” seems laughably unnecessary at a time when...

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Photo by Bloomberg

The Perils of Prospering From the Pandemic: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Apr 30, 2020 6:55pm PDT

Greetings!Businesses that are able to sidestep a recession are usually happy to shout that from the rooftops. But, as Amazon’s statement on Thursday reminded us, no company wants to be seen to be profiting from the pandemic.Not only did the company declare it would spend its entire $4 billion operating profit this quarter on Covid-related... Greetings!Businesses that are able to sidestep a recession are usually happy to shout that from...

Art by Sam Lessin

Modest Proposals

The Long-Term Implications of Extended Work From Home

By Sam Lessin · Apr 30, 2020 10:01am PDT · 21 comments

A shift to remote work at companies was underway even before the Covid-19 outbreak. New startups were being born that were fully “remote from the start.” Larger companies were experimenting with remote work to access talent outside major hubs.But while the shift had started, few firms had fully embraced the change. Moving to a... A shift to remote work at companies was underway even before the Covid-19 outbreak. New startups...

Apple Watch announcement in September 2019. Photo by Bloomberg.

The ‘Old Dogs’ Who Build Apple Products

By Wayne Ma · Apr 30, 2020 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Apple Watch announcement in September 2019. Photo by Bloomberg.

The ‘Old Dogs’ Who Build Apple Products

By Wayne Ma · Apr 30, 2020 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Apple can’t get enough of Mike Janicek. The firm needed him so much that he worked at the tech giant three times over four decades. First, in 1984, he worked as a contractor at an Apple keyboard and mouse factory. The second time, between 2002 and 2009, he supervised the manufacturing of connectors and cases. He rejoined a third time in... Apple can’t get enough of Mike Janicek. The firm needed him so much that he worked at the...