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

Tim Cook at WWDC 2024. Photo via Getty

Apple’s Needless App Store Fight

By Martin Peers · Jun 6, 2025 2:30pm PDT

Forget the Musk-Trump drama for a moment. Next week is WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference, when the iPhone maker shows off slick new software features coming later in the year. I’m tempted to say this year’s event will be more in the spotlight than usual, except that might be difficult to assert given the massive attention Apple gets for... Forget the Musk-Trump drama for a moment. Next week is WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference,...

Photo via Getty

What’s Next for Tech in Post-Musk Washington

By Martin Peers · Jun 5, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Today’s episode of America’s greatest reality series—yes, I’m talking about Elon Musk’s falling-out with President Donald Trump—was a barn burner. But rather than rehashing the gory details here (as extraordinary as their social media back-and-forth was, it was also entirely predictable), it’s more interesting to consider what this means for... Today’s episode of America’s greatest reality series—yes, I’m talking about Elon Musk’s...

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire. Photo via Getty

Squaring Away Circle’s IPO

By Yueqi Yang · Jun 4, 2025 5:00pm PDT · 3 comments

One of the longest running stories in crypto, Circle Internet Group’s effort to go public, is finally wrapping up. After four years of trying, the stablecoin firm priced its initial public offering tonight at $31 per share, above its preliminary range of between $27 and $28, and valuing the company at $6.9 billion based on outstanding shares.... One of the longest running stories in crypto, Circle Internet Group’s effort to go public, is...

AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi. Photo via AppLovin

Venture Capital’s Big AppLovin Miss

By Martin Peers · Jun 3, 2025 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi. Photo via AppLovin

Venture Capital’s Big AppLovin Miss

By Martin Peers · Jun 3, 2025 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

One of venture capital’s big misses has to be AppLovin, an ad-tech firm specializing in selling ad space in gaming apps. Its shares have soared more than 900% since the beginning of last year, giving AppLovin a market capitalization today of $135 billion. That makes it just a bit smaller than Spotify, Shopify and Arm Holdings—and bigger than... One of venture capital’s big misses has to be AppLovin, an ad-tech firm specializing in selling...

Photo by Getty

Chime’s Founders Hedge Their Bets

By Cory Weinberg · Jun 2, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Chime executives and bankers will spend the next week trying to convince investors that its stock will rise after its initial public offering. The company’s cofounders seem to be preparing for the opposite.New stock awards granted to cofounders Christopher Britt and Ryan King as part of the offering set a low bar potentially at the expense of... Chime executives and bankers will spend the next week trying to convince investors that its stock...

Photo via Getty

Musk’s White House Departure Shifts His Focus to Tesla, xAI and SpaceX

By Martin Peers · May 30, 2025 3:19pm PDT

Elon Musk has left the building—the White House, that is. President Donald Trump gave Musk a farewell press conference today, complete with a golden key (literally), marking the end of Musk’s formal time overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency. While both Trump and Musk said the Tesla CEO would visit Washington from time to time, Musk... Elon Musk has left the building—the White House, that is. President Donald Trump gave Musk a ...

Photo via Getty

AI Can Help Companies Become More Efficient—Except When It Screws Up

By Martin Peers · May 29, 2025 5:15pm PDT

Artificial intelligence really does make mistakes—sometimes big ones. Last weekend, I put half a dozen emails with details of airplane and hotel bookings for an upcoming vacation into Google’s NotebookLM and asked it to write me an itinerary. The resulting document read great—until I realized it listed a departure date 24 hours later than the... Artificial intelligence really does make mistakes—sometimes big ones. Last weekend, I put half a...

Photo via Getty

Nvidia’s Inconveniently Good Quarter

By Martin Peers · May 28, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Photo via Getty

Nvidia’s Inconveniently Good Quarter

By Martin Peers · May 28, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Well, this is inconvenient. Despite President Donald Trump’s order in April immediately blocking Nvidia from selling AI chips to China, the AI chipmaker reported another stellar quarter through the end of April. Revenue rose 69%, while free cash flow soared 75% to $26 billion, more than either Apple or Google throws off. Nvidia said the Trump... Well, this is inconvenient. Despite President Donald Trump’s order in April immediately blocking...

Photo via Getty

Benioff the Dealmaker Resurfaces With Informatica Purchase

By Martin Peers · May 27, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Marc Benioff is in his happy place once again, buying companies. Salesforce’s deal to buy data management firm Informatica for $8 billion in cash is the first sizable acquisition Benioff has done since a bunch of activist investors in late 2022-early 2023 forced him to focus more on profits and less on deals. And it comes at a critical time for... Marc Benioff is in his happy place once again, buying companies. Salesforce’s deal to buy data...

Trump’s Tariff Threat Shouldn’t Panic Apple Investors

Trump’s Tariff Threat Shouldn’t Panic Apple Investors

By Martin Peers · May 23, 2025 3:15pm PDT

Woo-hoo—it’s Memorial Day weekend, which means summer is just around the corner. And in a typical year, we would expect to soon see tech reviewers telling consumers not to upgrade their iPhones now, because new models will be coming in September. Not surprisingly, the June quarter is typically Apple’s weakest for iPhone sales. But this year,... Woo-hoo—it’s Memorial Day weekend, which means summer is just around the corner. And in a typical...

Sam Altman. Photo via Getty

The Flaw in Altman’s Thesis for AI Devices

By Martin Peers · May 22, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Is it animal, mineral or vegetable? OpenAI’s public declaration of its plan to roll out AI-specific hardware devices—as a result of its $6.5 billion purchase of Jony Ive’s startup, io—has sparked the predictable rush of people speculating on what the first such device will be. And we’re not just talking about journalists. Taiwan-based analyst... Is it animal, mineral or vegetable? OpenAI’s public declaration of its plan to roll out...

Jony Ive and Sam Altman. Photo via OpenAI

What OpenAI’s Jony Ive Deal Means For Altman—And Apple

By Martin Peers · May 21, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Jony Ive and Sam Altman. Photo via OpenAI

What OpenAI’s Jony Ive Deal Means For Altman—And Apple

By Martin Peers · May 21, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Sam Altman seems to be trying to set a new world record for creating a vertically integrated tech company in as little time as possible. The deal he and former Apple design chief Jony Ive announced Wednesday, under which OpenAI will buy Ive’s AI hardware startup io at a valuation of $6.5 billion, is striking on a number of levels. And not just... Sam Altman seems to be trying to set a new world record for creating a vertically integrated tech...

Google Challenges Meta With Smarter Glasses

By Martin Peers · May 20, 2025 5:00pm PDT

With its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Meta Platforms has had the high-tech eyewear market pretty much to itself. But Google’s unveiling on Tuesday of its own glasses, using software developed with Samsung and to be made in conjunction with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, an edgy Korean eyewear brand, signals there’s a new kid on this block. Now all... With its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Meta Platforms has had the high-tech eyewear market pretty much...

Satya Nadella returns to the stage after a pre-recorded interview with Elon Musk at the Microsoft Build conference. Photo via Getty.

What We Learned About xAI’s Grok From Microsoft Build

By Martin Peers · May 19, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Uh-oh. We’re in conference hell, one of those periods of the year when tech companies try to seize control of the news cycle with a seemingly never-ending stream of product announcements (many incomprehensible to ordinary folks) and/or partnership deals. Today Microsoft kicked off its Build developer conference (not to be confused with its... Uh-oh. We’re in conference hell, one of those periods of the year when tech companies try to...

John Malone. Photo via Getty

Why the Charter-Cox $34.5 Billion Cable Deal Matters

By Martin Peers · May 16, 2025 2:30pm PDT

Misery loves company, as they say. Friday’s announcement that two of the three biggest cable-broadband firms, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, are combining is a logical next step in the consolidation of a stagnant but still significant industry. Charter, whose biggest shareholder is controlled by aging cable magnate John Malone,... Misery loves company, as they say. Friday’s announcement that two of the three biggest...

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via Getty

Why YouTube Should Say How Much Money It Makes

By Martin Peers · May 15, 2025 5:00pm PDT

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via Getty

Why YouTube Should Say How Much Money It Makes

By Martin Peers · May 15, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Video-streaming and TV executives were out in force in New York this week, as outlets pitched their program schedules to marketers at lavish star-studded presentations. None other than Lady Gaga performed at YouTube’s party in Lincoln Center, for instance. There’s no doubt YouTube has come a long way since its founding 20 years ago. It now has a... Video-streaming and TV executives were out in force in New York this week, as outlets pitched...

Chime CEO Chris Britt. Photo via Getty

Chime, Snap and Founder Stock

By Martin Peers · May 14, 2025 5:00pm PDT

How much motivation does a company founder need to make their company a success? In the case of Chime, a fintech firm whose mission is to offer banking services to low- and mid-income people, quite a lot, it seems. When Chime filed paperwork to go public on Tuesday, it revealed that last month it awarded co-founders Chris Britt (who is also CEO)... How much motivation does a company founder need to make their company a success? In the case of...

An advertisement in Hong Kong in April. Photo via Getty

Crypto Gets Its Trump Bounce

By Yueqi Yang · May 13, 2025 5:30pm PDT

After a rocky few months for bitcoin investors following Donald Trump’s inauguration, crypto insiders are on a high once again. Consider the case of David Bailey, the Bitcoin Magazine CEO who advised Donald Trump on crypto policy and helped fundraise for his 2024 campaign. Yesterday, Bailey announced that he has raised $710 million to launch... After a rocky few months for bitcoin investors following Donald Trump’s inauguration, crypto...

Orange Temu parcels at the United States Postal Service Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center in Los Angeles in 2022. Photo via Getty

Temu’s Clouded Future

By Martin Peers · May 12, 2025 5:00pm PDT

You wouldn’t know it from checking out Temu’s website today—it’s as full of schlocky cheap items as ever—but the Chinese-owned shopping site is not what it was a few months ago. Thanks to changes made in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, it now lists all the items on the home page as coming from “local” warehouses rather than being... You wouldn’t know it from checking out Temu’s website today—it’s as full of schlocky cheap items...

Photo via Getty

Google’s Summer Wait For Search Shakeup Ruling

By Martin Peers · May 9, 2025 3:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Photo via Getty

Google’s Summer Wait For Search Shakeup Ruling

By Martin Peers · May 9, 2025 3:00pm PDT · 1 comment

This summer is likely to be a bit of a tense time at Google’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters. The company is awaiting a judge’s ruling on what shackles to put on the company’s search business to curb its monopoly, which the court previously ruled was illegal. A three-week trial deciding on those shackles wrapped up on Friday in a Washington... This summer is likely to be a bit of a tense time at Google’s Mountain View, Calif.,...