The Weekend by The Information Staff

Every Saturday

The Weekend

By The Information Staff

Know what happens when Silicon Valley logs off—the trends and people shaping culture, technology and everything in between.

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Recent Editions

Art: Clark Miller (photos: courtesy of "Disruption")

An Almighty Algorithm’s Grand Debut

By Abram Brown · Aug 15, 2026 8:01am PDT

• The Big Read: Inside the ascendance of Anthropic’s “first lady”• Elon Musk’s flying roadster is finally ready • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani,” “Little Blue Dot” and “Furious”What’s the best measure of AI’s great proliferation?Most obviously, we can sum up the enormous amounts of money... • The Big Read: Inside the ascendance of Anthropic’s “first lady”• Elon Musk’s flying roadster is...

Anthropic's Dario Amodei (left) and physicist Leo Szilard. Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

Visiting Anthropic’s Favorite Atomic Author

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 8, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Sequoia’s new leaders go all out on AI. • Why U.S. robotics startups are stuffing parts from China in their luggage.• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “What to Carry, What to Burn,” “The Secret Dinner” and “Arco”The West Seattle hillside home of Richard Rhodes, with... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Sequoia’s new leaders go all out on...

Art: Clark Miller

Why Apple Should Buy Granola

By Abram Brown · Aug 1, 2026 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

• The Big Read: Silicon Valley looks to a new biotech frontier—Montana • Garry Tan’s political dreams require this 32-year-old’s ‘grunt’ force • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Dead Rabbit,” “The Amateur” and “The Drama”Here’s a thought that would’ve seemed startling not long ago: There’s a very good chance that... • The Big Read: Silicon Valley looks to a new biotech frontier—Montana • Garry Tan’s...

Art: Clark Miller

Will We Really Want 100 Corgi Cafes?

By Jemima McEvoy · Jul 25, 2026 8:01am PDT

Art: Clark Miller

Will We Really Want 100 Corgi Cafes?

By Jemima McEvoy · Jul 25, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: Introducing the Summer Fun List—gear, gadgets and toys that all come highly recommended• AI: Where is China ahead of America? In cracking down on AI romances • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Last Twelve Weeks,” “The Nord Stream Conspiracy”and “The Dark Wizard”Just... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: Introducing the Summer Fun List—gear, gadgets...

Art: Clark Miller

Why Andreessen Horowitz’s New Investor Left Apple

By Abram Brown · Jul 18, 2026 8:02am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Trump’s AI agenda collides with reality• Tech Culture: Welcome to the great private jet drought• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Gastronomics,” “Catch the Devil” and “The Invite”At the dawn of the AI boom, the technology sparked a real melee between newcomer startups... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Trump’s AI agenda collides with reality•...

Art: Clark Miller

AI Researchers Are Having an Identity Crisis

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jul 11, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Welcome to the era of the eggmaxxer • Style and Shopping: A buyer’s guide to mogul casual, Sun Valley edition• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Signal Hill,” “The Sixth Nik” and “X-Men ’97”As AI rapidly improves in areas such as coding and mathematics, AI... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Welcome to the era of the eggmaxxer ...

Art: Clark Miller (photos: Getty Images)

Alex Karp, Open Source AI and a Neocloud Heyday

By Abram Brown · Jul 4, 2026 7:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Pickleball is the past—the tech elite is obsessed with padel. • Plus, an Americana-themed batch of Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Americans,” “East of Eden,” “High Desert Daydream,” “Lonesome Dove,” USA vs. Belgium, and “The Twilight Zone.” The year’s midpoint is an... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Pickleball is the past—the tech elite is...

Art: Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

Where Tech Political Spending Goes Next

By Leo Schwartz · Jun 27, 2026 8:00am PDT

Art: Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

Where Tech Political Spending Goes Next

By Leo Schwartz · Jun 27, 2026 8:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How a Chinese megabillionaire became the Jensen Huang of batteries. • Style and Shopping: Tech invaded Cannes. Then we went shopping.• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Long Buried,” “How to Not Die in Prison” and “Dust Bunny”On Tuesday, a closely watched... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How a Chinese megabillionaire became the...

Art: Clark Miller

AI Devices, Midjourney’s Spas and Snap’s Flop-sicles

By Jemima McEvoy · Jun 20, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The brains behind Bernie’s AI sovereign wealth fund? A Silicon Valley law professor • The Takeaway: How I learned to love Mark Rober• E-commerce: The fast-growing Thiel-backed startup defying a creator economy slowdown• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Foul... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The brains behind Bernie’s AI sovereign...

Art: Mike Sullivan

AI’s Blithe Spending and Crusoe’s Stargate Woes

By Abram Brown · Jun 13, 2026 8:09am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Tech readies itself for a Reta-aissance • Politics and Policy: A Silicon Valley politician’s counter move to the big tech PACs• Biotech: Longevity startups’ holy grail pursuit faces a prosaic roadblock• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Last Resort,” “The Yahoo Boys”... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Tech readies itself for a...

Art: Clark Miller (Photos: Getty Images)

Inside SpaceX’s Strange, Stratospheric IPO

By Abram Brown · Jun 6, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The quiet VIP of SpaceX’s wild IPO• SpaceX millionaires mull IPO windfalls: a house, a college fund—or ‘chill on a beach’?• SpaceX mafia see IPO as liftoff opportunity for their startups too • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Where the River Took Us,” “Villa Coco”... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The quiet VIP of SpaceX’s wild IPO•...

Art by Clark Miller

Defense Tech Grows Up

By Leo Schwartz · May 30, 2026 9:01am PDT

Art by Clark Miller

Defense Tech Grows Up

By Leo Schwartz · May 30, 2026 9:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Can OpenAI’s revenue chief catch Anthropic in enterprise tech?• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Deep Cover: The Family Man,” “1873” and “Legends”On Tuesday, I dropped in at JPMorgan Chase’s glitzy new Midtown headquarters for a confab on national... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Can OpenAI’s revenue chief ...

A Complicated Comeback for Stanford’s Ex-President

A Complicated Comeback for Stanford’s Ex-President

By Amy Dockser Marcus · May 23, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The tech elite’s go-to real estate broker? The mayor’s brother • Crypto: Inside crypto’s Washington command center • Lists: 20 great books for summer 2026 • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “John Kiriakou’s Dead Drop,” “Returning”... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The tech elite’s go-to real estate...

Art: Mike Sullivan

San Francisco’s Robo-Fight Club, General Catalyst’s Divisive Virality

By Julia Hornstein and Abram Brown · May 16, 2026 8:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Why Trump officials and VCs love a nuclear power startup’s brute-force approach• Biotech: The case of the disappearing embryo startups • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Are We Doomed?” “Steve Jobs in Exile” and “Lord of the Flies” The legal slugfest between Elon... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Why Trump officials and VCs love a...

Art: Clark Miller (Photos: Getty Images)

AI Finds Necessity in Frenemies

By Abram Brown · May 9, 2026 8:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Tech Culture: Billionaire tax brings new boom time to Tahoe haven• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Interview: What Does Tucker Carlson Really Believe? I Went to Maine to Find Out,” “Hated by All the Right People,” and “Widow’s Bay”A very old proverb comes to mind when I think... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Tech Culture: Billionaire tax brings new boom time to...

Art: Clark Miller

Doom Ban, Meme Coins and 7 More Highlights from Musk v. OpenAI

By Rocket Drew · May 2, 2026 8:00am PDT

Art: Clark Miller

Doom Ban, Meme Coins and 7 More Highlights from Musk v. OpenAI

By Rocket Drew · May 2, 2026 8:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Inside ZaiNar, the secretive startup hoping to power the physical AI era • Policy: Meet the Trump official who wants to deliver a win to prediction markets • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Expanse: The Nannup Four,” “The Infinity Machine” and “Beef”Watching... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Inside ZaiNar, the secretive startup ...

Art: Clark Miller (Photo: Getty Images)

Benson Boone, Tech’s Go-To Performer

By Erin Woo · Apr 25, 2026 8:20am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The tech elite are using AI to supercharge their cancer battles • Artificial Intelligence: Should AI and Christianity mix? • Tech Culture: Amid AI backlash, billionaires demand new breed of bodyguard—plus, inside the star-studded Breakthrough Prize gala • Plus,... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The tech elite are using AI to...

Illustration: Clark Miller

What xAI and OpenAI Should Buy Next

By Abram Brown · Apr 18, 2026 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The rise of SemiAnalysis’ Dylan Patel, Silicon Valley’s favorite AI commentator • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Obit Project,” “Disneyland and the Rise of Automation” and “Unfamiliar”Recently, a close friend of mine introduced me to another of his friends, a... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The rise of SemiAnalysis’ Dylan Patel,...

Illustration: Clark Miller (Photos: AMC)

Silicon Valley, Ready to Laugh Again?

By Abram Brown · Apr 11, 2026 8:23am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Meet the father of Claude Code• Artificial Intelligence: The hijinks around tokenmaxxing • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Who Blew Up the Georgia Guidestones?” “Those Who Are About to Die” and “It Was Just an Accident”Over a good many years, “Silicon Valley,”... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Meet the father of Claude Code• ...

Illustration: Clark Miller

TBPN’s Lovable Underdog Era Ends

By Abram Brown · Apr 4, 2026 2:07pm PDT

Illustration: Clark Miller

TBPN’s Lovable Underdog Era Ends

By Abram Brown · Apr 4, 2026 2:07pm PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: A familiar Silicon Valley foe is the mastermind behind those explosive chatbot lawsuits• Tech Culture: San Francisco’s mecca for mad scientists eyes global expansion • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Idiot,” “Dune Messiah” and “The AI Doc: Or How I Became an... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: A familiar Silicon Valley foe is the...