How Sam Altman, the dealmaking prodigy full of contradictions, became one of the best-known tech CEOs, including by cultivating close ties with Peter Thiel (Washington Post)

Washington Post:
How Sam Altman, the dealmaking prodigy full of contradictions, became one of the best-known tech CEOs, including by cultivating close ties with Peter Thiel  —  Investing in everything from speakeasys to nuclear fusion, the Silicon Valley wunderkind, dealing-making prodigy is full of contradictions

Bots registered as 13-year-old users on TikTok were shown highly polarized content about the Israel-Hamas war in the For You feed, within hours after signing up (Wall Street Journal)

Wall Street Journal:
Bots registered as 13-year-old users on TikTok were shown highly polarized content about the Israel-Hamas war in the For You feed, within hours after signing up  —  Imagine your 13-year-old signs up for TikTok and, while scrolling through videos, lingers on footage of explosions …

A profile of FTC Chair Lina Khan, who on a trip to Silicon Valley in November aimed to convince a skeptical tech sector that the government was there to help (Josh Sisco/Politico)

Josh Sisco / Politico:
A profile of FTC Chair Lina Khan, who on a trip to Silicon Valley in November aimed to convince a skeptical tech sector that the government was there to help  —  FTC Chair Lina Khan's vast ambitions to cut back on corporate power could be a huge part of Biden's legacy — if they come to fruition.

ScamSniffer: Google and X ads are promoting sites containing a crypto drainer named "MS Drainer" that has stolen $59M from 63,210 victims since March 2023 (Bill Toulas/BleepingComputer)

Bill Toulas / BleepingComputer:
ScamSniffer: Google and X ads are promoting sites containing a crypto drainer named “MS Drainer” that has stolen $59M from 63,210 victims since March 2023  —  Google and Twitter ads are promoting sites containing a cryptocurrency drainer named ‘MS Drainer’ that has already stolen $59 million …

Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount in discussions for a merger: Why it matters

Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount may have discussed a possible merger. The CEOs of both the companies reportedly met in New York City this week to discuss the topic. If this happens, it will be one of the largest platforms to compete with Netflix and Disney+. Citing multiple sources, Axios reported that the meeting between Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav held talks with Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, which lasted several hours, took place at Paramount's headquarters in Times Square. Warner Bros. Discovery is said to have hired bankers to explore the deal. https://ift.tt/EeIhaTR

High-speed transportation company Hyperloop One is shutting down, here’s why

Hyperloop One, a high-speed freight transportation company, will shut down by the end of this year. The Los-Angeles-based firm, which completed the world's first passenger ride on a super high-speed levitating pod system in 2020, failed to win any contract to build a working hyperloop. It will sell off its remaining assets and terminate the employment for its remaining workers. Hyperloop One was founded in 2014 and was backed by United Arab Emirates shipping company DP World and British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin. https://ift.tt/P84huiA