silicon valley

The Indian VCs behind silicon valley’s two new religions – SpaceX and OpenAI

Google co-founder Sergey Brin is injecting significant funds into San Francisco's local politics, backing a business-friendly tax proposal while opposing a controversial "Overpaid CEO Tax." This move, following his relocation from silicon valley, reflects Brin's broader campaign against wealth redistribution measures, which he links to his personal experience fleeing socialism.

Amaravati, the newly anointed capital city of Andhra Pradesh, is still under construction, but its Quantum Valley project is already luring deeptech startups, scientists and engineers to move in as the first settlers and work on the next frontier of technology

Intel's CEO announced a significant breakthrough in chip manufacturing, with their next-generation 14A process set to rival TSMC's technology. The company's foundry business, crucial for its comeback, has overcome previous yield issues, now showing substantial monthly improvements. This efficiency is attracting major tech firms, with Intel poised to announce new partnerships soon.

silicon valley's real estate is witnessing a stark divide, fueled by the AI boom. Luxury homes are soaring in value, while lower-end properties are declining. This trend, unlike in other major cities, highlights a 'K-shaped economy' where AI wealth benefits a select few, leaving many salaried workers struggling with affordability and job security concerns.

Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar challenges the narrative of AI-driven job losses, arguing that frontline workers, not tech executives, offer the true perspective. He highlights how automation in manufacturing and healthcare is enhancing efficiency and enabling job creation, rather than widespread displacement. Sankar emphasizes listening to those directly using AI in real-world applications.

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick believes AI can generate GTA lookalikes but not original hits, stating that clones don't sell. He emphasized that while AI excels at asset creation and improving efficiency, it lacks the originality and creative thinking essential for culturally influential games. Zelnick also dismissed concerns about AI democratizing game development, noting that technology has always been accessible.

K-Pop sensation BTS's recent Stanford concert saw member V raving about local pizza, specifically from Redwood City's Vesta. The band visited the restaurant twice, enjoying popular pies like sausage and honey. Vesta experienced a surge in customers after V's on-stage endorsement, with fans flocking to taste the praised pizza, proving BTS's significant influence.

Elon Musk claims he paid over $10 billion in taxes in one year, a historical high. He stated his tax rate on stock options nears 45%, with an additional 40% estate tax. This comes as California considers a 5% wealth tax, prompting tech leaders to relocate from the state.

SAP CEO Christian Klein has pushed back against the "SaaSpocalypse" narrative gripping software stocks, telling Sapphire 2026 attendees that AI agents are useless without a system of record underneath them. "AI agents don't work without a brain. The brain is SAP," Klein said. He argued ERP systems hold the 7.5 million data fields and process context agents need to function, and revealed two-thirds of SAP's cloud revenue is already non-seat-based.

Pencil marks, composed of graphite flakes, adhere to paper fibers through weak van der Waals interactions. Erasers, with a higher affinity for graphite, mechanically lift and trap these flakes while also slightly abrading the paper. Unlike pencil, ink seeps into paper, requiring erasable pens to use heat-activated chemistry to render ink transparent.

Berkshire Hathaway, under new CEO Greg Abel, has significantly altered its investment strategy. Abel has more than tripled the stake in Alphabet (Google's parent company) and completely sold off Amazon shares, a departure from Warren Buffett's long-held tech aversion. Additionally, Berkshire made a substantial investment in Delta Airlines, another sector Buffett previously expressed skepticism about.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang showcased a united front at Carnegie Mellon University, where Tan personally hooded Huang for his honorary doctorate. Tan also confirmed the "full steam ahead" partnership between Intel and Nvidia, highlighting their collaboration on new products for data centers, servers, and PCs.

Three former Peak XV Partners managing directors are launching Mettle Capital. Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal, and Tejeshwi Sharma have formed an equal partnership. This structure is uncommon in Indian venture capital. The firm aims for transparency in governance and economics. Mettle Capital plans to invest in Series A and Series B startups. They are targeting a corpus of $350-400 million.

OpenAI has enabled over 600 employees to sell shares worth $6.6 billion, with some cashing out up to $30 million. This significant wealth creation is fueled by the intense AI talent war, particularly after Meta's substantial compensation offers, prompting OpenAI to boost salaries and equity packages to retain its workforce.

A new wave of tech IPOs is poised to create a generation of employee millionaires, mirroring past silicon valley booms. Companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Stripe are preparing for public listings, with valuations in the billions, offering significant payouts to their equity-rich staff.

Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman was always a personal, petulant battle, about their ambitions to command the future of humanity. For Tesla boss, this means the loss is acutely painful

Amazon employees are reportedly using an internal AI tool, MeshClaw, to artificially inflate their "token" usage. This practice stems from pressure to demonstrate AI adoption, despite Amazon's assurances that usage won't impact performance. Concerns about security and "perverse incentives" are also being raised by staff.

Companies often chase numbers for hyper-growth, overlooking a critical step. Airbnb's early success stemmed from understanding users one by one, not just data. This intimate approach built trust and loyalty. Focusing on individual experiences creates sustainable growth. This customer-centric model is key for brand representation and long-term success in any industry.