• Link & Load
  • Posts
  • 🤖 OpenAI’s $6B Employee Stock Sale | 🕵️♂️ Senator Probes Meta’s AI Chatbots | 💥 Pentagon Halts $800M Software Contracts

🤖 OpenAI’s $6B Employee Stock Sale | 🕵️♂️ Senator Probes Meta’s AI Chatbots | 💥 Pentagon Halts $800M Software Contracts

OpenAI’s historic share sale signals booming AI valuations, Meta faces tough questions over chatbot safety, and the Pentagon’s contract freeze stirs political uproar.

In partnership with

An AI scheduling assistant that lives up to the hype.

Skej is an AI scheduling assistant that works just like a human. You can CC Skej on any email, and watch it book all your meetings. It also handles scheduling, rescheduling, and event reminders.

Imagine life with a 24/7 assistant who responds so naturally, you’ll forget it’s AI.

  • Smart Scheduling
    Skej handles time zones and can scan booking links

  • Customizable
    Create assistants with their own names and personalities.

  • Flexible
    Connect to multiple calendars and email addresses.

  • Works Everywhere
    Write to Skej on email, text, WhatsApp, and Slack.

Whether you’re scheduling a quick team call or coordinating a sales pitch across the globe, Skej gets it done fast and effortlessly. You’ll never want to schedule a meeting yourself, ever again.

The best part? You can try Skej for free right now.

🖋 Today’s Angle

  • OpenAI’s billion-dollar share sale just minted a new tech royalty.

  • Meta faces a Senate probe over chatbots gone “romantic.”

  • Pentagon’s $800M software halt triggers bipartisan drama.

  • Crypto ATMs across America face bans and daily caps—scammers now prefer snail mail.

  • Fed pulls out of crypto policing—banks cheer, compliance teams order pizza.

  • This week’s Skill Builder: How to go from “just a coder” to $100k/month founder

    .––Sascha Thiele

🚀 Tech & Business

What Happened: OpenAI staffers are close to selling $6B in employee stock to SoftBank and other big names, bringing the AI lab’s valuation to an eye-watering $500B. That’s up $200B in just five months—blame GPT-5 hype, new investment rounds, and everyone trying to invent Jarvis for Excel. The deal isn’t inked yet, but if you’re within five LinkedIn connections of an OpenAI engineer, you may want to say hi before they buy a lighthouse.

Why It Matters: Signals a frenzy in private tech investment and reinforces AI as Wall Street’s most addictive new gamble. If this frothy pace keeps up, expect Big Tech compensation packages to look more like Powerball winnings.

What Happened: Following a bombshell report that Meta’s chatbots were permitted to exchange romantic messages with minors, Senator Hawley’s office is demanding answers—including who at Meta approved the risky chatbot guidelines. Meta swears the guidelines were a mistake and got nixed already, but Congress wants documentation (and maybe a lesson in AI prompt engineering).

Why It Matters: Intense regulatory scrutiny is coming for AI safety and ethics—especially as chatbot use explodes. The broader tech sector is bracing for new compliance costs and a very awkward “birds-and-bots” talk. If politicians keep grilling tech CEOs, expect more lobsters than humans at the next Congressional hearing (you know, because they’re shell-shocked).

What Happened: Just months ahead of launch, the Pentagon has paused $800M in defense software contracts, driving bipartisan outrage and industry chaos. Critics allege backroom lobbying, with rumors swirling of deals favoring giants like Palantir and Salesforce after high-profile appearances at partisan fundraisers.

Why It Matters: Billions in tech value and defense upgrades are on the line, with risks of costly delays and “do-over” spending. The debacle signals deeper flaws in government procurement—where the only algorithm that works is “politics first.” If you’re hoping for project stability, pencil in some downtime.

The concept of ManyChat is straightforward: eliminate manual work on Instagram and utilize automations to generate income. Use the link to get one month of the pro subscription for free.

*This is an affiliate link, so I would get a small commission if you use the tool.

💰 The Finance Overview

Make It Rain Money GIF

Giphy

Tech stocks are steady, but OpenAI’s ballooning private valuation could reset how investors price growth and risk in AI. Google and Meta edge upward, signaling healthy sector optimism even while Meta fights regulatory fires. VC funding is funneled, mostly into AI, while startup IPO activity gives “ghost town” vibes.

Cloud and chipmakers see cautious gains, yet nervous supply chains—thanks to delayed government contracts—mean delivery dates are moving targets. The wild card: US banks and fintech stocks bounce as the Fed steps away from crypto oversight, emboldening Challenger banks and crypto brokers to “try wild stuff” until the next regulatory shoe drops.

Bitcoin Moon GIF by Bitrefill

Gif by darkbean on Giphy

What Happened: In response to a rise in ATM-related scams, several US states are introducing daily transaction caps ($1,000–$2,000) and outright bans. Victims—mostly elderly—lost six figures in recent months, spurring local crackdowns and new compliance rules, including fraud warnings slapped on every ATM.

Why It Matters: Crypto ATM development slows just as adoption was accelerating, with everyday users facing more friction. Scammers are forced back to classic cons, and your grandma probably won’t launch her memecoin by accident. Signs point to broader regulatory overhauls in crypto retail spaces

What Happened: The Fed will dissolve its special unit supervising banks’ crypto and fintech projects, citing a pivot to “more efficient oversight.” Critics say this was a costly exercise, while banks and fintechs cheer the promise of less red tape and more innovation leeway.

Why It Matters: Banks may re-enter blockchain and digital asset experiments, causing compliance teams to sweat. This shakes up fintech investing—expect more daring partnerships and maybe fewer existential memes in the boardroom

How A Small Crypto Investment Could Fund Your Retirement

Most people think you need thousands to profit from crypto.

But this free book exposes how even small investments could transform into life-changing wealth using 3 specific strategies.

As markets recover, this may be your last chance to get positioned before prices potentially soar to unprecedented levels.

🎓 Skill Builder

Bgo - Published August 2024

What You'll Learn:

  • Identify the most lucrative business models for solo devs in 2025

  • Move from freelancer > founder with actionable frameworks

  • Set 3/6/9-year financial and lifestyle goals

  • Launch MVPs that solve real pain points today

  • Master client acquisition and scale revenue streams fast

  • Practical hacks and systems for growing to $100k/month

Why It's Worth Your Time: It’s a founder’s survival guide, not just another “learn to code” video—packed with real-world tactics from someone who scaled solo.

✅ kuse.ai â€” Kuse turns messy inputs into structured deliverables,

✅ moveai â€” Your Personal AI Moving Concierge

✅ stagewise.io â€” The frontend coding agent for existing codebases

✅ hgpt5seo.com â€” Find out what GPT-5 thinks about your brand & competitors

✅ personaroll.ai â€” Automatically go viral just by being you

Got a killer link we missed? Hit reply and share the goods. 💌

What do you think about Link & Load?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

🏁 Tomorrow’s Forecast

AI startup gold rush intensifies, Congress promises more tech drama, and industry insiders whisper: Noodle arms are out—chip launches are in. 💪

Start your own newsletter and get a 30-day trial + 20% off for 3 months. Sign up here.

Reply

or to participate.