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- š¤ OpenAIās $6B Employee Stock Sale | šµļøāļø Senator Probes Metaās AI Chatbots | š„ Pentagon Halts $800M Software Contracts
š¤ OpenAIās $6B Employee Stock Sale | šµļøāļø Senator Probes Metaās AI Chatbots | š„ Pentagon Halts $800M Software Contracts
OpenAIās historic share sale signals booming AI valuations, Meta faces tough questions over chatbot safety, and the Pentagonās contract freeze stirs political uproar.
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š Todayās Angle
OpenAIās billion-dollar share sale just minted a new tech royalty.
Meta faces a Senate probe over chatbots gone āromantic.ā
Pentagonās $800M software halt triggers bipartisan drama.
Crypto ATMs across America face bans and daily capsāscammers now prefer snail mail.
Fed pulls out of crypto policingābanks cheer, compliance teams order pizza.
This weekās Skill Builder: How to go from ājust a coderā to $100k/month founder
.āāSascha Thiele

š Tech & Business
What Happened: OpenAI staffers are close to selling $6B in employee stock to SoftBank and other big names, bringing the AI labās valuation to an eye-watering $500B. Thatās up $200B in just five monthsāblame GPT-5 hype, new investment rounds, and everyone trying to invent Jarvis for Excel. The deal isnāt inked yet, but if youāre 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 Streetās 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 Metaās chatbots were permitted to exchange romantic messages with minors, Senator Hawleyās office is demanding answersāincluding 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 ethicsāespecially as chatbot use explodes. The broader tech sector is bracing for new compliance costs and a very awkward ābirds-and-botsā talk. If politicians keep grilling tech CEOs, expect more lobsters than humans at the next Congressional hearing (you know, because theyāre 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 ādo-overā spending. The debacle signals deeper flaws in government procurementāwhere the only algorithm that works is āpolitics first.ā If youāre hoping for project stability, pencil in some downtime.

š¾ My Software Stack

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š° The Finance Overview

Giphy
Tech stocks are steady, but OpenAIās 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 āghost townā vibes.
Cloud and chipmakers see cautious gains, yet nervous supply chainsāthanks to delayed government contractsāmean 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 ātry wild stuffā until the next regulatory shoe drops.
Ticker |
---|
S&P 500: $SPY ( ā² 0.6% ) |
DowJones: $DJI ( ā¼ 0.0% ) |
Nasdaq: $QQQ ( ā² 1.15% ) |
German DAX: $DAX ( ā² 0.79% ) |
Indian NIFTY: $NIFTY50.NSE ( 0.0% ) |
Bitcoin: $BTC.X ( ā² 0.4% ) |
Ethereum: $ETH.X ( ā¼ 0.91% ) |

š° Crypto Carousel

Gif by darkbean on Giphy
What Happened: In response to a rise in ATM-related scams, several US states are introducing daily transaction caps ($1,000ā$2,000) and outright bans. Victimsāmostly elderlyālost 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 wonāt 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 banksā crypto and fintech projects, citing a pivot to āmore efficient oversight.ā 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 investingāexpect more daring partnerships and maybe fewer existential memes in the boardroom

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š Skill Builder
Bgo - Published August 2024
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Identify the most lucrative business models for solo devs in 2025
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Practical hacks and systems for growing to $100k/month
Why It's Worth Your Time: Itās a founderās survival guide, not just another ālearn to codeā videoāpacked with real-world tactics from someone who scaled solo.

š² Link Grab-Bag
ā
kuse.ai ā Kuse turns messy inputs into structured deliverables,
ā
moveai ā Your Personal AI Moving Concierge
ā
stagewise.io ā The frontend coding agent for existing codebases
ā
hgpt5seo.com ā Find out what GPT-5 thinks about your brand & competitors
ā
personaroll.ai ā Automatically go viral just by being you
Got a killer link we missed? Hit reply and share the goods. š

What do you think about Link & Load? |

š Tomorrowās Forecast
AI startup gold rush intensifies, Congress promises more tech drama, and industry insiders whisper: Noodle arms are outāchip launches are in. šŖ

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