Guest Sam Bankman Fried, found guilty of fraud. Topics include FTC allegations against Amazon, Elon Musk's announcement about Starlink's profitability and upcoming AI model release, and the potential for Joe Rogan to switch platforms for his podcast.
Sam Bankman-Freeze has been found guilty of fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in the FTX trial.
Elon Musk announces that Starlink has achieved cash flow break-even and will release its own AI model.
Deep dives
Sam Bankman-Freeze Found Guilty in FTX Trial
Sam Bankman-Freeze has been found guilty on all seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in the FTX trial. The jury took four and a half hours to reach their decision, declaring him guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bankman-Freeze's defense claimed he had honestly failed in operating a high-risk business, but his former roommates and lieutenants contradicted his testimony. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28th, 2024.
Elon Musk has announced that Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet company, has achieved cash flow break-even. With around 5,000 satellites in low earth orbit, Starlink has become the world's largest satellite operator and a major player in the satellite internet market. Musk also mentioned that the company will soon release its first AI model developed by X AI, a startup aimed at competing with OpenAI. Musk claims that the AI model is currently the best available. Starlink's revenue surged last year to $1.4 billion, although it fell short of Musk's targets.
FTC Alleges Amazon Boosted Junk Ads on Jeff Bezos' Orders
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Jeff Bezos ordered Amazon executives to accept more junk ads, even those internally labeled as defects. This move aimed to boost profits but made it harder for users to find relevant products. Amazon reported ad revenues of $12.1 billion in Q3 2023, making its ad unit its fastest-growing business. The FTC's complaint also accuses Amazon of deleting internal communications using the disappearing message feature of Signal and destroying over two years' worth of such communications. Amazon denies deleting messages and claims to have cooperated with the FTC.
Sam Bankman Fried has been found guilty. The FTC alleges Jeff Bezos ordered Amazon to boost junk ads. Elon Musk says Starlink is almost profitable. He also says he’s about to release his own AI model. And in the Weekend Longreads Suggestions, is Elon about to give Joe Rogan a new lily pad to take his podcast to?