There’s a time bomb ticking in the AI space: spending is too high, and returns are too low. Megacaps like Meta, Google and Amazon have seen capex spending surge as they throw cash at building out the infrastructure to stay ahead of the AI game. Microsoft in particular has spent billions at a premium valuation, and shelled out $13 billion investing in OpenAI while Apple was reportedly able to secure a partnership with the startup darling for free just 18 months later. That could be a warning for the broader AI space, as experts sound the alarm on the widening gap between what companies are spending on AI, and what they’re getting back from it. 

Something that AI apparently can't do yet: inspect your home. OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman might've found that out the hard way, now suing the developer of a mansion that he paid $27 million for claiming shoddy workmanship, mold, raw sewage on the property and more. 

The latest in Silicon Valley to come out for former President Trump are Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, two of the most influential names in the startup ecosystem. They point to overregulation of tech and take issue with Biden’s proposal on taxing unrealized capital gains, and say they believe that a Trump administration would help innovation flourish. 

Former President Trump’s newly announced running mate has longtime ties to Silicon Valley as a former venture capitalist -- but any optimism that another Trump administration would be friendlier to big tech deserves another look. His past statements show him aligning more with what insiders are increasingly calling “little tech.”

A new, high-stakes sport is gaining traction here in the U.S. SailGP, co-founded by Oracle’s Larry Ellison, is the Formula 1 of sailing, featuring ten teams from around the world racing on the most iconic waterfronts in the world. Avenue Capital’s Marc Lasry also has taken an interest, leading the investing group that acquired the U.S. team for more than $35 million. We sit down exclusively with SailGP CEO and champion yachtsman Russell Coutts on the league’s growth, its high-profile investors, skyrocketing funding, and more. 

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa shares details about Tesla’s delay of its robotaxi, the market impact to ride-share companies, and more. Plus, Google has reportedly backed away from acquiring marketing software firm, HubSpot.

CNBC confirms that OpenAI was hacked in April of last year, and never told law enforcement or the public. It raises of question how much genAI companies should be sharing about security incidents, and how transparent OpenAI is as its influence grows. Plus, the Meta-owned social media app Threads is celebrating its one year anniversary today, and has now hit 175 million monthly active users, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. But AI startups are increasingly putting traditional social apps on the backfoot as AI-generated content becomes king. 

Between last week’s debate and today’s Supreme Court ruling, Silicon Valley is thinking more than ever about what another Trump presidency would mean for the tech industry. A friendlier deal environment could benefit megacaps and the small to midcap software names. Gig economy names and American e-commerce would also get some relief from a lighter touch. On the flipside, the Trump short tech basket includes Temu-owner Pinduoduo and social media names.  

The world has gone crazy for Nvidia -- or at least, Wall Street has. The stock has almost single-handedly lifted the entire market due to its monster valuation and latest, monster quarter. But the largest companies in the world are also typically the most well-known… and Nvidia is far from being a household name. And the last time a tech company without mass brand recognition became the most valuable in the world? That was Cisco in the late 90s. Is another bubble brewing? This week on TechCheck, the stock everyone owns and no one knows.

The Japanese tech investor Softbank is now backing Perplexity with a $10 million to $20 million fresh round of funding, valuing Perplexity AI at $3 billion and making it one of the most valuable startups in the space. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Masayoshi Son and his team have been saying for months now that they’re going on the AI offensive, but is another sign of the red hot funding environment for AI startups.