The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

Art by Clark Miller.

Sell SpaceX, Buy Tesla?

By Theo Wayt · Jun 22, 2026 5:05pm PDT

Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a better bet? Today, the answer seemed to be Tesla, with shares in the electric automaker climbing 1% to $405.05 as SpaceX shares tumbled 16% to $154.60. SpaceX shares are still above their IPO price of $135 per share, but today was their third... Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a...

Reese Witherspoon at last year's Cannes Lion ad festival. Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

Cannes Ad Festival Puts OpenAI’s Projections in Spotlight

By Martin Peers · Jun 21, 2026 3:01pm PDT

If you’ve wanted to visit the South of France, this might be the week. The annual Cannes Lion ad festival, a time for ad folks from all quarters to gather, gets underway tomorrow. The impact of AI on advertising and media is sure to be front and center. OpenAI’s chief revenue officer, Denise Dresser, is scheduled to appear onstage twice,... If you’ve wanted to visit the South of France, this might be the week. The annual Cannes Lion ad...

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. AP Images.

Meta’s Microsoft Mobile Moment

By Martin Peers · Jun 18, 2026 5:01pm PDT

No one can rival OpenAI for internal drama. But in recent days, Meta Platforms seems to be trying its best to do so. Earlier this week, Wired reported that Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth told staff Meta had done an “atrocious” job of launching a new AI division. That report followed another one in Wired about the internal... No one can rival OpenAI for internal drama. But in recent days, Meta Platforms seems to be trying...

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images.

Software Slump Resumes; Snap’s Spectacle

By Martin Peers · Jun 17, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images.

Software Slump Resumes; Snap’s Spectacle

By Martin Peers · Jun 17, 2026 5:00pm PDT

This was what you call an ugly day in the markets. Tech stocks sold off across the board, thanks to rising expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates. SpaceX stock fell nearly 5%, dragging it back below Amazon in market capitalization. But SpaceX, at least, is coming off a big rally. Software stocks such as Microsoft,... This was what you call an ugly day in the markets. Tech stocks sold off across the board, thanks...

Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images.

AI’s New Risk: Unpredictable Government Policies

By Martin Peers · Jun 16, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Investing in AI really is not for the faint of heart. Leaving aside all the worries about risks of huge investments in data centers and the uncertainties about demand, there’s also the unpredictable government moves that can upend things. Case in point: the Trump administration’s warnings to Anthropic over the weekend that no foreigners,... Investing in AI really is not for the faint of heart. Leaving aside all the worries about risks...

Roku founder and CEO, Anthony Wood. Brenton Ho/Variety via Getty Images.

Roku’s Timely Exit; Salesforce’s Dealmaking Is Revving Up

By Martin Peers · Jun 15, 2026 5:01pm PDT

There’s a lot going on all of a sudden. We’re all still trying to come to grips with the latest Anthropic-Trump administration standoff. SpaceX’s market performance so far has been like a rocket ship: The stock rose 20% on Monday, finishing with a market capitalization of $2.5 trillion. And back on Earth, we got some notable acquisitions on... There’s a lot going on all of a sudden. We’re all still trying to come to grips with the latest...

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Ruhani Kaur/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Anthropic’s Contradiction; The Risks of Buying SpaceX Stock Now

By Martin Peers · Jun 14, 2026 3:01pm PDT

What a weekend! Set time aside this coming Thursday for the New York City ticker tape parade celebrating the victorious Knicks. The joy flowing from that game Saturday night tops even the plaudits flowing from SpaceX’s successful IPO (read down for more on that subject.) Still, SpaceX was quickly supplanted in the business limelight ... What a weekend! Set time aside this coming Thursday for the New York City ticker tape parade ...

Microsoft's gaming chief Asha Sharma. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images.

Microsoft’s Gaming Glitch

By Martin Peers · Jun 11, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Microsoft's gaming chief Asha Sharma. Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images.

Microsoft’s Gaming Glitch

By Martin Peers · Jun 11, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Sorry. We have no SpaceX news (if you define news as something you don’t already know). The rocket-and-cloud firm on Thursday priced its IPO at the $135 offering number announced last week, as it was widely expected to. Check back tomorrow, when shares start to trade. (Here’s a clue about the possible opening price.) Not to be a wet blanket, but... Sorry. We have no SpaceX news (if you define news as something you don’t already know). The...

Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

German Court Ruling Against Google Spotlights AI Liability Question

By Martin Peers · Jun 10, 2026 5:00pm PDT

We got big news in the past couple of days concerning a European court ruling against Google. But bear with me, this is not one of those knee-jerk anti-U.S. tech decisions we often see coming out of Europe. This ruling makes some sense—and could have broader implications for the AI sector. A court in Germany found that Google is responsible for... We got big news in the past couple of days concerning a European court ruling against Google. But...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images.

What’s Behind OpenAI’s Hedged IPO Bet

By Martin Peers · Jun 9, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Can OpenAI do anything simply? Many companies, when publicly acknowledging the possibility of an IPO, emphasize that the final decision will depend in part on “market conditions.” That’s what OpenAI’s rival Anthropic did last week. But the ChatGPT firm chose to be more cryptic. Revealing its confidential IPO filing on Monday, OpenAI said it... Can OpenAI do anything simply? Many companies, when publicly acknowledging the possibility of an...

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, at WWDC 2026. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Apple’s Cautious AI Overhaul; OpenAI’s IPO Filing

By Martin Peers · Jun 8, 2026 5:01pm PDT

OpenAI on Monday had good news and bad news for the media corps that avidly follows its every twist and turn. The good news is that it filed confidentially to go public, a week after Anthropic did the same thing. (Yippee!) The bad news: OpenAI said it has “not decided on timing yet” and “it may be a while because there are things we want to do... OpenAI on Monday had good news and bad news for the media corps that avidly follows its every...

WWDC 2025. Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Getty Images

WWDC and SpaceX IPO Headline Big Week

By Martin Peers · Jun 7, 2026 3:01pm PDT

WWDC 2025. Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Getty Images

WWDC and SpaceX IPO Headline Big Week

By Martin Peers · Jun 7, 2026 3:01pm PDT

This promises to be an action-packed week. On Monday, Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC for short, where the tech giant is expected to unveil a new operating system for its mobile devices, complete with more advanced AI features. And then later in the week, SpaceX is scheduled to go public.Rather than add to the... This promises to be an action-packed week. On Monday, Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide...

Elon Musk. Getty Images.

Where Musk and Altman See Eye to Eye

By Martin Peers · Jun 4, 2026 5:01pm PDT

Elon Musk and Sam Altman don’t often see eye to eye, as they made clear in their recent legal dispute. But when it comes to making outlandish projections about future growth, the two men seem to share a common philosophy.As we reported earlier on Thursday, SpaceX’s lead bank on its upcoming IPO, Goldman Sachs, has told investors it expects... Elon Musk and Sam Altman don’t often see eye to eye, as they made clear in their recent legal...

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images.

Cybersecurity’s AI Paradox

By Martin Peers · Jun 3, 2026 5:00pm PDT

It's no secret that criminals are using AI to streamline computer hacks in hopes of emptying out people’s bank accounts (never has it looked more appealing to stash cash under the mattress!). Cybersecurity executives, meanwhile, are rubbing their hands with glee at the influx of business they expect to get as a result. “What I see is AI... It's no secret that criminals are using AI to streamline computer hacks in hopes of emptying out...

OpenAI chief revenue officer, Denise Dresser, speaks today. Screenshot via OpenAI.

OpenAI (and Microsoft) Make New AI Pitches to Businesses

By Martin Peers · Jun 2, 2026 5:01pm PDT

The poor souls responsible for technology buying decisions at companies must be overwhelmed these days. Not only does seemingly every other tech firm want to send consultants—invariably calling themselves forward-deployed engineers as though they’re on maneuver in the desert—to help companies learn how to use their AI services, but the array of... The poor souls responsible for technology buying decisions at companies must be overwhelmed these...

Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Google’s AI Fundraising; Anthropic’s IPO Option

By Martin Peers · Jun 1, 2026 5:01pm PDT

Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Google’s AI Fundraising; Anthropic’s IPO Option

By Martin Peers · Jun 1, 2026 5:01pm PDT

How is running an AI firm like running for Congress? In either case, you have to spend half your time raising money! Take Google’s surprising announcement on Monday afternoon that it plans to raise a total of $80 billion in equity “as part of its plan to fund investments” in AI. That’s in addition to the $85 billion it has already borrowed in... How is running an AI firm like running for Congress? In either case, you have to spend half your...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella via Getty

Microsoft’s AI Independence Day

By Aaron Holmes and Qianer Liu · May 31, 2026 2:56pm PDT

Two months after Microsoft’s conscious uncoupling from OpenAI, Microsoft wants to prove it’s thriving as an AI provider that doesn’t have to rely on the ChatGPT maker’s technology. Microsoft’s annual Build conference for roughly 2,500 app developers, which kicks off Tuesday in San Francisco, will be a “debutante ball” of sorts for its team... Two months after Microsoft’s conscious uncoupling from OpenAI, Microsoft wants to prove it’s...

The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploding on May 28 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. @JConcilus via AP.

Why SpaceX Isn’t Celebrating the Blue Origin Explosion

By Theo Wayt · May 29, 2026 3:31pm PDT

By now, you’ve probably seen the unbelievable video of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploding on its launchpad in Florida on Thursday night. On its face, Blue Origin’s pain would seem to be Elon Musk’s gain, further cementing SpaceX’s already significant lead in the space business just weeks before it goes public. While the explosion is... By now, you’ve probably seen the unbelievable video of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploding...

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.

Boomers, Beware of SpaceX Stock

By Anita Ramaswamy · May 28, 2026 4:59pm PDT

Greetings! Anita here. It’s been a relatively slow week for SpaceX news, but that will soon change. Musk’s rocketship company is expected to launch its investor roadshow next week ahead of a mid-June IPO. The milestone will likely usher in a flood of giddy headlines and a lot of debate on Reddit forums and cable TV on whether individual... Greetings! Anita here. It’s been a relatively slow week for SpaceX news, but that will soon...

Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy

Snowflake Shows Some Immunity to the SaaSpocalypse

By Kevin McLaughlin and Laura Bratton · May 27, 2026 5:36pm PDT

Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy

Snowflake Shows Some Immunity to the SaaSpocalypse

By Kevin McLaughlin and Laura Bratton · May 27, 2026 5:36pm PDT

Shares of traditional software providers have been battered this year over AI fears. Investors’ reaction to Snowflake’s and Salesforce’s quarterly results Wednesday suggests some providers are in better shape than others.Snowflake shares jumped more than 35% to their highest point since December after the database provider said its most-watched... Shares of traditional software providers have been battered this year over AI fears. Investors’...