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šŸ•¶ļø Elon logged out of Washington, logged into crypto chat

Sam Altmanā€™s shaping the future, but who's steering the ship?

Author

Lucila Sarquis
June 03, 2025

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While IBM doubles down on its AI ambitions by acquiring Seek AI and Scale AI expands its talent pool through the Pesto AI team, a deeper conversation is unfolding about what we risk losing in the process. Despite promises of efficiency, 81% of customers still crave real human connection.

Meanwhile, the visionaries driving the AI wave, like Elad Gil, are pushing margins from 10% to 40% by using automation to reinvent old industries, and Elon Musk is trading policy influence for encrypted platforms like XChat.

Keep reading for more!

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Seven bullets of updates

  1. šŸ“˜ Sam Altman's biography explores his rise at OpenAI and the challenges posed by its unstable governance structure.

  2. šŸŒ Microsoft's data center boom triggers a 23.4% rise in carbon emissions, straining its 2030 sustainability targets.

  3. šŸ¤– IBM acquires startup Seek AI, folding it into its NYC AI accelerator after the company raised $10M.

  4. šŸ” Elon Musk unveils XChat with ā€œBitcoin-styleā€ encryptionā€”but skepticism lingers ahead of its mass rollout.

  5. šŸ™… Stop calling AI a ā€œco-workerā€ā€”with 1.9M jobless Americans, we should empower people, not replace them.

  6. šŸ’” AI enhances efficiency, but donā€™t lose the human touchā€”81% of customers still want a personalized experience.

  7. šŸ‘©ā€šŸ’» Scale AI acquires the team behind Pesto AI, adding 50 remote developer specialists to its talent arsenal.

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From 10% to 40% margins: Elad Gilā€™s plan to disrupt traditional business with AI

Renowned investor Elad Gil, an early backer of AI startups like Perplexity, Harvey, and Character.AI, is now focusing on a new frontier: using AI to reinvent and scale traditional service-based businesses through roll-ups. By acquiring mature firms like law or consulting practices and leveraging generative AI to automate repetitive tasks, Gil aims to dramatically improve marginsā€”transforming 10% profit models into 40%ā€”and then use that advantage to acquire more companies.

This hands-on, tech-first strategy marks a shift from superficial tech roll-ups of the past, and Gil has already backed firms like Enam Co. and Harvey under this approach. While execution and team composition remain hurdles, Gil sees the AI market maturing rapidly and believes the winners in sectors like legal, healthcare, and customer service are beginning to crystallize. For Gil, itā€™s not just about returnsā€”itā€™s about the thrill of building at the edge of innovation.

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The WORST Founder Betrayal in Startup History

We dive into the surprising true story behind Snapchat's billion-dollar success. While the two well-known co-founders are credited with creating the app, the real genius behind the idea was Reggie Brown. But a crucial mistake led him to lose out on billions. Watch as we break down the legal battle, the investigation by Billy Gallager, and the leaked deposition of Evan Spiegel to piece together this drama. Who really deserves credit for Snapchat's success? You decide.

šŸ•¶ļø Subscribe for more videos šŸ•¶ļø 

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StartEngineā€™s $30M Surge ā€” Own a Piece Before June 26

Private markets are having a moment, thanks to companies like StartEngine.

The leading alternative investing platform is helping everyday investors like you access deals once reserved for VCs and insiders, including exposure to private market titans like OpenAI, Databricks, and Perplexity.Ā¹

Howā€™s it going? In Q1 2025, StartEngine pulled off $30M in revenue, its biggest quarter ever (based on unaudited financials).Ā²

But StartEngine isnā€™t just a middleman. The company earns 20% carried interest on select pre-IPO offerings, unlocking value for shareholders when these deals succeed.Ā³

How can you tap into this diversification play? By investing in StartEngine.

StartEngine has crowdfunded $85M+ to date, and you can join 45K+ shareholders before the companyā€™s current round closes on June 26.

Reg A+ via StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc. No BD/intermediary involved. Investment is speculative, illiquid & high risk. See OC and Risks on page.

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SaaS Growth Calculator

A growth calculator that lets you forecast the impact of your ARPU (average revenue per user) and Churn Rate on the long-term potential of your subscription business.

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Elon Musk quits Trumpā€™s cost-cutting team

Joshua Sukoff / www.shutterstock.com

Elon Musk has stepped down from his role at Dogeā€”the Department of Government Efficiencyā€”an advisory body created by executive order under President Trump to cut federal spending and reduce bureaucracy. Though not an official department, Doge pursued aggressive cost-cutting measures, including shutting agencies, slashing programs like USAID, and offering mass buyouts to federal workers.

Musk, initially an unpaid special government employee, aimed to save up to $2 trillion but only achieved an estimated $175 billion, with much of it unverified. His departure followed weeks of speculation and came shortly after he criticized a major budget bill, expressing disappointment that it undermined Dogeā€™s efforts. Despite his exit, Trump indicated Musk may still informally advise the White House. Muskā€™s involvement, while drawing praise from some, also provoked public backlash and was linked to a sharp decline in Teslaā€™s sales.

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