Trump's AI Executive Order Has a $100 Million Lobby Behind It

SpaceX set a new share price of $421, valuing the company at $800 billion and reclaiming the title of the world's most valuable private company from OpenAI. Elon Musk confirmed plans for a 2026 IPO that could raise over $30 billion at a $1.5 trillion valuation. Google's parent company Alphabet is set to book another paper gain from its SpaceX stake. We break down the numbers and what the Musk-Altman rivalry means for frontier tech.

Trump signed an executive order blocking states from enforcing AI regulations, creating a DOJ task force to sue states and threatening to withhold federal funding. Congress rejected this twice. Republicans are split. The courts will decide what happens next.

McDonald's Netherlands released a 45-second Christmas ad made entirely with generative AI. The internet called it creepy, soulless, and worse than Coca-Cola's AI ads. McDonald's disabled comments, pulled the video, and called it "an important learning." The production company defended the work, then deleted the defense. We break down what went wrong and why even the directors are distancing themselves.

Apple has ordered 22 million display panels for its first foldable iPhone, targeting a fall 2026 launch at around $2,400. IDC forecasts Apple will capture 22% of the foldable market and 34% of market value in its first year. We cover the leaked specs, the crease-free display technology, the under-display camera breakthrough, and why Samsung is scrambling to launch new foldables before Apple arrives.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan pitched the company's board on buying an AI startup where he serves as chairman and holds a financial stake. The board said no, citing a conflict of interest. Then a bidding war with Meta drove up the price. This is one of at least three deals where Intel has pursued companies that benefit Tan personally. We break down the Rivos situation, the SambaNova talks, and what Intel's policies actually do to manage these conflicts.

At Abu Dhabi Finance Week, executives managing trillions of dollars debated whether AI stocks are worth their sky-high prices. Jenny Johnson of Franklin Templeton compared the frenzy to the gold rush. Chris Hohn of TCI said risk factors are off the charts. Stephen Schwarzman said we may need to double the electricity grid. We break down what each of them said.

Sam Altman declared a "code red" at OpenAI after Google's Gemini 3 launched to widespread praise. Marc Benioff switched from ChatGPT after three years. We break down how OpenAI lost its lead, why its commercial expansion may have backfired, and what happens when a startup tries to out-ecosystem Google.

Slack CEO Denise Dresser will become OpenAI’s chief revenue officer next week, overseeing its enterprise unit and reporting to COO Brad Lightcap, while Slack appoints chief product officer Rob Seaman as interim CEO.

A trademark filing for “Starlink Mobile,” and I break down what that name implies, how a consumer phone service could work, and the practical signals to watch if SpaceX moves from brand to launch.Join our free business community - https://stan.store/wilwaldon

NEW COMMUNITY - https://stan.store/wilwaldonThe EU fined X 120 million euros under the Digital Services Act for deceptive design and transparency failures, and Elon Musk responded by saying the European Union should be abolished; here’s what the decision covers, why it targets product mechanics, and what X may do next.