💡 The most influential business leaders of the year

Fortune's latest ranking celebrates the business leaders shaping industries and driving change globally. Here's what they looked at:

➖ Business scale: managing major revenue, profitability, and capitalization.
➖ Global impact: creating a positive influence on the world.
➖ Innovation: delivering groundbreaking ideas competitors strive to replicate.
➖ Financial health: running efficient, solvent businesses.
➖ Trajectory: where they are in their career and what’s next.

Who do you think deserves the top spot? And who is number 12? 😅

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🎉 Halcyon joins the unicorn club

Cybersecurity startup Halcyon hits a $1B valuation with a $100M Series C! Using AI to outsmart ransomware, Halcyon ensures no operations are disrupted – even with rising cyberattacks.

As ransomware continues to target companies and individuals, Halcyon’s approach might just be the new standard for security. What do you think – game-changer or just another player?

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🎮 How Appcharge levels up gaming revenues

Appcharge raised $26M to help game developers ditch Apple and Google’s app store fees. Their “Shopify for gaming” platform lets devs sell virtual goods directly to players – $200M processed so far and just getting started.

If they can convince more publishers to adopt this model, Appcharge could accelerate a major shift in how games handle monetization, giving developers more control and potentially reshaping the industry.

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🖥 Forbes 30 under 30... to 40 years behind bars

Another Forbes star has fallen – Joanna Smith-Griffin, now 33, faces over 40 years in prison for faking her startup’s success. She claimed $3.7M revenue (it was $11K), cashed out, and spent it on a wedding and a house. Tough ROI.

Now the list has been expanded. Would you like us to tell interesting stories about the others on this list?

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🤴 How Elon Musk became a kingmaker

Elon Musk is quite the character, isn’t he? Cars, rockets, tunnels, Twitter chaos, AI startups, and lawsuits with OpenAI – it’s exhausting to keep up.

Now, he’s diving into politics in his own quirky way. Musk has declared himself Trump’s “First Buddy” (like First Lady, but bros), launched a DOGE ministry aimed at saving trillions in U.S. inefficiencies, and recruited a bunch of top-tier IT figures to help.

Time has a deep dive comparing Musk to Boris Berezovsky, raising big questions: Why is he doing this? Will DOGE really make an impact? And what about the investigations into his companies?

Worth a read – these aren’t your everyday experiments 👇

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👀 Pony AI zooms to $5.25B in Nasdaq debut

Pony AI just hit the Nasdaq, starting strong at $15 per share and racing to a $5.25 billion valuation. The company raised $260 million in its IPO and could go up to $452 million with extras. It's the latest Chinese tech firm daring to drive into the U.S. market.

Now in California, besides American self-driving cars, there will also be Chinese ones. Curious to see how that goes.

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⛔️ North Korean hackers pose as VCs and remote workers to steal billions

North Korean hackers are taking creativity to the next level, pretending to be venture capitalists, recruiters, and remote IT workers to steal billions in cryptocurrency. Using fake identities and AI-generated profiles, they infiltrate companies, earn paychecks, and steal secrets – all while funding North Korea’s weapons program.

One trick? Fake recruiters set up “malfunctioning” meetings to push malware downloads. Another? Remote hires use U.S.-based accomplices to manage work laptops. These schemes have hit hundreds of companies, making vigilance and better vetting a top priority.

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🔗 Italy joins supercomputer powerhouses

Italy has surged into the global top 3 for supercomputing power, thanks to cutting-edge machines like Leonardo and HPC6. These supercomputers are driving innovation in science and industry. Adding to the momentum, Microsoft recently announced a $5 billion investment in Italian data centers, solidifying the country’s growing tech influence.

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🚀 Meta plans $10B global subsea cable to bolster AI and connectivity

Meta is embarking on its most ambitious infrastructure project yet: a $10B subsea cable spanning 40,000+ km to support its AI advancements and global data needs. Unlike prior ventures, this cable will be solely owned by Meta, ensuring reliable bandwidth for its platforms and avoiding geopolitical risks. Set to connect key regions like the U.S., India, and South Africa, the cable could also position India as a future hub for AI training.

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⛔️ Australia sets age limits on social media for under-16s

Starting November 2025, Australia will require social media platforms to verify users’ ages to block access for those under 16. Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” could face fines of up to $32M. Lawmakers fast-tracked the decision, despite tech companies like Google and Meta pushing for delays until after an age-verification trial wraps up.

The good news? Age checks won’t require sensitive data like passports. This bold move aims to protect kids' well-being – will the rest of the world follow suit? We don't think so.

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📌 Meta’s ad empire – Facebook and Instagram rule the digital world

Did you know Meta's Facebook and Instagram are soaking up over two-thirds of the U.S. ad spend? With AI targeting and user data at their disposal, these platforms keep advertisers coming back for more. Meanwhile, TikTok is catching up, and X might need a new ad strategy if it wants to stay relevant.

Who knew ads could be this competitive?

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📌 Meta’s ad empire – Facebook and Instagram rule the digital world

Did you know Meta's Facebook and Instagram are soaking up over two-thirds of the U.S. ad spend? With AI targeting and user data at their disposal, these platforms keep advertisers coming back for more. Meanwhile, TikTok is catching up, and X might need a new ad strategy if it wants to stay relevant.

Who knew ads could be this competitive?

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🔍 Elon Musk's xAI gearing up for a consumer app

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, is set to release a stand-alone app for its Grok chatbot, potentially rivaling OpenAI’s ChatGPT. After a major funding round, which could push its valuation to $50 billion, xAI is rapidly growing, with some early investors poised to cash in on the company’s success.

We wonder if they'll make a million alternative apps for GROK too, or if that's just the fate of ChatGPT

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💊 The weight-loss drug market is booming

Morgan Stanley predicts a surge in the weight-loss drug market with new Ozempic and WeGovy alternatives hitting the shelves. Viral “before and after” posts and U.S. insurance coverage are slimming wallets faster than waistlines.

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🚨 US new home sales dropped by 128,000 in October to 610,000, the lowest in 2 years.

This was significantly below expectations of 725,000. New home sales declined by a whopping 17.3% month-over-month, marking the largest decline in 13 years.

At the same time, the median new home price jumped 4.7% year-over-year to $437,300, the highest since August 2023.

Meanwhile, the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 7.03% this month, the highest since July. The US housing market freezing.

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👨‍💻 Ex-NBA athlete Omri Casspi launches $60M fund targeting cybersecurity, cloud infra and AI

Omri Casppi, a well-known investor, has launched a $60 million fund to invest in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) startups. The fund, named after Casppi, will focus on early-stage companies that are developing innovative technologies in these rapidly growing sectors.

As an experienced investor, Casppi has a strong track record of identifying and supporting promising startups, and his new fund aims to capitalize on the increasing demand for advanced solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and AI-driven applications. The fund's launch is seen as a positive development for the startup ecosystem, as it will provide much-needed capital and guidance to entrepreneurs working on cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to transform various industries.

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🚨 A record number of CEOs are heading for the exits

A report indicates that a record number of chief executive officers have resigned from their positions in 2022. Contributing factors to this trend include the difficult economic climate, the ongoing pandemic, and heightened scrutiny and demands on corporate leaders.

Additionally, some CEOs may be stepping down to explore new opportunities or to spend more time with their families. This wave of executive turnover could significantly impact the companies involved as they adjust to new leadership.

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🚨 KPay, a financial management platform for SMEs, raises $55M Series A

Kpay is a platform that helps SMEs manage their finances more effectively, including features like invoicing, payments, and cash flow management. The funding will be used to expand Kpay's services and reach, as the company aims to become a comprehensive financial management solution for SMEs.

There is growing demand for such platforms as SMEs seek to streamline their financial operations and gain better visibility into their financial health. The investment from APIS Partners, a leading fintech-focused venture capital firm, is seen as a validation of Kpay's potential to address the financial challenges faced by SMEs.

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🚨 BlackRock agrees to buy investment firm HPS in $12bn deal

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has agreed to acquire HPS Investment Partners, a leading private credit firm, in a $12 billion deal. This acquisition is part of BlackRock's strategy to expand its presence in the fast-growing and lucrative alternative assets market, which includes private credit, infrastructure, and private markets.

The deal will significantly boost BlackRock's alternative assets under management, which are expected to reach nearly $600 billion. This move puts BlackRock in direct competition with other major alternative asset managers, such as KKR, Blackstone, and Apollo. The acquisition is seen as a strategic move by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to diversify the company's business beyond traditional equities and bonds and capitalize on the growing demand for higher-yielding alternative investments from institutional investors like insurers and pension funds.

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🚨 Walmart completes $2.3B acquisition of Vizio to help grow its ad business

Walmart has acquired the popular television maker Vizio for $2.3 billion in an all-cash deal. This strategic move aims to boost Walmart's advertising business and allow it to better compete with industry leaders like Amazon, Google, and Roku in the connected TV advertising market. By integrating Vizio into its advertising platform, Walmart Connect, the retail giant will gain access to customer data on viewing habits and shopping preferences.

This information can then be used to tailor ads, enhance product offerings, and create a more personalized shopping experience. Vizio TVs are likely to feature a significant number of ads for Walmart products, and Walmart will also gain control of Vizio's WatchFree+ streaming service.

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⚡️ SpinLaunch raises $11M but hoped to raise much more, source says

SpinLaunch, a space startup, is currently fundraising again after closing an $11.5 million round out of a planned $25 million. Previously, the company had discussed raising a much larger $350 million round at a $2 billion valuation, though SpinLaunch's CEO denies these figures. SpinLaunch is developing a kinetic launch system that could launch satellites to orbit for a fraction of the cost of traditional rockets.

The company has made progress with suborbital tests and was considering the ambitious fundraising to compete with Starlink by launching a satellite constellation. However, SpinLaunch is going through a period of flux, with leadership changes and plans to build an orbital accelerator in Alaska that are currently unclear.

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