Forbes Talks

The White House released the text of an “accord” reached between billionaire AI titans who met with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, an agreement the president labeled “morally binding” even as he stopped short of saying the government would support new guardrails. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/09/30/white-house-releases-accord-between-billionaire-ai-execs-heres-what-it-says/?streamIndex=0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump unveiled a new government website powered by artificial intelligence ahead of his meeting with top AI executives—as he has contested slowing AI development amid dire warnings of the dangers it poses. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/09/29/trump-announcing-new-ai-powered-government-website-today-ahead-of-meeting-with-industry-execs/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia on Monday launched a new security system that it claims can prevent AI agents breaching their testing environments and gain unauthorized access to outside systems, just weeks after the AI chipmaker's billionaire CEO Jensen Huang downplayed alarm about recent safety breaches and pushed back on the need for an AI slowdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Bill Gates told “Meet the Press” that government regulation is needed for artificial intelligence and warned the technology is “powerful” enough to “cause a billion deaths” if used maliciously, as Washington and the AI industry consider how to move forward in light of dire warnings about AI's potential effects. NBC News released a clip Friday of Gates' interview with “Meet the Press,” in which the billionaire and philanthropist was asked about warnings from AI workers that the technology could potentially wipe out humanity. “AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that … cause a billion deaths,” Gates said, noting “there's never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.” Gates was also asked about Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's recent essay calling for a slowdown on AI, which argued frontier labs should slow down the pace of their progress and “voluntarily work together to set standards” around artificial intelligence. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/09/25/bill-gates-warns-ai-is-powerful-enough-to-cause-a-billion-deaths/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An OpenAI agent hacked into an Australian government national healthcare database earlier this year, the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday, in what appears to be the first known incident of an artificial intelligence agent breaching a major government database. Albanese addressed the incident on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, noting that the OpenAI agent accessed a public-facing Australian Medicare statistics portal. The breach occurred in June, and the Australian Prime Minister said the agent accessed both “both public and non-public files,” but it didn't appear anyone's personal Medicare details were affected. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/24/openai-agent-hacked-into-australias-medicare-database-prime-minister-says/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump said he has told “people” he supports a ban on diesel exports as the country faces record prices for the fuel used for trucking and agricultural equipment amid the ongoing war with Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war, aligning himself with Republicans largely representing agricultural states hoping to ease prices for farmers. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/09/22/trump-wants-diesel-export-ban-as-prices-hit-record-high/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House launched “Trump TV” on Monday, revealing a 24/7 platform streaming old Trump administration events after President Donald Trump revoked White House press credentials from reporters with CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/09/21/white-house-launches-trump-tv-after-presidents-press-ban/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State attorneys general have reached a settlement with Paramount Skydance in their lawsuit over Paramount's planned merger with Warner Bros., multiple outlets report, likely paving the way for the deal to go through—even as critics have warned the reported settlement terms do not adequately address concerns about the Hollywood giants joining forces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is now the highest grossing film in history at the domestic box office after grossing around $936.8 million at theaters in North America since its release in July, finally beating a record set by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Buffett, the 10th-richest person in the world, stepped down from his role as the chair of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate announced, adding that his son Howard will take over as chair. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/18/billionaire-warren-buffett-steps-down-as-berkshire-hathaway-chair/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI is discussing raising money as part of a new funding round which would value the company at as much as $1.5 trillion, according to multiple reports early on Wednesday, days after the company's CEO Sam Altman announced his company will not go public in 2026. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the Times' Dealbook newsletterreported that investors had recently approached the ChatGPT-maker with an offer to invest in the company at a $1.2 trillion valuation. OpenAI, however, is seeking a much higher $1.5 trillion valuation which is more than double the $730 billion it was valued at during its last funding round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Bill Gates urged world leaders to act to ensure that artificial intelligence does not worsen global inequality, as his Gates Foundation published its annual Goalkeepers Report on Tuesday and pledged $1 billion to expand access to AI technologies, amid broader warnings from tech leaders about AI safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macklemore claimed Monday that billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pioneered his removal from Ed Sheeran's U.S. Loop Tour after the rapper made “free Palestine” remarks at two shows in New York this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Softbank's shares fell more than 10% in Asia, leading a slump in major artificial intelligence-linked stocks across global markets on Monday amid growing calls for a development slowdown from leading labs like Anthropic and OpenAI amid warnings that rapid development of the technology may pose an existential threat to humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Elon Musk repeatedly attacked Alex Gibney, the director of the forthcoming documentary “Musk,” in posts on X this week, slamming him as a “horrible human” and a “bitter old man” while also reportedly threatening legal action. Read the full story on Forbes: http://forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/09/10/elon-musk-rages-against-musk-director-alex-gibney-lacks-any-integrity-whatsoever/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With renewed fighting in Iran and oil prices on the rise, airline CEOs and analysts are warning of higher airfares through the holiday season and into 2027. Read more on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2026/09/10/cheap-airfare-fools-errand-holiday-season/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pair of thieves broke into a small museum in southern France and stole artwork worth millions made by the legendary painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, local authorities said on Tuesday, less than a year after the high-profile Louvre Museum heist in which thieves stole more than $100 million worth of French crown jewels. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/08/renoir-paintings-worth-millions-stolen-in-french-riviera-museum-heist/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An change.org petition calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's exclusion from the 9/11 remembrance ceremony later this week has crossed 100,000 signatures amid a similar push made by several prominent Republican leaders from the state, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Gov. George Pataki. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/08/petition-urging-mamdanis-exclusion-from-911-event-hits-100000-signs-amid-similar-push-by-giuliani-pataki/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla shares jumped around 7% on Thursday as investors awaited this afternoon's Cybercab event in Austin, Texas, where Tesla is expected to unveil its two-seat autonomous vehicle as it expands its robotaxi business. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/fionariley/2026/09/03/tesla-stock-jumps-7-ahead-of-cybercab-debut-its-best-day-in-months/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk's super PAC spent over $800,000 last month across several states with competitive Senate races as part of its first wave of spending for the upcoming midterm elections, filings made on Wednesday night showed. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/03/elon-musks-america-pac-discloses-first-tranche-of-spending-ahead-of-midterms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The digital maps platform MapQuest has soared to the top of Apple's App Store rankings after refusing to adhere to President Donald Trump's order to change Lake Ontario's name to Lake America, even as its larger rivals Google Maps and Apple Maps have chosen to do so. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/02/mapquest-tops-app-store-download-charts-after-defying-trump-on-lake-ontario/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A whistleblower at the U.S. Postal Service reported “grave concerns” with the agency's new system for mail-in ballots as it's come under fire in court, warning lawmakers that the “risky and haphazard” implementation of the rule could keep millions of voters from receiving a mail-in ballot in the November midterms. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/09/01/usps-whistleblower-warns-new-rule-could-keep-voters-from-getting-ballots-what-to-know/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lionel Messi, considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, announced Monday he would retire from competing internationally for Argentina's national team, saying in a statement on Instagram the decision “hurts deep down,” but “the time has come.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/08/31/lionel-messi-soccer-legend-and-billionaire-retires-from-argentina-national-team/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia has reportedly agreed to buy Hugging Face, the popular platform which hosts open-weight AI models, for $12.9 billion, The Information reported late on Wednesday, just a month after the chipmaker's CEO Jensen Huang defended open models and urged against “premature restrictions.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/27/nvidia-has-reportedly-agreed-to-buy-ai-model-hosting-platform-hugging-face-for-13-billion/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers at Southern Illinois University have engineered microbes that can break down discarded plastic bottles and crop waste and turn them into protein-rich cookies, a step-by-step biological transformation that could address problems with plastic pollution, a looming global food crisis and help sustain deep-space missions with humans aboard. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/24/cookies-made-from-plastic-bottles-could-ease-food-shortages-feed-nasa-crews-in-space/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump defended the ongoing buildout of AI data centers across the country and said the communities opposing them were making a mistake, as he continued to embrace the controversial buildout of AI infrastructure despite growing public backlash and opposition from governors from both parties. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/24/trump-defends-ai-data-centers-says-opposing-them-is-a-mistake-and-smart-ones-want-them/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration has ordered all visa applications be placed on hold and canceled scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies around the world as it works to tighten restrictions on who is allowed into the country, a move that is likely to significantly reduce the number of visas issued to potential visitors, students and immigrants. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/26/global-visa-interviews-on-hold-history-shows-a-36-drop-may-follow/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is preparing to launch a mass visa revocation impacting business and tourism visas owned by up to 200,000 foreigners, the Associated Press reported, a move that would mark the largest revocation in U.S. history. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/08/24/trump-administration-preparing-for-largest-visa-revocation-in-us-history-report-says/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chinese regulators on Friday ordered Tesla to fix nearly 3 million vehicles amid broader concerns about emergency door releases, marking the largest-ever automotive recall campaign in the market and Tesla's biggest such action to date. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/21/china-orders-teslas-largest-ever-recall-for-nearly-3-million-cars/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Paramount's leadership of leaking information and acting in bad faith as he canceled a planned meeting with the media giant's executives scheduled for Monday to discuss a potential settlement in an antitrust suit to block Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/24/california-ag-calls-off-paramount-antitrust-settlement-meeting-alleging-leaks/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Authors, archivists, historians and bibliophiles have launched an online war against tech giants and artificial intelligence developers after an increasing mountain of evidence shows they're buying rare and antique books en masse and feeding them to large language models—only to slice off their spines and destroy the original print copies in the process. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/17/ai-companies-are-buying-and-destroying-antique-books-heres-why/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Better Home & Finance on Tuesday sued founder Vishal Garg, accusing him of a “scorched-earth campaign” to regain control of the company in a lawsuit that highlights his controversial tenure as chief executive, during which employees allege Garg called them “monkeys” and “dumb dolphins.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/18/ceo-who-fired-900-people-on-zoom-allegedly-calling-employees-monkeys-faces-lawsuit-from-his-company/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walmart's stock on Thursday slid after the retailer reported its slowest U.S. sales growth in years, despite beating Wall Street's earnings expectations, as its pharmacy business took a hit amid federal negotiations that have cut drug prices. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/20/walmart-shares-sink-8-after-slowest-us-sales-growth-since-2020/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An advisor who served as a top aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci during the COVID-19 outbreak has pleaded guilty to plotting to conceal federal records related to the pandemic, amid a wave of Republican legislative scrutiny over the federal response to the pandemic. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/19/top-fauci-advisor-pleads-guilty-in-covid-19-origin-cover-up-case/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moderna's stock soared by more than 120% as trading opened Wednesday, more than doubling the biotech giant's share price after the firm announced positive results from its first-ever late-stage trial of an experimental cancer vaccine. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/19/moderna-shares-skyrocket-85-toward-best-day-ever-on-success-of-cancer-drug-trial/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk's net worth once again crossed $900 billion on Monday, as shares in his SpaceX extended a weekslong rally after dozens of institutional investments in the rocket maker were revealed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Georgia researcher's public records request has revealed that the police department in the small Chicago suburb of Schaumburg is sharing its automated license plate reader data with more than 400 Illinois law enforcement and government agencies—a finding that comes as public debate over the mass surveillance of Flock and other plate-reader networks intensifies across the country. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/17/have-i-been-flocked-researcher-says-over-400-illinois-agencies-have-surveillance-network-access/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk speak about once a month after aides and allies worked to mend their feud following a very public falling out last year—but Trump acknowledges privately the relationship will never be the same, according to a new report. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/08/14/trump-reportedly-says-his-relationship-with-musk-will-never-be-the-same-after-epic-fallout/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent investment into the media company owned by “Call Her Daddy” podcaster Alex Cooper has valued the company at $500 million as it looks to expand its video and lifestyle businesses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investors in Selena Gomez's struggling mental health startup, Wondermind, sued Gomez, her mother and the company's co-founder in federal court Thursday, accusing them of securities fraud for promising initiatives that never materialized without properly communicating with the investors whose money was allegedly “funding the collapse.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/08/13/selena-gomez-and-wondermind-startup-sued-for-allegedly-defrauding-investors/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump secretly swapped planes last month and left Turkey on board a much smaller plane in response to a purported Iranian threat, according to multiple reports, the latest development involving Trump's departure from the NATO summit and Air Force One. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/11/iran-threat-reportedly-prompted-trump-to-secretly-swap-planes-while-leaving-turkey/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire investor Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger reached an agreement to buy the Los Angeles Lakers at a $12.5 billion valuation, a record-setting price tag for a U.S. sports franchise, according to multiple reports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla is recalling 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with low-beam headlights that violate federal brightness standards—the latest in a string of safety concerns for the automaker that have included problems with rear image cameras, brake rotors, battery packs and warning lights. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/11/tesla-recalls-20000-cars-for-too-bright-headlights/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A consortium that includes Jeff Bezos is nearing a deal to buy a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool F.C., Sky News reported Monday, potentially making the Amazon founder the latest billionaire to acquire equity in a sports franchise. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/10/jeff-bezos-nears-deal-for-30-stake-in-liverpool-report-says/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.K.'s antitrust watchdog and culture minister on Thursday approved Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing another major regulatory hurdle despite Paramount agreeing to delay its deal until next year amid broad antitrust concerns. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/06/uk-backs-paramounts-110-billion-warner-bros-discovery-deal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Qatar-donated Boeing jet gifted to and used by President Donald Trump as a temporary Air Force One may no longer be headed to his presidential library, at least for now, according to multiple reports, with Eric Trump telling NBC News there are different plans for the aircraft. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/08/05/qatar-gifted-air-force-ones-future-grows-unclear-as-trump-library-plans-fall-into-doubt/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The surprising success of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the fourth movie to star Tom Holland as the titular character, continued Wednesday as the movie became the highest-grossing film at the box office so far this year, topping “Toy Story 5” just seven days after its release. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/05/spider-man-brand-new-day-passes-toy-story-5-as-years-highest-grossing-film/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Trump-linked cryptocurrency mining company, American Bitcoin, disclosed Monday that it settled a Justice Department allegation accusing it of improperly obtaining a pandemic relief loan, agreeing to pay millions of dollars as it omitted the settlement from its positive earnings narrative. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/08/04/trump-linked-bitcoin-venture-reached-25-million-settlement-over-improperly-obtained-loan-allegation/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SpaceX's stock once again took a hit on Wednesday after the rocket maker posted its first-ever earnings report, which seemingly spooked investors and analysts after the Elon Musk-led firm announced a sixfold increase in quarterly spending. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/08/05/spacex-shares-plunge-13-as-elon-musks-fortune-sheds-80-billion-heres-what-analysts-are-saying/?streamIndex=0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI rejected Apple's lawsuit alleging trade secrets theft in a lengthy blog post early on Tuesday that includes several iMessage chats and email conversations as it challenged the iPhone-maker's bid to gain a preliminary injunction barring two former Apple employees and OpenAI from accessing or disclosing alleged confidential information. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/04/openai-shares-chats-and-emails-to-rebut-apples-suit-alleging-it-stole-trade-secrets/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Monday they'll back Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general after he issued an order rescinding the Justice Department's controversial “anti-weaponization fund,” but critics fear the government could still revive the fund in the future. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/08/03/todd-blanche-wins-key-confirmation-holdouts-but-questions-over-trumps-18-billion-fund-linger/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices