Phoebe Liu
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pheebini.bsky.social
Phoebe Liu
@pheebini.bsky.social
1.1K followers 230 following 64 posts
@forbes tech + money reporter / @forbesunion / 📧 [email protected] / atlanta sports bear, at the moment
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Reposted by Phoebe Liu
thealexknapp.bsky.social
ICYMI, last week's edition of my newsletter talked about why LLMs are vulnerable to poetic attacks, how seaweed might be a better way to harvest rare earths and why learning a second language is good for you.

Subscribe so you don't miss the next one!

www.forbes.com/newsletter/t...
November 24, 2025 at 3:49 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
Forbes raised questions about the massive funding round metaverse-turned-AI firm #Napster announced as a done deal in January. The money is never coming, the company said Thursday.

With @iainmartin.bsky.social for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Napster Said It Raised $3 Billion From A Mystery Investor. Now That Investor Is Gone
Forbes raised questions about a massive funding round metaverse-turned-AI firm Napster supposedly raised in January. The money is never coming, the company said Thursday.
www.forbes.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
samtlevin.bsky.social
NEW: The FBI spied on a Signal group chat of NY immigrants' rights volunteers organizing court watch+ labeled activists “anarchist violent extremist actors.”

Joint FBI/NYPD report shows law enforcement accessed private planning convo of ppl monitoring ICE

Docs obtained by @propertyofthepeople.org
The FBI spied on a Signal group chat of immigration activists, records reveal
Exclusive: Agency accessed private conversations of New York ‘courtwatch’ group that was observing public hearings
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
zacheverson.com
"Democratic Congresswoman Indicted In Alleged $5 Million FEMA Fund-Stealing Scheme"

Antonio Pequeño IV for @forbes.com
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Charged With Stealing FEMA Funds
The Democratic congresswoman faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted.
www.forbes.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
The Musk-led #AI company has a lot of cash in the bank. But it still needs more—and more. It’s using some creative off-balance-sheet financing to get it.

Some details on xAI's financials and weird/novel capital raise, from Anna Tong and me for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Musk’s XAI Will Be Profitable Sooner Than OpenAI, Former CFO Says
The Musk-led AI company has a lot of cash in the bank. But it still needs more—and more. It’s using some creative off-balance-sheet financing to get it.
www.forbes.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
jenhiller.bsky.social
Big tech needs access to the grid for AI data centers. In many cases, crypto got there first. Free link:
www.wsj.com/business/ene...
AI Data Centers Are Banging on Crypto’s Door
Developers desperately need access to electricity—and bitcoin miners are in a prime position to assist.
www.wsj.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
willoremus.com
You can oversee the bloody dismemberment of a Washington Post journalist with a bone saw, and the president of the United States will smile, shake your hand and threaten to pull the license of a news outlet whose reporter asks you a question about it.
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...
Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing
The de facto Saudi ruler was branded a pariah in 2018 after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Now, U.S.-Saudi relations are approaching a high point.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
aohnsman.bsky.social
NEW: Amazon’s Zoox launches ride service in San Francisco in robotaxis with no steering wheels — or fees for now #selfdrivingvehicles www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
Amazon’s Robotaxi Unit Launches In San Francisco Without Steering Wheels—Or Fees
Zoox isn’t yet charging for rides in its electric vehicles, which don’t have steering wheels, mirrors or pedals. But cofounder Jesse Levinson thinks regulatory approval is close.
www.forbes.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
karenattiah.bsky.social
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.

He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna cofounded Open Philanthropy to find charities that create the biggest impact/$. Now, they’re changing its name and encouraging others to join.

See table for their biggest grantees. My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
November 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
iainmartin.bsky.social
So just how much money is OpenAI dumping on this firehose of imbecilic video? More than $5 billion annualized, or around $15 million per day, according to Forbes estimates and conversations with experts www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Here’s How Much Cash OpenAI Is Burning On AI Video App Sora. What It Means
Some back-of-napkin math suggests OpenAI is spending more than a quarter of what it’s making to power the AI slop factory.
www.forbes.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
Have you been using #Sora? Some back-of-napkin math suggests OpenAI is spending more than a quarter of what it’s making to power its AI slop factory. There are also potential silver linings (more training data + future tax savings). My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Here’s How Much Cash OpenAI Is Burning On AI Video App Sora. What It Means
Some back-of-napkin math suggests OpenAI is spending more than a quarter of what it’s making to power the AI slop factory.
www.forbes.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
rashis.bsky.social
We spoke to experts who pointed out that chief dealmaker Altman, who has claimed he has no stake in the company, doesn’t have much to lose. “He can commit to as much as he wants... Either he uses it, he renegotiates it, or he walks away.”
www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
Here’s What Happens If OpenAI Can’t Pay For Its $1.4 Trillion AI Deals
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay? It won’t be Altman.
www.forbes.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
rashis.bsky.social
One likely scenario is that the AI company pays for and utilizes only a portion of the compute it has booked said D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria. “They don't want OpenAI to go bankrupt, so their incentive is to renegotiate,” he told Forbes.
www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
Here’s What Happens If OpenAI Can’t Pay For Its $1.4 Trillion AI Deals
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay? It won’t be Altman.
www.forbes.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
rashis.bsky.social
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay?

Latest for @forbes.com with @pheebini.bsky.social and @richardnieva.bsky.social.

www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
Here’s What Happens If OpenAI Can’t Pay For Its $1.4 Trillion AI Deals
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay? It won’t be Altman.
www.forbes.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
mhunterhart.bsky.social
1/3 Reddit’s popularity has exploded in recent years.

Daily users have approximately doubled since the summer of 2023. It’s become one of the top sources cited by AI chatbots. And organic search to the platform has skyrocketed (you may have noticed more Reddit results when you Google these days).
November 3, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
zacheverson.com
“Timothy Mellon Has Likely Donated More Than Half His Fortune To Politics”

@pheebini.bsky.social for @forbes.com
Trump Donor Tim Mellon Has Likely Donated More Than Half His Fortune To Politics
The banking heir may be the first wealthy American to do so, thanks to his $130 million donation to pay troops during the government shutdown.
www.forbes.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
One week of @wsj.com heds.
October 29, 2025 at 1:19 AM
pheebini.bsky.social
Thanks to his $130 million donation to pay troops during the gov shutdown, Mellon has likely given away a bigger % of his fortune than any person ever: more than half.

A breakdown of his giving and how he made his millions—not just from inheritance!—for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Trump Donor Tim Mellon Has Likely Donated More Than Half His Fortune To Politics
The banking heir may be the first wealthy American to do so, thanks to his $130 million donation to pay troops during the government shutdown.
www.forbes.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
aohnsman.bsky.social
NEW: Rivian's had a tough few years in the volatile, but CEO RJ Scaringe is betting its new R2 electric SUV will mark a big growth phase.
“I'm very, very biased, but I think R2 is going to drive a step-change in overall EV adoption” #electricvehicles #Rivian www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
RJ Scaringe Is Betting His New Electric SUV Will Make Rivian The Next Tesla
The Rivian founder and CEO expects its small SUV R2, priced from $45,000, to be fully competitive with Tesla’s top-selling Model Y when sales begin early next year.
www.forbes.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
New details about Deel's latest fundraise, its legal + private market battle with Rippling and what's next in my story with Matt Durot for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/mattdu...
Deel Vs. Rippling: Alex Bouaziz On Deel’s Latest Fundraise And Why He’s Not Worried About Litigation
HR software rivals have accused each other of corporate espionage in lawsuits filed earlier this year. A funding round announced Thursday boosted Deel’s valuation just above Rippling’s for the first t...
www.forbes.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
richardnieva.bsky.social
I chatted with AMD’s senior vice president of AI about the company’s massive deal with OpenAI, and how AMD’s software efforts played a part in scoring the agreement.
www.forbes.com/sites/richar...
How AMD’s AI Software Helped It Score The Multi-Billion Dollar OpenAI Deal
Chips aren’t the only star of the massive agreement. AMD’s software efforts have slowly turned it into a more formidable competitor to Nvidia.
www.forbes.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
In my latest for @forbes.com I did some math on how the spate of massive #AI infra deals is benefiting the dealmakers most of all. These founders, CEOs and investors keep getting richer while critics condemn their "circular deals":

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
October 9, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
forbesunion.bsky.social
@forbes.com mgt, led by CEO Sherry Phillips and CCO Randall Lane, have proposed 1.25% annual bumps for staff, not even keeping up with inflation--when many in the newsroom go YEARS without a raise. #journalismjobs @nyguild.bsky.social
October 8, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
kostyack.bsky.social
Link to the article:
Here Are Some Of The Biggest Winners Of This Year’s AI Infrastructure Boom
These founders, CEOs and investors—from OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, AMD and others—keep getting richer while critics condemn their “circular deals.”
www.forbes.com
October 9, 2025 at 1:19 PM