Phoebe Liu
LightNews LightNews
pheebini.bsky.social
Phoebe Liu
@pheebini.bsky.social
1.2K followers 230 following 68 posts
@forbes tech + money reporter / @forbesunion / 📧 [email protected] / atlanta sports bear, at the moment
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
thealexknapp.bsky.social
New edition of my emerging tech newsletter, The Prototype, is out! This is a space-packed issue, looking at the investment boom into space startups, the recent evacuation from ISS and more.

www.forbes.com/sites/the-pr...
Investors Put More Than $55 Billion Behind Space Startups Last Year
In this week’s edition of The Prototype, we look at the booming space industry, better space weather forecasts, the first medical evacuation from space and more.
www.forbes.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
dannygroner.bsky.social
"They need to make sure big swings are reasonably hedged while raising additional capital. Truly cashing in on the AI boom, though, will mean making a bet and committing to it. Otherwise they’ll be playing an ongoing game of catch up in an AI race where speed is everything."
January 16, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
zacheverson.com
NEW: "Rep. Julia Letlow Discloses Over 200 Stock Trades After Deadline As Ban Debate Grows In Congress"

#whoops

me, for @forbes

www.forbes.com/sites/zachev...
Rep. Julia Letlow Discloses 211Stock Trades After Missing Deadline Under STOCK Act
The Louisiana Republican’s office attributed the late disclosures, many dating back to 2024, to a third-party investment firm with discretionary authority.
www.forbes.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:26 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
The mainstreaming of AI is turning into a trillion dollar business, yet the two biggest data center real estate firms have lagged in public markets. Here’s why—and how they could catch up.

My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Public Data Center Builders Have Struggled In The AI Boom. But Don’t Count Them Out Yet
The mainstreaming of AI is turning into a trillion dollar business, yet the two biggest data center real estate firms have lagged in public markets. Here’s why—and how they could catch up.
www.forbes.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
iainmartin.bsky.social
Checkr, which got its start running criminal record checks on Uber drivers and gig workers, has seen its revenues jump 14% to $800 million as companies try to spot a flood of AI-generated CVs and faked financial documents.
www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
AI Fraud Has Exploded. Background-Check Startup Checkr Is Cashing In.
San Francisco-based Checkr has seen its revenues jump 14% to $800 million as companies try to spot a flood of AI-generated CVs and faked financial documents.
www.forbes.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
mmolteni.bsky.social
And this vital story by @aniloza.bsky.social and @jaspar.bsky.social looking at the impacts of funding cuts to early-career scientists.

They found that in the first 270 days of 2025, fewer early-career grants were awarded than in any similar period since 2016.

www.statnews.com/2025/12/08/t...
NIH shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs
Special Report: The NIH has shut out hundreds of young scientists from funding to start their own labs.
www.statnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:17 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
After her most recent grant announcement on Tuesday, MacKenzie Scott is now America's third-most-generous philanthropist by dollar amount, and second by percentage of wealth. More insights and context in my latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
December 11, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Phoebe Liu
kerrydolan.bsky.social
MacKenzie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) is a quiet rockstar #philanthropist. She gave away $7 billion in the past year. per @forbes.com @pheebini.bsky.social that vaults her even higher among the ranks of the country's most generous givers

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
MacKenzie Scott’s Latest Gifts Make Her America’s Third Most Generous Philanthropist
Only Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have given away more—and not nearly as fast.
www.forbes.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
pheebini.bsky.social
After #investing in the likes of OpenAI, ElevenLabs and Flock Safety, former SV Angel managing partner (and former professional opera singer!) Beth Turner is striking out on her own.

My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
This SV Angel Is Going Solo With A $45 Million Venture Fund
After investing in the likes of OpenAI, ElevenLabs and Flock Safety, former SV Angel managing partner Beth Turner is striking out on her own.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
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