Welcome back to Week in Review! We’ve got tons of news for you this week: Slate EVs spotted in the wild; Airbnb pricing updates; a hack at Blue Shield; and much more. Let’s go! Get a clue: Cluely is an AI-based tool that helps people cheat on exams, sales calls, and even job interviews. Though…
Category: Elon Musk
AI, Elon Musk, Global Security News, xAI Holdings
Musk’s xAI Holdings is reportedly raising the second-largest private funding round ever
Elon Musk’s xAI Holdings is in talks to raise $20 billion in fresh funding, potentially valuing the AI and social media combo at over $120 billion, according to a new Bloomberg report that says talks are in the “early stages.” If successful, the deal would constitute the the second-largest startup funding round ever, behind only…
Elon Musk, FSD, Global Security News, robotaxi, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla begins ‘FSD Supervised’ ride-hail tests with employees in Austin, Bay Area
Tesla has started testing its autonomous ride-hail service with employees in Austin and the Bay Area ahead of the company’s planned robotaxi launch this summer. “FSD Supervised ride-hailing service is live for an early set of employees in Austin & San Francisco Bay Area,” the company posted Wednesday on X. FSD stands for “Full Self-Driving,”…
electric vehicles, Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Anti-Musk protests are now an official risk to Tesla’s business
Protests against Elon Musk and Tesla have been spreading around the world thanks to the CEO’s involvement in the Trump administration. Now those protests are listed in an official “risk factor” in paperwork Tesla is required to file with federal regulators. The new language, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday morning, shows…
doge, electric vehicles, Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, Transportation
Elon Musk says he may keep doing DOGE work for ‘the remainder’ of Trump’s term
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he may keep doing work with the Department of Government Efficiency through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term, amid calls for him to step away from politics. Musk said he plans to reduce his role with DOGE to a “day or two” per week starting next month, “or…
earnings, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla profits drop 71% on weak sales and anti-Elon Musk sentiment
Tesla’s flailing sales figures have put the company closer to the red than it has been in years, according to financial results released Tuesday, threatening one of its biggest advantages over other EV players. The electric automaker reported $409 million in net income on $19.3 billion in revenue after delivering almost 337,000 EVs in the…
Elon Musk, Global Security News, Optimus, robotaxi, Tesla, Tesla earnings, Transportation
Tesla earnings Q1 2025: What we’re watching for
This might be the most hyped Tesla earnings in recent memory. And not for all the right reasons. Tesla has taken many hits this year as its CEO Elon Musk leans further into right-wing politics and oversees DOGE, the advisory body that President Trump has bestowed the power to slash federal spending. For Tesla, that…
Elon Musk, Global Security News, Guest blog, jeff bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, road sign, Security threats
Crosswalks hacked to play fake audio of Musk, Zuck, and Jeff Bezos
“Stop, look, and listen” is the standard advice we should allow follow when crossing the road – but pedestrians in some parts are finding that they cannot believe their ears – after a hacker compromised crosswalks to play deepfake audio mocking tech bosses Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. Read more in my article…
electric vehicles, Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla reportedly delays launch of new low-cost model by months
Tesla is pushing back the promised launch of a more affordable EV by months, according to a report from Reuters. The new model, which is supposedly a very stripped-down Model Y, was supposed to debut in the first half of this year but now might not come until late 2025 or early 2026, states the…
Cloud Security, Cybersecurity, data breach, Data Privacy, Data Security, doge, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Featured, Global Security News, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Identity & Access, Mobile Security, Network Security, News, NLRB, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Spotlight, Threat Intelligence, Threats & Breaches
Whistleblower: Musk’s DOGE Stole Data, Caused Breach at U.S. Agency
A whistleblower in the NLRB said in sworn testimony that staffers within the Musk-led DOGE group breached agency systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, and used tools and techniques similar to those wielded by cybercriminals to hide their actions. The post Whistleblower: Musk’s DOGE Stole Data, Caused Breach at U.S. Agency appeared first on Security Boulevard.
AI, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Grok, Social, X, xAI
The xAI–X merger is a good deal — if you’re betting on Musk’s empire
When Elon Musk announced that his AI startup, xAI, had acquired his social media company, X (formerly known as Twitter), in an all-stock deal, it raised some eyebrows. But in many ways, the deal made sense. xAI’s chatbot, Grok, was already deeply integrated with X, X was floundering financially, and Musk needed a way to…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, jeff bezos, techcrunch mobility, Transportation, Waymo
TechCrunch Mobility: Jeff Bezos backs a secretive EV startup and Lucid snaps up Nikola’s assets
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. If there is one certainty in this uncertain moment, it’s this: U.S. tariff policy is likely to change again. As of Friday morning, there…
AI, Elon Musk, Europe, GDPR, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Grok, Social, X, xAI
Ireland’s data regulator investigates X’s use of European user data to train Grok
Ireland’s data regulator, the Data Protection Commission (DPC), said Friday that it has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over the social media platform’s use of personal data collected from European users to train Grok. The DPC will investigate how X processes personal data “comprised” in publicly accessible posts by European users for the…
Elon Musk, Global Security News, netjets, Transportation
Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
A recent breach of Berkshire Hathaway-owned private jet company NetJets has revealed a guide for flight attendants serving Elon Musk, per a Bloomberg report. The memo offers an interesting glimpse into the personal preferences of the world’s richest man. Some of the preferences are surprising for the CEO of Tesla, a company dedicated to sustainability.…
Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla used car listings skyrocketed in March
A growing number of Tesla owners are putting their used vehicles up for sale, as consumers react to Elon Musk’s political activities and the global protests they have fueled. In March, the number of used Tesla vehicles listed for sale on Autotrader.com skyrocketed, Sherwood News reported, citing data from Autotrader parent company Cox Automotive. The…
Department of Government Efficiency, doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, nhtsa, Tesla, Transportation
NHTSA’s self-driving safety staff reportedly ‘disproportionally affected’ by DOGE cuts
The cuts that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency made at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in February “disproportionately affected” employees working on vehicle automation safety, according to The Financial Times. That division was formed in 2023 and therefore included a number of staffers who were still in their initial probationary hiring period, which…
AI, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, openai
OpenAI countersues Elon Musk, calls for enjoinment from ‘further unlawful and unfair action’
The dramatic tiff between OpenAI and its estranged co-founder, billionaire Elon Musk, shows no sign of letting up. In a filing on Wednesday, attorneys for OpenAI and other defendants in the case, including CEO Sam Altman, called for Musk to be enjoined from “further unlawful and unfair action” and “held responsible for the damage he…
doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, irs, sam corcos
DOGE reportedly planning a hackathon to build ‘mega API’ for IRS data
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to host a hackathon next week focused on the creation of a “mega API” that will provide access to taxpayer data, according to Wired. Wired says the hackathon is being organized by two DOGE staffers at the Internal Revenue Service — Gavin Kliger and Sam Corcos, who’s…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, techcrunch mobility, Tesla, Transportation
TechCrunch Mobility: Tesla takes a hit, tariff chaos begins, and one EV startup hits a milestone
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Over the 13 years reporting on Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, I have watched the rise, fall, near misses, and rise again of the company and…
Elon Musk, EV, Global Security News, lucid, Polestar, Tesla, Transportation, volvo
Automakers jump on Tesla’s brand woes with discount EV offers
Tesla trade-ins in the U.S. are at an all time high as some owners become disillusioned with Elon Musk’s politics, and some just want to avoid their car getting keyed by Musk haters. Automakers are pouncing on the opportunity. Polestar, Lucid Motors, Volvo, and Ford — which have long trailed Tesla in EV sales —…
doge, Elon Musk, evergreens, EVs, Global Security News, Tesla, tesla takedown, Transportation
Elon Musk took a chainsaw to the US government. Tesla is taking the hit.
Elon Musk has long been credited with turning Tesla into a beacon of innovation, the visionary who pushed the world into an era of electrification. But his slide into politics – specifically his alignment with President Trump and activities within the federal government – has dragged Tesla into uncertainty. For many would-be Tesla buyers, the…
Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla records worst deliveries in two years amid Elon Musk backlash
Tesla recorded 336,681 deliveries, its worst quarterly performance in more than two years as the brand suffers a backlash to CEO Elon Musk’s political maneuverings. The dip in sales comes as Musk continues leading DOGE, the “advisory body” that has laid off thousands of federal employees and attempted to eliminate entire agencies and programs. His…
AI, Elon Musk, Global Security News
Elon Musk says xAI acquired X
Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, has acquired his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock deal, he announced in a post on X Friday. “xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction,” Musk said. “The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt).” Musk…
doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Tesla, tesla takedown, Transportation
‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly
“Tesla Takedown” organizers have promised their biggest day of global action today, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending. As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals throwing…
doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Tesla, tesla takedown, Transportation
‘Tesla Takedown’ protesters are planning a global day of action on March 29, and things might get ugly
‘Tesla Takedown’ organizers have promised their biggest day of global action this weekend, encouraging thousands to protest outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations to peacefully object to Elon Musk’s role in slashing government spending. As Tesla protests have spread, so has the backlash. Activists holding up signs are being conflated with masked vandals…
AI, Elon Musk, Global Security News
Elon Musk says xAI acquired X
Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, has acquired his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock deal, he announced in a post on X Friday. “xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction,” Musk said. “The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt).” He…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Rivian, techcrunch mobility, Transportation, Trump
Inside the Rivian skunkworks program, and Trump’s gift to Tesla
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it’s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on Elon Musk, the CEO…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Rivian, techcrunch mobility, Transportation, Trump
TechCrunch Mobility: Inside the Rivian skunkworks program, and Trump’s gift to Tesla
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Before we jump into the transportation news of the week, it’s worth pointing you to a couple of articles that are focused on Elon Musk, the CEO…
electric vehicles, Elon Musk, EVs, Global Security News, North America, Tesla, Transportation
Trump’s auto tariffs are a gift to Tesla
President Trump is slapping 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the United States, including from our immediate North American neighbors. He’s also placed a 25% tariff on certain parts used to build cars. It’s a decision that will likely supercharge the cost of new and used cars, but it’s also a gift to Tesla,…
Department of Government Efficiency, doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Startups, Venture
19 founders and VCs working with Elon Musk’s DOGE
Silicon Valley used to take a backseat to Washington, D.C. But now, the people disrupting technology have taken the wheel at the highest echelons of government. And that’s thanks, in large part, to the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE. Much reporting on DOGE has focused on its staffers’ ties to Musk, the billionaire bestie of…
Asia Pacific, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Space, SpaceX
SpaceX reportedly has a secret backdoor for Chinese investment
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has allowed Chinese investors to buy stakes as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore hubs, according to reporting from ProPublica. SpaceX is a defense contractor for the Pentagon, one that handles sensitive work like building a classified spy satellite network. Investment from China…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
One of Tesla’s top Wall Street supporters says Elon Musk faces a ‘moment of truth’
An analyst who is one of the biggest boosters of Tesla on Wall Street says Elon Musk is facing a “moment of truth” at his EV company because of a “crisis” he’s created by spending so much in the Trump administration. The analyst, Wedbush’s Dan Ives, pleaded with Musk in a note published Thursday to…
Apps, Elon Musk, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, Twitter, X
Elon Musk’s X reportedly bounces back to $44B valuation
Social media site X’s valuation has bounced back to $44 billion, according to a new report from the Financial Times. Elon Musk purchased the platform, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion back in 2022. However, a report from Bloomberg states that X has raised close to $1 billion from investors in a deal that…
Department of Government Efficiency, doge, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government & Policy, North America
Elon Musk’s DOGE leadership likely violates constitution’s appointments clause, judge says
Elon Musk’s role overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency is likely a violation of the United States constitution’s appointments clause, a federal judge wrote Tuesday. Theodore Chuang, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, wrote in an opinion there is more than enough evidence — mostly from statements made by…
Department of Government Efficiency, doge, Elon Musk, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Security, SpaceX, Tesla, Trump Administration, us government
The people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe
Meet the DOGE staffers and senior advisors in Elon Musk’s inner circle, and how they got there. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Application Security, Cloud Security, Cloudflare DDoS Protection, cyber attacks during ukraine war, cyber attacks russia, Cybersecurity, Dark Storm Team, DDoS, DDoS attack, Denial of Service, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, denial of service attacks, denial of service vulnerability, DevOps, DevSecOps, distributed denial of service, Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, distributed denial of service attack, Editorial Calendar, Elon Musk, elon musk twitter, Featured, Global Security News, Governance, Risk & Compliance, hacktivism ukraine cyber-attacks, Humor, Incident Response, Industry Spotlight, IoT, IoT & ICS Security, malware, Most Read This Week, Network Security, News, Popular Post, Russia, Russia-Ukraine, russia-ukraine conflict, Russia's War on Ukraine, SB Blogwatch, Security Awareness, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Social Engineering, social media, Social Media Attack, social media attacks, social media cyber attacks, Social Media Cybercrime, Social Media Exploits, Spotlight, Threats & Breaches, Ukraine, ukraine conflict, Ukraine Cyber War, Ukraine-Russia War, Ukraine/European Security, vulnerabilities, X
No, Elon — X DDoS was NOT by Ukraine
X marks the botnet: Outage outrage was a Ukrainian cyberattack, implies our favorite African billionaire comedy villain. The post No, Elon — X DDoS was NOT by Ukraine appeared first on Security Boulevard.
doge, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Tesla, Transportation
Trump says he will label violence against Tesla as domestic terrorism
President Donald Trump said he will label violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism, per a transcript shared by the White House pool reporters, a sign of deepening ties with Elon Musk. “Tesla Takeovers” have been breaking out across the globe at Tesla dealerships as people protest what they see as a hostile takeover of…
Check Point, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Dark Storm, DDoS, Elon Musk, F5, Global Security News, Threats, Twitter, X
X suffered a DDoS attack. Its CEO and security researchers can’t agree on who did it.
Social media service X was hit by a series of distributed denial-of-service attacks Monday, which rendered the platform formerly known as Twitter inaccessible at times for users with intermittent outages and errors, according to researchers. The cause of those attacks has been much harder to discern. Elon Musk, the site’s owner, described the incident as…
AI, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Grok, openai, Podcast, psychopath, Rorschach test, Super Mario, The AI Fix
The AI Fix #41: Can AIs be psychopaths, and why we should be AI optimists
In episode 41 of the AI Fix, our hosts learn that society needs to be completely reordered by December, Grok accuses Trump of being a Russian asset, Graham discovers that parents were wrong about computer games all along, and Mark wonders if a kung-fu kicking robot from Unitree is the hero that we need. Graham…
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
Elon Musk says DOGE involvement is making it harder to run his businesses
In an interview with Fox’s Larry Kudlow on Monday, billionaire Elon Musk admitted that his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Donald Trump’s initiative to reduce federal spending, is making it tougher to run his many businesses: X, Tesla, xAI, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Starlink. “How are you running your other businesses?”…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, openai
Musk may still have a chance to thwart OpenAI’s for-profit conversion
Elon Musk lost the latest battle in his lawsuit against OpenAI this week, but a federal judge appears to have given Musk — and others who oppose OpenAI’s for-profit conversion — reasons to be hopeful. Musk’s suit against OpenAI, which also names Microsoft and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as defendants, accuses OpenAI of abandoning its…
AI, AI chatbot, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Grok, Social, Twitter, xAI
X now lets you query Grok by mentioning it in replies
X is actively working to expand the reach of xAI’s Grok model to more users on the platform. Multiple users noted today that people can now mention Grok in replies and ask a question to get an explanation about a post. Users of the Elon Musk-owned social media platform could already access Grok through a button…
A Little Sunshine, Branden Spikes, California Russian Association, Congress of Russian Americans, Constellation of Humanity, Cyberinc, Department of Government Efficiency, Diana Fishman, Donald J. Trump, Elon Musk, Global Security News, INC, Ivan Y. Podvalov, Jacqueline Sweet, Maye Musk, Natalia Haldeman, Natalia Spikes, Radaris, Reeve Haldeman, Russian American Media, Russian Heritage Foundation, Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Scott Haldeman, SpaceX, Spikes Security, U.S. Digital Service
Who is the DOGE and X Technician Branden Spikes?
At 49, Branden Spikes isn’t just one of the oldest technologists who has been involved in Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). As the current director of information technology at X/Twitter and an early hire at PayPal, Zip2, Tesla and SpaceX, Spikes is also among Musk’s most loyal employees. Here’s a closer look at…
Department of Government Efficiency, doge, Elon Musk, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Security, SpaceX, Tesla, Trump Administration, us government
The people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe
Meet the DOGE staffers and senior advisors in Elon Musk’s inner circle, and how they got there. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Trump Administration, us government
DOGE has an official ‘acting’ administrator, and it’s not Elon Musk, White House confirms
Amy Gleason is named as the acting administrator of DOGE, amid ambiguity over Elon Musk’s role. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, SpaceX, Starlink, Transportation
FAA tests Starlink terminals as Musk claims Verizon tech is ‘not working’
The Federal Aviation Administration has started testing the use of SpaceX Starlink satellite internet terminals in the national airspace system, nearly two years after Verizon was awarded a $2 billion contract to perform similar work. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk claimed on his social media platform X that the Verizon system “is not working…
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security
DOGE’s HR email is getting the ‘Bee Movie’ spam treatment
Over the weekend, Elon Musk surveyed his followers on X — the platform he spent $44 billion to buy — asking whether federal employees should be required to send his team an email with a list of five things they accomplished this week. With the yes votes totaling over 70%, Musk followed through. Federal employees…
AI, censorship, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, grok 3, xAI
Grok 3 appears to have briefly censored unflattering mentions of Trump and Musk
When billionaire Elon Musk introduced Grok 3, his AI company xAI’s latest flagship model, in a live stream last Monday, he described it as a “maximally truth-seeking AI.” Yet it appears that Grok 3 was briefly censoring unflattering facts about President Donald Trump — and Musk himself. Over the weekend, users on social media reported…
AI, doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, HP, humane AI, Social, Week in Review newsletter
The fallout from HP’s Humane acquisition
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re looking at the internal chaos surrounding HP’s $116 million acquisition of AI Pin maker Humane; Mira Murati’s new AI venture coming out of stealth; Duolingo killing its iconic owl mascot with a Cybertruck; and more! Let’s get into it. Humane’s AI pin is dead. The hardware…
china, CISA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Government Efficency, disinformation, Election Security, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government, misinformation, Social Security Administration, Trump Administration, Twitter, Workforce
No, that’s not the acting head of the Social Security Administration. That’s a former CISA employee.
A longtime former employee of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an agency in the midst of curtailing its anti-misinformation and disinformation work under President Donald Trump, has found himself being misidentified online as a key figure in another Trump administration battle. On social media and in some news outlets, Ross Foard, a former CISA…
avs, doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Tesla, Transportation
Elon Musk’s DOGE comes for agency that regulates autonomous vehicles
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is firing nearly half of a small government team that regulates autonomous vehicles, the Washington Post reported. The firings are part of a broader 10% reduction at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a result of firings of probationary workers and buyout offers, the Post reported, citing…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mark Zuckerberg, Social
Mark Zuckerberg’s makeover didn’t make people like him, study shows
A study by the Pew Research Center found that Americans’ views of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg skew more negative than positive. While Zuckerberg has sparked chatter in Silicon Valley with his sudden interest in high fashion, the Meta CEO is less popular than President Trump’s right-hand man, Elon Musk, the report found. While about…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, this week in AI, this week in ai newsletter, xAI
This Week in AI: Maybe we should ignore AI benchmarks for now
Welcome to TechCrunch’s regular AI newsletter! We’re going on hiatus for a bit, but you can find all our AI coverage, including my columns, our daily analysis, and breaking news stories, at TechCrunch. If you want those stories and much more in your inbox every day, sign up for our daily newsletters here. This week, billionaire…
Apps, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Social, Twitter
X in talks to raise money at a $44B valuation
Elon Musk’s X is in talks to raise money from investors at a $44 billion valuation, Bloomberg News reports. Musk purchased X, formerly known as Twitter, for the same price back in 2022. The news comes as Fidelity Investments marked down its Twitter stake back in December by around 70% from the 2022 sale price…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, grok 3, Social, X Premium+, xAI
X doubles its Premium+ plan prices after xAI releases Grok 3
Hours after Elon Musk’s AI company xAI released the latest version of its AI model, Grok 3, X has significantly hiked the price for its top Premium+ subscription plan, which gives users access to the latest model, to almost $50 per month. On the support page that lists X’s premium plans, the monthly subscription price…
Elon Musk, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, SpaceX, xAI
Elon Musk staffer created a DOGE AI assistant for making government “less dumb”
A DOGE staffer created a custom AI chatbot that’s supposed to help “eliminate” government waste. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, SpaceX, Tesla, Trump Administration, us government
The people in Elon Musk’s DOGE universe
Meet the DOGE staffers and senior advisors in Elon Musk’s inner circle, and how they got there. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, grok 3, Social, X Premium+, xAI
X doubles its Premium+ plan prices after xAI releases Grok 3
Hours after Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI released the latest version of its AI model, Grok 3, X has significantly hiked the price for its top Premium+ subscription plan, which gives users access to the latest model, to almost $50 per month. On the support page that lists X’s premium plans, the monthly subscription price…
AI, Apps, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, grok 3, xAI
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, releases its latest flagship model, Grok 3
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, released its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, late Monday night, along with new capabilities in the Grok apps for iOS and the web. Grok, xAI’s answer to models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini, can analyze images and respond to questions, and powers a number of features on Musk’s social network, X.…
doge, Elon Musk, FAA, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, SpaceX, Transportation, Trump
Trump fires hundreds of air traffic support staff as SpaceX visits FAA command center
The Trump Administration has begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees who maintain critical air traffic control infrastructure, reports CNN. The firings, which began late Friday night, come as Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been tapped to help create a new air traffic control system. It’s not yet clear how many workers were fired, but the…
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, privacy, signal, Social, X
X is blocking links to Signal, a secure messaging platform used by federal workers
Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is blocking links to Signal.me, a URL shortener used by the private messaging app Signal that allows users to send out a link that’s used to contact them directly through the service. The blocks, which impact direct messages, public posts, and profile pages, were first spotted by the blog Disruptionist. …
Bluesky, doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
How this weekend’s ‘Tesla Takeover’ protests against Elon Musk came together on Bluesky
As Elon Musk and his acolytes rip through the federal government looking for agencies to throw into the “wood chipper,” a grassroots effort to hit the world’s richest man where it hurts is picking up steam. The courts are busy contesting the actions of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, but the judicial system is slow…
AI, Elon Musk, Funding, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, report, rumor, startup, Startups, xAI
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, said to be in talks to raise $10B
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is said to be in talks to raise $10 billion in a round that would value xAI at $75 billion. Bloomberg reported Friday that xAI is canvassing existing investors, including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and Valor Equity Partners for the round, which would bring xAI’s total raised to $22.4 billion,…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, sam altman, Startups, x.ai
Elon Musk’s full offer letter to buy OpenAI reveals five key details
A group led by Elon Musk’s x.AI wants to buy OpenAI. Read five key takeaways from its offer letter. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Elon Musk, filing, Global IT News, Global Security News, nonprofit, openai
Elon Musk will withdraw bid for OpenAI’s nonprofit if its board agrees to terms
In a court filing on Wednesday, a lawyer for Elon Musk said the billionaire will withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s nonprofit if the ChatGPT maker’s board of directors “preserve the charity’s mission” and halt its conversion to a for-profit corporation. The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of…
AI, ai newsletter, Apple, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, sam altman
This Week in AI: Musk bids for OpenAI
Hiya, folks, welcome to TechCrunch’s regular AI newsletter. If you want this in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. The billionaires are fighting again. On Monday, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, offered to buy the nonprofit that effectively governs OpenAI for $97.4 billion. In response to Musk’s offer, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman earlier Monday authored a…
china, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
A woman in China sued Tesla after complaining of faulty brakes — now she’s paying Tesla $23K
As per an investigation by the Associated Press (AP), Tesla has won a defamation lawsuit against one individual called Zhang Yazhou, who in February 2021 was a passenger in a Tesla Model 3 car that allegedly crashed due to faulty brakes, resulting in a four-day hospital stay for both her parents. Following the accident, Zhang…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government, Government & Policy, lawsuits, privacy
Federal workers sue Elon Musk and DOGE to cut off data access
Federal workers are suing DOGE and its creator, Elon Musk to cut off the new agency’s access to their personal data. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, ChatGPT, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, nonprofit, openai, sam altman, Startups
How Musk’s $97.4B bid could gum up OpenAI’s for-profit conversion
On Monday, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, offered to buy the nonprofit that effectively governs OpenAI for $97.4 billion. The unsolicited buyout would be financed by Musk’s AI company, xAI, and a consortium of outside investors, per a letter sent to California and Delaware’s attorneys general. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quickly dismissed Musk’s bid,…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, In Brief, openai, sam altman
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman calls Musk’s bid an attempt to ‘slow us down’
In an interview at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed Elon Musk’s unsolicited $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s nonprofit as “an attempt to slow [OpenAI] down.” “[Musk] obviously is a competitor,” Altman said. “He’s raised a lot of money for [his AI company] xAI, and they’re trying to…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, Venture
These are the investors funding Musk’s $97 billion OpenAI takeover attempt
As if Elon Musk doesn’t have enough going on, a consortium of investors led by him announced plans Monday for what appears to be a hostile takeover of OpenAI. The investor group offered nearly $97.4 billion to buy all of OpenAI’s assets and is “prepared to consider matching or exceeding higher bids,” it said in…
AI, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai
Elon Musk led-team submits $97.4B bid for OpenAI
A team of investors led by Elon Musk submitted a $97.6 billion bid to purchase OpenAI on Monday. The news comes by way of Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, who confirmed the news with The Wall Street Journal. The unsolicited bid is the latest escalation by Musk in his war with co-founder Sam Altman, as Altman…
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social
Trump ends legal battle over Twitter ban
President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the company formerly known as Twitter appears to be over. Trump sued the social media platform for banning him in the aftermath of January 6, 2021, when Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. While a federal judge dismissed the suit in 2022, the then-former president’s lawyers continued to appeal. Soon…
Apps, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Social, TikTok
Elon Musk said he’s not interested in acquiring TikTok
Elon Musk recently said he is “not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok.” Musk made those remarks during an interview at the WELT Economic Summit on January 28. A video of the interview was published today. The interview came after President Donald Trump delayed a law requiring parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok or…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Meta, Social, TechCrunch Week in Review
Ex-Meta employee sues for sexual harassment
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re diving into Google quietly removing its pledge to not build AI weapons for surveillance; how Elon Musk and DOGE are facilitating the biggest breach of U.S. government data; researchers who were able to re-create a premium “reasoning” model for $50; and more! Let’s get into it.…
A Little Sunshine, AS400495, BackConnect Security LLC, Curtis Gervais, DiamondCDN, Director of National Intelligence, doge, Dstat, Edward Coristine, Elon Musk, Eric Taylor, Global Security News, Marshal Webb, Ne'er-Do-Well News, Neuralink, North America, Packetware, Path Networks, president trump, Rivage, Tesla Sexy LLC, The Com, The Coming Storm, Tucker Preston, Wired
Teen on Musk’s DOGE Team Graduated from ‘The Com’
Wired reported this week that a 19-year-old working for Elon Musk‘s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was given access to sensitive US government systems even though his past association with cybercrime communities should have precluded him from gaining the necessary security clearances to do so. As today’s story explores, the DOGE teen is a…
Elon Musk, EV charging, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Transportation
Trump admin freezes EV charging program that gave Tesla millions
The Department of Transportation has paused funding for a $5 billion EV charging infrastructure program that Tesla has received at least $31 million from. The move is widely viewed to be illegal. It’s the latest attempt from the Trump administration to hack away at federally funded renewable energy projects around the country, a clear priority…
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, luke farritor, Nat Friedman, vesuvius challenge
One of Elon Musk’s young DOGE engineers explains how he won the $700K Vesuvius Challenge
Elon Musk has reportedly picked fresh-faced six engineers to run DOGE. I spoke to one of them in 2023, when his life looked very, very different. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Dojo, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla FSD, Transportation
Tesla’s Dojo, a timeline
Elon Musk doesn’t want Tesla to be just an automaker. He wants Tesla to be an AI company, one that’s figured out how to make cars drive themselves. Crucial to that mission is Dojo, Tesla’s custom-built supercomputer designed to train its Full Self-Driving (FSD) neural networks. FSD isn’t actually fully self-driving; it can perform some…
Cybersecurity, data breach, Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security, us government
The biggest breach of US government data is under way
Elon Musk’s DOGE has taken control and accessed large swathes of Americans’ private information held by the U.S. federal government. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Cybersecurity, data breach, Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security
Coalition of US states to file lawsuit after Musk’s DOGE gains access to Americans’ personal data
The states plan to file the lawsuit in defense of Americans’ “right to privacy.” © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government, Government & Policy, TC, X
DOGE staffer steps down after racist posts emerge
A 25-year-old Doge staffer resigned over racist posts on X. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Dojo, Elon Musk, evergreens, Global IT News, Global Security News, Tesla, Tesla FSD, Transportation
Tesla Dojo: Elon Musk’s big plan to build an AI supercomputer, explained
Dojo is Tesla’s custom-built supercomputer that’s designed to train its “Full Self-Driving” neural networks. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Cybersecurity, data breach, Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security, us government
The biggest breach of US government data is under way
Elon Musk’s DOGE has taken control and accessed large swathes of Americans’ private information held by the U.S. federal government. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Bennie Thompson, Department of Government Efficency, Department of Treasury, Elon Musk, Global Security News, Government, House Homeland Security Committee, Mark Warner, Matthew Vaeth, North America, office of management and budget, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), privacy, Senate Intelligence Committee, Susie Wiles, Treasury Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID
Lawmakers fear Elon Musk, DOGE not adhering to privacy rules
Congress is getting vocal about the privacy and security implications of Elon Musk and his cohorts at the Department of Government Efficiency accessing federal systems. Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee said Wednesday DOGE must comply with security and privacy laws as they obtain access to federal systems, something the lawmakers say they don’t…
doge, Elon Musk, elon musk act, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
The Elon Musk Act aims to ban ‘special government employees’ from having federal contracts
U.S. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan plans to introduce a bill designed to ban “special government employees” like Elon Musk from having federal contracts so they can’t steer spending towards their own self-interest. The proposed bill is called the ELON MUSK Act, which stands for Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy. “No…
Data Breaches, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Exploits, FISMA, Global Security News, Government, OPM breach, Policy, Threats, Treasury Department
Cybersecurity, government experts are aghast at security failures in DOGE takeover
As the world’s richest man and his team from the Department of Government Efficiency continue their quest to dismantle federal agencies, cybersecurity experts, good government experts and Democrats are increasingly expressing outrage and alarm, in some cases likening the actions to an ongoing data breach. Elon Musk and employees from DOGE — which is, legally,…
AI, budget, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Tesla
Former Tesla engineer heading government agency reportedly outlines ‘AI-first strategy’
Thomas Shedd, the former Tesla engineer now serving as the director of Technology Transformation Services, reportedly outlined an “AI-first strategy” for the U.S. government department. According to a report from Wired citing multiple sources, the Musk ally described the plan to run the office like a “startup software company” during a Monday meeting. The New…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Politics, Starlink, trade tariffs
Ontario cancels, then restores, $68 million Starlink contract after protesting US tariffs
On Monday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, one of Canada’s most populous provinces, announced on X that the province’s government would be “ripping up” its $68 million ($100 million CAD) contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. The news came soon after President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on nearly all Canadian…
Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Politics, Starlink
Ontario cancels $100 million Starlink contract in protest at U.S. tariffs
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, one of Canada’s most populous provinces, announced on X that the province’s government would be “ripping up” its $100 million contract with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. The news comes soon after President Donald Trump announced this weekend a 25% tariff on nearly all Canadian imported goods, causing…
Elon Musk, Global Security News, linda yaccarino, Social, X
X expands lawsuit over advertiser ‘boycott’ to include Lego, Nestlé, Pinterest, and others
X is now suing more advertisers in an antitrust lawsuit focusing on what the company’s CEO Linda Yaccarino has claimed is a “systematic illegal boycott.” The company formerly known as Twitter first filed the lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and its brand safety initiative the Global Alliance of Responsible Media in August 2024.…
Apple Intelligence, deepseek, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Perplexity, Social, TechCrunch Week in Review
DeepSeek gets Silicon Valley talking
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re looking at DeepSeek’s major boost in the U.S.; Elon Musk admitting he was wrong about FSD; teens losing trust in Big Tech; and more! Let’s do it. DeepSeek went viral this week after its AI models led Wall Street analysts and technologists to question whether the…
doge, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, TC, White House
Elon Musk is reportedly taking control of the inner workings of US government agencies
People working for, or with, Elon Musk are reportedly taking over the inner workings of multiple government agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management and the Treasury Department. The Washington Post reported Friday that the highest-ranking career official at Treasury is leaving the department after “a clash” with people working for Musk’s so-called Department of…
autonomous vehicles, Elon Musk, FSD, Global IT News, Global Security News, TC, Tesla, Transportation
Elon Musk reveals Elon Musk was wrong about Full Self-Driving
For nearly nine years, Elon Musk has promised Tesla vehicles had the hardware needed to support a self-driving car. This week, he made his latest admission that many are not. Musk said on a conference call Wednesday evening that Tesla cars equipped with so-called Hardware 3 will need an upgrade before they can support unsupervised…
boom, Cruise, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Rivian, techcrunch mobility, Tesla, Transportation
Boom goes supersonic and Elon promises a self-driving service by summer
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! In case you missed it, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would launch a paid ride-hailing service with a fleet of driverless vehicles in Austin in…
Elon Musk, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, payments, Twitter, visa
X announces a partnership with Visa to power X Money’s wallet
Elon Musk-owned social network X announced a partnership with Visa to handle person-to-person payments for its upcoming X Money product. The company will use Visa Direct, which is Visa’s solution for real-time money transfers, to load money into X Money’s wallet, connect to a debit card for paying other users, and transfer money back to…
AI, chatbot, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, grok 3, X, xAI
Grok 3 seemingly went live for some users
The next flagship AI model from Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, might be nearing release. Over the weekend, several users on X, including reverse engineer Alexey Shabanov, reported gaining access to Grok 3, the successor to xAI’s current model, Grok 2, via X’s Grok chatbot app. Before their access was revoked, the users say that…
Elon Musk, fitbit, Global IT News, Global Security News, Meta, openai, Social, TechCrunch Week in Review, Week in Review
OpenAI wants to take over your browser
Welcome back to Week in Review. This week we’re diving into OpenAI’s newly released AI agent, called Operator. We also look at where TikTok stands after being resuscitated, whether it’s time to go back to Tumblr, and more! Let’s get into it. OpenAI launched a research preview of Operator, a general-purpose AI agent that can…
AI, Elon Musk, fight, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, sam altman, Social, social media, stargate, xAI
Elon Musk and Sam Altman take to social media to fight over Stargate
Billionaire Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are fighting on X about Stargate, the enormous infrastructure project to build data centers for OpenAI across the U.S. Stargate, announced Tuesday during a press conference at the White House, would funnel as much as $500 billion from investors including SoftBank and Middle East AI fund MGX…
Apps, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Larry Ellison, Social, TikTok, TikTok Ban
Trump open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison buying TikTok
President Donald Trump has said he would be open to Tesla CEO Elon Musk or Oracle chairman Larry Ellison buying TikTok as part of join venture with the U.S. government. Trump was asked at a press conference on Tuesday if he was open to “Elon buying TikTok.” He responded that he would be, and added:…