NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Sam Altman’s OpenAI is in Expansion Mode

In just over two years, OpenAI has gone from launching ChatGPT to raising the biggest private funding round in tech history: a $40 billion funding led by Softbank that puts the company’s valuation at $300 billion, nearly double what it was six months ago.

Revenue is expected to triple this year to $12.7 billion, thanks to paid subscriptions and growing enterprise demand. Product updates are also rolling out fast — ChatGPT now includes a very realistic image generation tool, and their Sora video tool has gained real momentum.

Here’s what’s next:

• OpenAI plans to restructure by the end of 2025, separating its for-profit business from the nonprofit that currently governs it.

• If it doesn’t, SoftBank can reduce its investment by $10 billion.

• The goal: operate more like a traditional tech company — with clearer ownership, faster decision-making, and more focus on commercial growth.

And from what we’ve seen, the product side is delivering. The image generation feature inside ChatGPT is impressively good — fast, sharp, and moving from fun novelty to genuinely useful.

Between massive funding, aggressive expansion, and polished tools, Sam Altman and OpenAI’s next chapter looks increasingly commercial and ambitious.

What If You Co-Owned the AI You Helped Train?

When Reddit struck a deal to license its data to Google for training AI, it was a clear sign of where things are headed: online platforms hold a goldmine of data, and that data is fueling the AI boom. But in most cases, it’s the companies — not the users — who decide where that data goes and how it's used.

A new platform called Vana is taking a different approach. Instead of centralizing control, Vana puts the power in users’ hands. You get to choose how your data is used, and you even get a share in the AI models that are built from it.

What began as an MIT class project is now a decentralized network with over 1 million users contributing data — from social media activity to sleep and fitness logs — to build AI models with real-world value.

Here’s how it works:

• You export your data from platforms that support it (most do).

• You choose which AI projects to support and how your data is used.

• When a model is built, you own part of it and earn rewards based on your contribution.

These user groups are called “data DAOs.” Think of them like digital co-ops — people pool their data, decide together how it’s used, and share in what’s built. That could mean anything from smarter playlists to personalized health tools.

It’s a fresh way to think about AI: not just something built on your data, but something you can actively help shape.

The image of AI being driven by just a few tech giants is shifting. With tools like Vana, users are getting a seat at the table.

Would You Spend $2M a Year To Stay Young?

Staying healthy used to mean eating well and exercising. Now, some of the world’s wealthiest are taking it much further—spending millions on scans, supplements, and experimental treatments to stay young.

For example, Peter Diamandis hosts longevity retreats and funds biotech startups focused on anti-aging. He believes these therapies, while currently expensive, will one day be available to everyone.

There are others: Jeff Bezos is backing Altos Labs, a company exploring how to reprogram cells to become youthful again. Then there’s Bryan Johnson, who made headlines for spending $2 million a year on his body—tracking every organ, taking over 100 pills a day, and even undergoing plasma transfusions from his teenage son.

Some say these experiments could lead to breakthroughs that eventually benefit everyone, while others see them as luxuries only the rich can afford. What do you think?