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Anthropic CEO’s wife pitched Epstein for porn firm cash
Cami Clark, the secretive wife and key adviser to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, sought investment from Jeffrey Epstein for her revolutionary porn company years after his prison sentence for sex crimes.
Key adviser presence: Clark maintains a minimal public profile while acting as a sounding board and strategic adviser, often seen at Davos and talking with investors at Sun Valley.
Brought early investor: She brought Democrat megadonor Eric Schmidt, whom she had dated, as a key early investor to Anthropic in early 2021 as the company got off the ground.
Porn company pursuit: Scrutiny revealed she started a revolutionary porn company and courted convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for investment years after he served a jail sentence.
Information scrubbed online: Efforts have been made to remove references to her from the internet, and Anthropic’s Claude AI appears to have little information about her.
Wall Street fear gauge hits 2026 low amid complacency
The VIX dipped to 14.2 on Friday, its lowest level of 2026, as the S&P rose some 16% year-to-date toward record highs, but strategists warn the calm is unlikely to last.
Complacency warning issued: Jonathan Krinsky of BTIG said the VIX retreat points to growing complacency as markets enter the mid-August to mid-October period at all-time highs.
Historical pattern noted: In every mid-term election year since 1990 the equal-weight S&P registered a pull-back of at least 7% from its Aug. 18 average peak through mid-October.
Underlying risks remain: Strategists highlighted the ongoing Middle East conflict, Strait of Hormuz impasse and U.S. consumer strain indicated by July’s surprise 0.6% fall in retail sales.
Risk reduction advised: Krinsky and others think this is a very attractive time to pare down risk or look at hedging broad-based equity exposure entering a difficult calendar period.
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Meta faces astronomical risks in California AG trial
Opening arguments begin Tuesday in the federal trial that California Attorney General Rob Bonta is co-leading against Meta over allegations it fostered addictive behavior in teens and children after a New Mexico defeat.
Coalition trial begins: Opening arguments start Tuesday in Oakland federal court for the case co-led by California AG Rob Bonta involving 29 state attorneys general from 2023.
New Mexico loss recent: Meta lost a case earlier this month requiring nearly $1 billion in payments including $567 million abatement fund and design changes for age tools.
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Consequences called astronomical: New Mexico AG Raúl Torrez warned a California-scale result could be market-shifting for Meta which gets 98% of revenue from online advertising.
Company rejects allegations: Meta said the AGs’ claims are unsubstantiated, financial demands disproportionate, and attempt to penalize for industry-wide challenges like age verification.
Social Media’s Reckoning Begins
The iconic tagline on the movie poster for the launch of The Social Network movie was “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”
OpenAI Brockman brushes off leadership change concerns
OpenAI President Greg Brockman brushed off concerns about executive turnover Monday in a CNBC exclusive, saying exits are not atypical and receive extra scrutiny because of the company’s intense spotlight.
Recent executive departures: Revenue chief Denise Dresser left after just eight months, two days after Brad Lightcap ended an eight-year stint at the company to start something new.
New chief revenue officer: OpenAI named Dali Rajic, former COO of Wiz which Google acquired for $32 billion earlier this year, as its new chief revenue officer.
Leadership constants remain: Brockman said he and Sam Altman are constants across different eras of leaders, making OpenAI stronger because of that resilience and diversity.
High valuation IPO path: The company works to justify its $852 billion valuation after confidentially filing its prospectus with the SEC in June for an expected IPO.
Wendy’s closes 289 stores as Peltz eyes private buyout
Wendy’s closed 289 U.S. restaurants in the first half of 2026 amid plunging sales while Nelson Peltz’s Trian seeks a consortium including Middle East investors to take the ailing chain private, lifting the stock 14%.
Trian explores private buyout: Largest shareholder with a 16% stake held discussions with outside investors including Middle East parties about financing a potential private takeover of the undervalued company.
Hundreds of restaurant closures: Wendy’s closed 289 U.S. locations in the first half among roughly 5,700 domestic restaurants as franchisee profitability faces pressure from sales declines.
Deep sales declines: U.S. same-restaurant sales fell 7% in the second quarter after a 7.8% first-quarter drop, with adjusted operating profits declining 13.2% year over year.
Leverage constrains capital: Bernstein analyst said net leverage at 5.0x limits turnaround spending after FY26 guidance was withdrawn amid the chain’s ongoing operational struggles.
Ferrari Luce EV tailor-made model sells for $40 million
A personalized model of Ferrari’s first fully electric vehicle, the Luce, sold for $40 million in a Sotheby’s charity auction at Monterey Car Week, setting a record for a new car.
Record auction result: The Sotheby’s sale of the Luce tailor-made first production chassis featured a unique semi-gloss finish and bespoke parts, with proceeds going to Ferrari’s educational foundation.
Base model pricing: The Luce was unveiled nearly three months ago and priced at 550,000 euros or roughly $640,000, marking Ferrari’s first fully electric car amid design criticism.
Market reaction mixed: The unveiling sparked a negative market reaction with analysts citing design hate, though Ferrari raised full-year guidance last month after beating second-quarter expectations.
Shares perform strongly: Milan-listed Ferrari shares are up nearly 12% so far this year as the company cited stronger personalization demand than initially expected in its outlook.
Lamborghini launches Revuelto SV as most powerful car
Lamborghini on Friday launched the Revuelto SV, a limited-edition hybrid version of its V12 Revuelto and its most powerful production car ever, with production capped at 1,963 cars starting at $741,172.
Limited production announced: The Italian auto manufacturer will make only 1,963 Revuelto SVs as the latest in its SV line that began 55 years ago with the Miura SV.
Powerful hybrid performance: Its V12 and three electric motors produce more than 1,050 horsepower and propel it from zero to 100 kph or 62 mph in 2.4 seconds.
Enhanced aerodynamics features: The Revuelto SV has new aerodynamics with sharper angles and bolder fins, wings and air intakes to better direct air and add downforce.
Race-oriented interior upgrades: The interior was refitted to feel more like a racecar or fighter jet cockpit with special sport seats or optional monocoque carbon fiber race seats.
Any one liking porn has a screw loose. I think it's more of a man thing than a female.