Spotify reported a surge in paid subscribers, reaching 290 million in the last three months of 2025, contributing to a net profit of $1.17 billion, according to BBC Business. However, the music streaming giant continues to face criticism from artists regarding royalty payments. In other news, Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter is stepping down after 30 years, xAI is experiencing significant departures from its founding team, Google provided a student journalist's personal data to ICE, and VC Masha Bucher addressed her association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Spotify's financial results, released on Tuesday, showed a significant increase in paid subscribers, up by 9 million in the final quarter of 2025, as reported by BBC Business. Despite the financial success, the company has faced ongoing criticism from artists who claim they are not adequately compensated for their music being streamed on the platform. Spotify stated it paid almost $11 billion to artists.
Boston Dynamics is undergoing a leadership change, as CEO Robert Playter announced his departure after three decades with the robotics company, TechCrunch reported. Amanda McMaster, the company's CFO, will serve as interim CEO while a replacement is sought. Playter took the helm in 2020, succeeding founder Marc Raibert.
xAI, the artificial intelligence company, is experiencing a concerning trend of departures from its founding team. According to TechCrunch, five of the original 12 founders have left the company, including Yuhuai (Tony) Wu, who announced his departure on Monday night. Other departures include Kyle Kosic, Christian Szegedy, Igor Babuschkin, and Greg Yang.
Google handed over personal and financial information of a student journalist to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported by TechCrunch, citing The Intercept. The data, which included usernames, addresses, IP addresses, phone numbers, and financial details, was provided in response to a subpoena that had not been approved by a judge. The journalist, Amandla Thomas-Johnson, had briefly participated in a pro-Palestinian protest.
Masha Bucher, a venture capitalist and founder of Day One Ventures, addressed her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in a post on X, according to TechCrunch. Bucher's name appeared in Epstein files, and she explained her association, stating she "believed his story that his earlier conviction was about sleeping with a minor."
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment