Tesla hires former Cruise executive as AI director: Report
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kairan Quazi's education and career: How a 16-year-old prodigy graduated early, left SpaceX, and is now joining Citadel Securities
Elon Musk 's youngest hire, Kairan Quazi, is trading rockets for trading algorithms. At just 16, the Bangladeshi-American prodigy has left SpaceX 's Starlink division after two years to join Citadel Securities in New York City as a developer. The move marks his entry into one of Wall Street's most competitive arenas, where engineering talent is increasingly being courted by finance giants vying with AI labs and Big Tech for the brightest minds. 'I felt ready to take on new challenges and expand my skill set into a different high-performance environment,' Quazi told Business Insider in an exclusive interview. But how did a teenager manage to leap from middle school to Wall Street in less than a decade? A childhood marked by acceleration Quazi's journey has been anything but conventional. Skipping from third grade directly to college at age nine, he enrolled at Las Positas College, where he graduated with highest honors in mathematics at just 11. By 14, he had already become the youngest graduate in Santa Clara University's 170-year history, completing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering cum laude, alongside graduate-level coursework in advanced algorithms, NLP, and data mining. During his undergraduate years, he combined academic rigor with teaching responsibilities, serving as a college tutor in calculus, statistics, and chemistry — an unusual role reversal for someone barely in his teens. From research labs to rocket science Even before completing his degree, Quazi built an impressive portfolio of research and industry experience. At age 10, he became the first undergraduate intern at Intel Labs' Human AI group, working on predictive speech generation platforms — a stint that stretched over three and a half years. He also delivered keynote addresses at the Linux Foundation North America Summit and SHIFT AI Global Conference. In 2022, he joined the cyber-intelligence startup as a machine learning intern, developing pipelines to detect disinformation threats across social media. But it was his leap to SpaceX in 2023 that placed him on a global stage. As a software engineer at Starlink, Quazi worked on network beam planning and optimization, designing production-critical systems that determine how satellites target internet beams worldwide. 'It required a deep understanding of low-latency, high-performance computing and real-time programming,' his LinkedIn profile notes. Why Wall Street over AI labs Given his track record, Quazi had no shortage of offers from leading AI labs and technology firms. But he chose Citadel Securities for its blend of intellectual complexity and speed. 'Quant finance offers a pretty rare combination: the complexity and intellectual challenge that AI research also provides, but with a much faster pace,' he explained to Business Insider . 'At Citadel Securities, I'll be able to see measurable impact in days, not months or years.' The firm's meritocratic approach also appealed to him. Unlike many institutions that might hesitate at his age, Citadel evaluated him solely on skill. Life beyond algorithms Moving to Manhattan represents more than just a career pivot. For the first time, Quazi will live independently, walking to work instead of relying on his mother to drive him to SpaceX's Redmond office — a reminder that despite his resume, he is still a teenager navigating milestones most reach much later. Lessons from Quazi's path For students and educators, Quazi's story is not just one of precocity but of possibility. His journey highlights how alternative educational pathways — early college, project-based learning, and industry immersion — can cultivate talent far earlier than traditional timelines allow. As Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and AI labs compete for minds like his, the deeper lesson is clear: The future belongs to those willing to blur the boundaries between age, discipline, and convention. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Mint
33 minutes ago
- Mint
Elon Musk pledged to start a political party. He is already pumping the brakes.
The billionaire Elon Musk is quietly pumping the brakes on his plans to start a political party, according to people with knowledge of his plans. Musk has told allies that he wants to focus his attention on his companies and is reluctant to alienate powerful Republicans by starting a third party that could siphon off GOP voters. Musk's posture marks a shift from early last month, when he said he would form what he called the America Party to represent U.S. voters who are unhappy with the two major political parties. As he has considered launching a party, the Tesla chief executive officer has been focused in part on maintaining ties with Vice President JD Vance, who is widely seen as a potential heir to the MAGA political movement. Musk has stayed in touch with Vance in recent weeks, and he has acknowledged to associates that if he goes ahead with forming a political party, he would damage his relationship with the vice president, the people said. Musk and his associates have told people close to him that he is considering using some of his vast financial resources to back Vance if he decides to run for president in 2028, some of the people said. Musk spent close to $300 million to support Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election. Musk's allies said he hasn't formally ruled out creating a new party and could change his mind as the midterm elections near. But Musk and his team haven't engaged with many prominent individuals who have voiced support for the idea of a new party or could be a crucial resource to help it get off the ground, including by assisting with getting on the ballot in crucial states. His associates canceled a late-July call with an outside group that specializes in organizing third-party campaigns, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Participants were told that the meeting was canceled because Musk wanted to focus on running his businesses, the person said. Musk and his spokeswoman didn't respond to requests for comment. Any decision by Musk to nix plans to start a third party would be a win for Republicans ahead of next year's midterms. Historically, third parties often act as spoilers and pull votes away from the two main parties. For Vance, keeping Musk on his side could prove to be pivotal for his potential presidential ambitions. In 2024, Musk's political-action committee, America PAC, spent millions in battleground states such as Pennsylvania to help Trump win. Asked for comment, a spokesman for Vance pointed to an interview the vice president did this month with the Gateway Pundit, a conservative website. In the interview, Vance said it would be a mistake to break with Trump and the conservative movement. 'So my hope is that by the time of the midterms, he's kind of come back into the fold," Vance said. Musk had a public falling-out with Trump earlier this year, alleging that the president wouldn't be sitting in the Oval Office without his support and criticizing the far-reaching tax-and-spending package that Trump championed. In July, Musk told his more than 200 million followers on X that he would organize the America Party with a goal of competing in House and Senate elections next year. The Tesla CEO argued that the Trump-backed legislation contained too much government spending. Musk, who oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency before leaving the Trump administration in late May, threatened to support primary challenges against Republicans who voted in favor of the bill. Trump, Musk and JD Vance at the Army-Navy football game in Landover, Md., in December. There are signs Musk and Trump have reached a detente—at least for now. They have stopped bickering on social media, and Musk hasn't recently posted anything on X critical of Trump or Republicans. Trump posted on Truth Social in late July that he wants Musk and his businesses to 'thrive," adding that their success is good for the country. Trump had previously raised the possibility of terminating Musk's federal contracts. But the Trump administration conducted a review of SpaceX's contracts and determined that most of those agreements were critical to the functioning of the Defense Department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. SpaceX, which Musk oversees as chief executive, could benefit from an executive order Trump signed last week that directed the administration to ease permitting rules for rocket flights. As Musk announced his intention to start a party, the onetime presidential candidate Andrew Yang said he had been in touch with Musk and his team about the effort. Yang, who has previously advocated for a third party, hasn't divulged details of those discussions. Others who support the idea haven't heard from Musk. Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban endorsed the idea of Musk's new political party after the Tesla CEO made his July announcement. Cuban told the Journal in a recent email that he hasn't spoken to Musk or his team about the new party. Some of Musk's own political advisers haven't had conversations with the Tesla CEO or his inner circle about helping him form a political party, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Veterans of Republican political campaigns said Musk would have trouble hiring the network of GOP advisers that he relied on during the 2024 election as he spent millions to boost Trump. If those same advisers helped him establish a party, the Republicans said, they would risk permanently damaging their relationship with Trump and his allies. The Libertarian Party has been using social-media posts to try to encourage Musk to combine forces with it instead of launching his own party. The party has argued that it already has the resources and knowledge to put Musk's ideas into action by helping acquire the necessary voter signatures to get on the ballot. Steven Nekhaila, chair of the Libertarian National Committee, said in an interview that he hasn't heard from Musk or his team, and hasn't received word of any serious effort by the billionaire's allies to establish a new party. 'It's almost an eerie silence," Nekhaila said. 'It doesn't seem like anything has been in action, neither at the state level or at the ground level." Write to Brian Schwartz at
News18
10 hours ago
- News18
'Roof Over My Head...': Elon Musk's Ex Ashley Says She Has No Money, Launches Podcast
Ashley St. Clair, mother of Elon Musk's son Romulus, said that she is financial difficulties amid a custody dispute with the Tesla CEO. Ashley St. Clair, the mother of Elon Musk's one-year-old son Romulus, said she is facing severe financial difficulties as she launched a new podcast. The 26-year-old conservative commentator is currently locked in a custody dispute with the Tesla boss. Despite reports that Elon Musk has provided substantial financial support, Ashley St. Clair said she is struggling to stay afloat. 'Well, after a year of unplanned career suicide, many questionable life choices and a gap in my LinkedIn profile that cannot be legally explained, I've decided to start a podcast," she said in the opening episode of her podcast 'Bad Advice'. She joked about her circumstances, saying, 'Also, I'm getting evicted, and Polymarket offered me $10,000 to do an ad read. So with that, the roof over my head has been brought to you by Polymarket." Elon Musk vs Ashley Over Child Support The influencer earlier alleged that Elon Musk initially offered her $15 million upfront and $100,000 a month in child support if she kept their son's birth secret. She rejected the proposal, saying it did not provide adequate protections for the child and instead filed for custody and financial support through the courts. Her legal team claims Elon Musk subsequently cut monthly payments- from $100,000 to $40,000 and later to $20,000. Elon Musk has disputed that version of events, saying earlier this year, 'I don't know if the child is mine or not. Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year." A paternity test later confirmed with 99.9999% probability that Elon Musk is Romulus's father, according to a report seen by the Wall Street Journal. Romulus, Elon Musk's 13th child, was born in September 2024. Ashley St. Clair went public with the news on Valentine's Day this year, saying she had done so after becoming aware the tabloid press intended to reveal it. Elon Musk and Ashley first connected in May 2023, when the tech boss responded to one of her memes with a laughing emoji. They met later that month during an interview between Elon Musk and Seth Dillon, chief executive of satire site Babylon Bee, where Ashley St. Clair worked. First Published: August 19, 2025, 21:10 IST Latest News Delhi: Activists demand release of street dogs, oppose shifting them to shelters Agency feeds Agency feeds Police recover four crude bombs from Patna hostel, 4 arrested Agency feeds No new COVID-19 case reported in Maharashtra Agency feeds Mother of two killed in lightning strike in Jharkhand Agency feeds Bareilly tense after villagers oppose dargah procession latest news
