Latest news with #Meta
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Watch: Mark Zuckerberg continues surfing tradition on 4th of July, but with a twist
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg continued his wake surfing tradition on July 4, the day the United States celebrates its Independence Day. While he kept the tradition going, it came with a twist this time. Mark Zuckerberg seen wakesurfing on 4th of July (Instagram@zuck) The businessman usually wakesurfs holding the American flag, but this time, he wore it, literally. He shared a video of himself on the waves, wearing an inflatable suit with the US flag printed on it. "Happy 4th of July! us," he captioned it. In the video, someone can be heard asking, "Is this the stupidest thing we've done so far," before Zuckerberg hops on to the surfboard. Zuckerberg's clip is going viral on the internet, with many drawing parallels with the videos of his previous 4th of July routines. In 2024, the Meta CEO did wakesurfing wearing a tuxedo, holding a flag of the United States in one hand, and a can of beer in another. Before that in 2021, he rode the surfboard in slippers, holding the US flag, with a scenic view in the background. While many cheered the clip of Zuckerberg's surfing from this year, others also criticised his stunt. "I want my freedom and independence from these lunatic billionaires. Mark Zuckerberg celebrates July 4th like a 5-year-old," a user wrote on X. "Quick check on Mark Zuckerberg's annual 4th of July wakeboarding cringe fest," wrote another, sharing the clip. However, many also heaped praise on the Meta CEO, saying he "raised the bar" this time. An X user also termed him the "official mascot of America". The US is celebrating its 249th Independence Day on July 4th this year. The country got its independence on July 4, 1776 and the day is a federal holiday every year.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft Slashes 9,000 Jobs While Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Poaches $20 Million Worth Of AI Talent From OpenAI: Investor Warns Of 'Jealousy, Envy, And Helplessness' Among Tech Workers In Silicon Valley
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) cut 9,000 jobs in its second 2025 layoff round while Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and OpenAI ignite a talent war with compensation packages reaching $20 million annually, creating stark contrasts in Silicon Valley's artificial intelligence landscape. What Happened: The layoffs affect less than 4% of Microsoft's workforce across diverse teams and regions as the company maintains cost controls while investing $80 billion in AI data centers this fiscal year. Microsoft's gaming division, including Candy Crush parent King, eliminated 200 positions, marking the company's continued workforce reduction following 6,000 cuts in May. Don't Miss: Tired of Grid Failures and Charging Deserts? This Startup Has a Solar Fix and $25M+ in Sales — Now Raising at $3/Share Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. Meanwhile, Meta's aggressive talent acquisition has sparked unprecedented compensation inflation. Deedy Das, an AI investor at Menlo Ventures, told Business Insider that three machine-learning engineers at OpenAI and Anthropic received offers between $8 million and $20 million annually from Meta. 'There's a ton of ripple effects I'm hearing in the Valley,' Das said, describing widespread 'jealousy, envy, and helplessness' among tech workers not receiving such packages. The bidding war intensified after Meta recruited Scale CEO Alexandr Wang in a $14.3 billion deal and poached six star researchers from OpenAI for its new Meta Superintelligence Labs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed Meta offered $100 million signing bonuses, though Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth dismissed these claims as dishonest during a company meeting. Why It Matters: Roy Bahat of Bloomberg Beta noted the talent shortage drives extreme valuations, with only approximately 2,000 researchers capable of building foundational AI models globally. 'In my 20 years in tech, I have never seen as clearly defined a market for extraordinary talent,' Bahat said. The competition extends to universities, where companies pressure Ph.D. interns to abandon studies. 'They're pressuring them to drop out of school,' said Bill Aulet of MIT's Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship. Companies argue AI advances are happening so rapidly that graduation delays could cost career-defining opportunities. Microsoft's third quarter revenue of $70.07 billion, up 13% year-over-year, and Azure's 33% growth demonstrate continued AI demand despite workforce reductions. Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $100. Photo courtesy: Tada Images / This article Microsoft Slashes 9,000 Jobs While Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Poaches $20 Million Worth Of AI Talent From OpenAI: Investor Warns Of 'Jealousy, Envy, And Helplessness' Among Tech Workers In Silicon Valley originally appeared on
Mint
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Mark Zuckerberg shares the 'stupidest' thing he has done on 4th of July
As the US celebrates its 249th Independence Day on 4th July, Meta's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg celebrated it in a unique and eye-catching way, where he is seen sitting on a boat, with the US flag nearby. The surf video of him this time is a bit different from the last year, showcasing the costume donned with the US flag. Internet users say they can't imagine how he will celebrate it next year. This year's hilarious video has an interesting question: 'Is this the stupidest thing we've done so far?' Internet users are amazed to watch it and think whether it's the 'stupidest' stunt he has pulled yet. One of the users said, 'Most definitely not AI 😂😂' Another remarked, 'Full send !!!! 🇺🇸 cant imagine how you celebrate next year 😂'. A third commented, 'I literally woke up this morning and asked myself what you were going to do this year to top off the last few years 🤣'. 'America 🙌. This is amazing, 'Epic us" were some other remarks made. Last year video showed him surfing while holding the US flag in one hand and a beer can in the another. The United States celebrates its Independence Day on July 4 each year, marking the historic adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On this day, the Continental Congress formally declared the thirteen American colonies free and independent from British rule. Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the declaration proclaimed the colonies' right to self-govern and asserted the principles of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. Though the vote for independence actually occurred on July 2, the final wording and adoption of the document on July 4 became the symbolic birthday of the nation. Independence Day is a moment to honour the courage, vision, and sacrifice of the founding fathers and the many men and women who have defended the nation's freedom throughout its history. It stands not just as a remembrance of political separation, but as a celebration of enduring values, democracy, justice, and unity. Americans commemorate the occasion with fireworks, parades, music, and community gatherings, proudly displaying the flag and expressing gratitude for their freedoms. It's a powerful reminder that the spirit of independence lives on in each generation.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
UK lawmakers pass bill to ban imports of young puppies and kittens
LONDON: A new bill aimed at stopping animal smuggling and cruelty has passed the UK House of Commons with cross-party support. The legislation, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, seeks to reduce the number of animals entering the UK for non-commercial purposes while banning the import of puppies and kittens under six months old and heavily pregnant dogs and cats. The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill also prohibits the import of pets that have undergone mutilation, such as ear cropping. The bill, backed by the government, will now move to the House of Lords for further approval before becoming law. Chambers, a veterinarian, highlighted the cruelty of puppy smuggling, stating, 'It's unimaginably cruel to separate puppies and kittens from their mothers at a very young age, and then bring them across borders in substandard conditions where they're then sold for maximum profit by unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare.' The bill includes measures to ensure only pet owners, not third parties, can declare the non-commercial movement of animals. It also mandates the government to enforce three key bans: on importing young pets, heavily pregnant animals, and mutilated dogs and cats. Chambers criticised social media for fuelling demand for dogs with cropped ears, saying, 'Many people aren't aware that this is a mutilation. They think it's how the dogs' ears normally look, and it drives a demand for dogs that look like this.' Labour MP Peter Lamb called out Meta, Facebook's parent company, for hosting content featuring animal abuse. He said, 'We cannot rest on our laurels and Meta must be made to answer for the fact that they are not acting to bring an end to animal abuse on their networks.' Environment minister Emma Hardy welcomed the bill, calling it a 'crucial step forward' in tackling pet smuggling. She added, 'We want to see fewer low-welfare operations supply pets to the GB market and fundamentally less animals to suffer because of this.' - Reuters
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Zuck Bucks Are Back -- And This Time They're Fueling Meta's AI Comeback
Meta (META, Financials) is diving headfirst into the race for Artificial Superintelligence and this time, it's not holding back. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reignited the term Zuck Bucks; once a nickname for campaign donations, it's now shorthand for eight- and nine-figure signing packages aimed at luring the best AI minds in the world, according to a Reuters report. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with META. Faced with talent losses and a disappointing release of its Llama 4 model, Meta has ramped up hiring and it's not being subtle. From a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI to attempts at poaching Safe Superintelligence's Ilya Sutskever, Meta is making one thing clear: it wants back in the lead. Zuckerberg reportedly failed to recruit Sutskever but may be close to landing SSI co-founder Daniel Gross and NFDG's Nat Friedman. These aren't just star names they're magnets; and Meta hopes they'll help rebuild a team that's been bleeding to labs like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. Meanwhile, Meta is forming an elite Superintelligence unit to push the boundaries of what AI can do. But internal divisions remain; Meta's Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun has publicly questioned the long-term viability of large language models the very thing the company's top rivals are doubling down on. To complicate matters, Meta is betting on a mix of technologies: reasoning-based LLMs, multimodal AI, and even geopolitical hedges. For example, it's developing a new B40 chip tailored for the Chinese market, just in case export restrictions eventually ease. Zuckerberg's bet? Talent first; product later. This isn't classic M&A it's AI land-grabbing. Meta is willing to buy pre-product, pre-revenue startups if it means acquiring breakthrough IP and elite researchers. Profitability can wait; ASI supremacy can't. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
