TL;DR

Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI exit Scale AI post-Meta deal; Trump Media cleared for $2.5B Bitcoin buy; Waymo halts AVs amid protests.

Highlights

• Google to end its $200M relationship with Scale AI after Meta acquires a 49% stake; Microsoft , OpenAI, and xAI also withdraw as clients 1.
• White House orders review of SpaceX’s $22B in federal contracts after a public Trump–Musk dispute; no immediate contract changes 2.
• Anne Wojcicki’s nonprofit wins 23andMe bankruptcy auction with a $305M bid, aiming to convert it to a nonprofit and retain its genetic data 3.
• Waymo suspends autonomous vehicle services in LA, SF, Austin, and Atlanta due to ICE-related protests and vandalism 5.
• Telefónica sells its Ecuador unit to Millicom for ~$330M, continuing its retreat from Latin America to focus on core and defense markets 6.
• Trump discloses $57M in crypto venture income 7; SEC approves Trump Media’s $2.5B Bitcoin treasury plan 8.
• Visa and Mastercard shares drop as U.S. retailers explore stablecoin-backed payment alternatives to reduce interchange fees 9.
• Seven major asset managers, including Fidelity and Grayscale, update SEC filings for spot Solana ETFs, adding staking features 10.
• OpenAI’s Sam Altman quantifies ChatGPT’s energy use as over 10x a Google search, raising infrastructure concerns 11.
• NASA targets June 19 for Axiom-4 launch after resolving Falcon 9 and ISS issues; technical risks persist 4.
• Trump approves Nippon Steel’s $11B U.S. Steel acquisition, retaining a government “golden share” for U.S. control 15.
• Musk activates Starlink over Iran during regime blackout; real impact limited by local terminal access 13.

Commentary

The withdrawal of Google , Microsoft , OpenAI, and xAI from Scale AI following Meta ’s 49% acquisition highlights the strategic sensitivity of data infrastructure providers in the AI stack 1. For VCs, this signals increased customer concentration risk and the potential for rapid shifts in enterprise demand if perceived conflicts of interest arise. It may also open opportunities for new, independent data-labeling startups to capture hyperscaler business.

The White House’s review of SpaceX’s $22B in government contracts, triggered by political tensions, introduces new diligence considerations for space and defense-related venture investments 2. While current missions remain unaffected, the episode underscores the exposure of VC-backed aerospace and dual-use startups to policy volatility and reputational risk.

In digital assets, Trump’s disclosure of significant crypto earnings 7 and the SEC’s approval of Trump Media’s $2.5B Bitcoin treasury plan 8 reflect growing mainstream and political acceptance of crypto as a treasury and business strategy. The coordinated Solana ETF filings by major asset managers, now including staking, suggest imminent regulatory movement and further institutionalization 10, but the payments sector’s reaction—seen in Visa and Mastercard ’s share decline—shows that blockchain-based disruption is now a live competitive issue, not just a theoretical risk 9.

Operational risks remain top of mind for mobility and infrastructure plays. Waymo ’s service suspensions due to protests and vandalism illustrate the unpredictable real-world challenges facing autonomous vehicle deployment, with implications for risk management and insurance 5. Meanwhile, OpenAI’s transparency on ChatGPT’s resource consumption will likely push infrastructure and sustainability concerns higher up the diligence checklist for AI and data center investments 11.

Deal flow may shift toward startups that can demonstrate independence from strategic acquirers, robust risk management, and clear regulatory navigation. Investors should closely track enterprise procurement trends in AI, regulatory shifts in crypto and payments, and operational resilience in mobility and infrastructure.