Morning Scan

Adjacent Morning Scan — April 7

OpenAI is having what can only be described as a very normal week — split executives, trust questions, and questionable acquisitions all while the broader AI industry grapples with whether the economics make any sense at all. Meanwhile, SpaceX wants to convince everyone it's worth more than most countries' GDP.

AI Drama, Maximum Volume

Can Sam Altman Be Trusted? 

The New Yorker's deep dive includes 70 pages of internal memos questioning Altman's leadership, which feels like required reading before OpenAI's potential IPO. (The New Yorker)

Anthropic's Revenue Surges While OpenAI Debates the Timing of Its IPO

CEO Sam Altman wants to go public this year while CFO Sarah Friar pumps the brakes — nothing says "ready for public markets" like executive disagreement. (StrictlyVC)

OpenAI Buys TBPN, Tech and the Token Tsunami 

Ben Thompson's take: the acquisition makes no sense, which tracks perfectly with OpenAI's current trajectory. (Stratechery)

Bernie Sanders has a plan to stop the AI industry 

The Vermont senator is treating AI like the "most profound technological revolution in world history" — and wants to regulate it accordingly. (Understanding AI)

"The preliminary investigation shows that Drift experienced a structured intelligence operation" — Drift Protocol on their $270M hack

Big Money, Bigger Questions

Is SpaceX Really Worth $2 Trillion?

Scott Galloway breaks down whether Musk's space ambitions justify a valuation larger than most tech giants combined. (Prof Galloway)

Can orbital data centers help justify a massive valuation for SpaceX? 

TechCrunch's Equity podcast explores whether space-based computing is visionary or just expensive marketing. (TechCrunch)

Private credit crisis? 

Blue Owl Capital hit record lows as the $1.8 trillion private credit market faces its first real stress test. (Bloomberg)

Drift details how suspected North Korean attackers stole $270M 

The hackers posed as a quant trading firm, complete with in-person meetings and a $1M+ deposit — social engineering at its most sophisticated. (CoinDesk)

The Lighter Side

Vibe coding significantly boosted App Store review submissions in 2025 

App Store submissions jumped 84% year-over-year thanks to AI-powered "vibe coding" — because apparently vibes are now a legitimate development methodology. (AppleInsider)

GAMEMT Reveals A Crazy Retro Handheld With Modular Display 

Someone decided what retro gaming really needed was unnecessary complexity, and honestly, we're here for it. (Retro Dodo)