News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Sam Altman Takes Dig At Anthropic Over AI Message, Accuses Claude Of Silent Downgrades
He tweeted, "hard questions are great but only if we deem you worthy enough to not silently downgrade you, or even get access at all." These comments seem to target complaints from some users who have questioned Claude's hanging access limits and performance. This latest exchange is far from the first public exchange of insults between OpenAI and Anthropic. The two tech giants have repeatedly criticised each other as competition in the AI industry continues to grow. Previously, Anthropic took aim at OpenAI after reports emerged that ChatGPT may eventually include advertising. The company released four commercials highlighting its own approach to AI.
Anthropic Study Finds Claude Is More Warm And Friendly When You Talk To It In Hindi: Here's Why
Research from Anthropic reveals that the personality of AI chatbot Claude changes based on the language used during interactions. The language you use to chat with AI may influence more than just the language of the response. According to new research from Claude-maker Anthropic, Claude's personality can change depending on the language you speak to it. The OpenAI rival found that when users interact with Claude in Hindi, the chatbot tends to be warmer, more encouraging and even more humorous than when the exact same type of conversation happens in English. The findings come from one of Anthropic's largest behavioural studies yet, which examined how Claude communicates across multiple languages. Here's everything you need to know.
Meet DeepSeek's Liang Wenfeng, the Chinese entrepreneur who is now world's richest AI founder, surpassing Anthropic's Dario Amodei
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng's net worth has significantly increased after a recent funding round. He is now the world's wealthiest creator of artificial intelligence models. This surge in valuation makes him a prominent figure in China's tech landscape. His company's success is attributed to early investments in computing power. Liang's substantial equity retention distinguishes him from Silicon Valley peers. DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has emerged as the world's richest AI model creator after his company's latest fundraising round more than doubled his personal fortune. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Liang's net worth has surged to $36 billion, up from around $16.7 billion, placing him ahead of Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman among founders of AI model companies. Most of Liang's wealth stems from his ownership of DeepSeek. The company's valuation climbed nearly fivefold from the $10 billion reported in April, driven by strong investor demand. DeepSeek's $7.4 billion funding round in June 2026 valued the startup at $50 billion. During the round, Liang personally invested $3 billion, and despite dilution, he is estimated to retain a 78% stake in the company, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Who is Liang? Liang was born in 1985 in Zhanjiang, in China's southern Guangdong province, where his father was an elementary school teacher. He studied electronic engineering at Zhejiang University, a prestigious college in the city of Hangzhou where he also earned a master's degree in information and communication engineering. Liang created DeepSeek in 2023 as an offshoot of the AI division of his hedge fund, Zhejiang High-Flyer Asset Management, which he set up with two former university classmates. The trio had begun trading as students during the global financial crisis. Chinese engineer Liang Wenfeng rose to prominence in the AI industry after founding DeepSeek, building on the success of his quantitative hedge fund, High-Flyer. As DeepSeek continues to make waves in the global tech industry, here's a look at the man behind the company. He later founded High-Flyer, a quantitative hedge fund that now manages around $8 billion in assets, making it one of China's largest firms in the space. Liang has cited legendary mathematician and Renaissance Technologies founder Jim Simons as a key inspiration for his investment approach. Recognising the potential of artificial intelligence early, Liang's team began investing heavily in computing infrastructure in 2019, building powerful systems powered by Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs). That early investment laid the groundwork for the launch of DeepSeek, which has since emerged as one of the most closely watched AI startups globally. How did Liang get so rich?Liang Wenfeng stands out from many of his Silicon Valley counterparts for retaining an unusually large ownership stake in his company. Unlike many US AI founders, who often dilute their holdings significantly to raise capital from venture capital firms and technology giants, Liang has maintained a stake of nearly 78% in DeepSeek. That high level of ownership has not only given him greater control over the company but has also significantly boosted his personal wealth. While leading AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic boast enormous valuations, ownership in those companies is typically spread across multiple founders, investors and institutional backers, reported Bloomberg. With an estimated net worth of $36 billion, Liang is now China's eighth-richest person, ranking just behind Cambricon Technologies co-founder Chen Tianshi, another prominent figure in the country's AI industry.
Anthropic Reveals Claude AI India Pricing: Claude Pro Starts at ₹2,000, Max Goes Up to ₹23,999
Anthropic has launched Claude AI India pricing in rupees. Claude Pro starts at ₹2,000, Max goes up to ₹23,999, while UPI payments are still unavailable. India has become too important for Anthropic to ignore. In a major move for its growing Indian user base, the company has started rolling out claude ai india pricing in Indian rupees, ending the hassle of paying in US dollars and dealing with foreign exchange charges. The rollout makes Claude subscriptions far easier to understand for developers, students and businesses, although one important feature is still missing, UPI payments. The new pricing has started appearing for users on Claude's website and mobile apps as Anthropic deepens its focus on what it says is now its second-largest market after the United States. Claude AI India pricing: Pro, Max and Team plans Under the new anthropic claude india pricing, users can subscribe directly in Indian rupees with GST included. The free version of Claude will continue to remain available. While the prices remove uncertainty around currency conversion and foreign transaction fees, Indian users still cannot pay using UPI. Payments currently work through credit cards, debit cards, Apple App Store billing and Google Play billing. Why the Claude AI India rollout matters The launch of local pricing is more significant than just changing currencies. Anthropic says India now contributes around 5.8% of global Claude usage, making it the company's biggest market outside the US. That growing demand explains why the AI company has accelerated its India expansion over the past year. Anthropic has already strengthened its presence in India by opening its Bengaluru office, appointing former Microsoft India Managing Director Irina Ghose to lead its India business, and expanding enterprise partnerships with Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). These moves clearly show that India is becoming central to Anthropic's long-term growth strategy. What does the anthropic claude india subscription include? The anthropic claude india subscription offers the same features available globally. Claude Pro includes: * Access to Sonnet 5, Opus and Fable 5 models (where available) * Higher usage limits * Research mode * Memory * Unlimited Projects * Web Search * Claude Code * Voice capabilities * Microsoft 365 integration Meanwhile, Claude Max targets power users with much higher usage limits, priority access during busy periods and early access to new AI features. The Team plan is aimed at businesses, offering centralized administration, larger context windows, API credits and enterprise collaboration features. Fable 5 promotion extended until July 19 Alongside the pricing announcement, Anthropic has also extended its promotional offer for Claude Fable 5. The company confirmed that eligible Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise users can continue accessing Fable 5 until July 19, 2026, while also receiving up to 50% higher weekly Claude Code usage limits during the promotional period. The offer was originally scheduled to end on July 12 before being extended. The missing piece: No UPI support yet Despite local billing, one complaint continues to dominate user discussions. Unlike OpenAI, which introduced Indian rupee pricing with UPI support, Anthropic still requires card payments or app-store billing. For a country where UPI has become the preferred digital payment method, its absence is noticeable. Some users may also point out that Claude's India pricing is slightly higher than the direct US dollar equivalent. However, the listed prices already include GST and eliminate foreign exchange fees, making the final payment more transparent than before. Competition in India's AI market is heating up Anthropic's India pricing arrives as competition among AI companies intensifies. OpenAI, Google , Microsoft and several newer AI players are rapidly expanding across India through local partnerships, enterprise offerings and consumer subscriptions. By introducing rupee billing, Anthropic removes one of the biggest barriers preventing free users from upgrading to paid plans. Whether the company adds UPI support next could determine how quickly Claude grows among everyday Indian users. For now, the rollout marks an important milestone. It signals that India is no longer just a large user base for Anthropic, it has become one of the company's most strategically important markets worldwide.
SpaceX stock now makes up 25.7% of this top FTSE 100 investment trust!
You're reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Twelfth Magpie's Premium Investing Services. Become a member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn more, and get a free 'Best Buy Now' stock!. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (LSE:SMT) has done fantastically well in the FTSE 100 over the past couple of years. Since late 2023, the growth trust's share price has more than doubled. Much of this has been driven by the incredible success of Space Exploration Technologies, which it first invested in back in 2018. That stake has ballooned in value. However, Scottish Mortgage is currently in a strange period. While it's sitting on massive unrealised profits, it can't offload any SpaceX shares until the rocket/satellite firm reports its Q2 results, sometime in August. At that point, only 20% can be sold, rising to 30% if SpaceX stock is 30% above its IPO price. But that's not guranteed because it's currently only just above its IPO price of $135. For better or worse then, Scottish Mortgage's day-to-day share price performance is currently tied to what happens with SpaceX. And at the end of June, Elon Musk's firm made up a whopping 25.7% of assets! Should Scottish Mortgage investors be worried? Holding at scale For me, the answer depends on how large a weighting SpaceX is by mid-December. Then, the investment trust will be able to sell the entire position if it chooses to. However, reading manager Tom Slater's latest commentary on SpaceX's monopolistic position and commercial opportunities makes it clear that SpaceX will likely remain a top holding. SpaceX is...a dual monopoly in launch and global connectivity, with Starlink building highly profitable, recurring revenue that the best software businesses aspire to, except that its assets are in orbit and extraordinarily difficult to replicate...If Starship achieves full reusability, the economics of placing AI infrastructure in orbit become compelling. And that's why we hold it at scale. Tom Slater, July 2026. Fair enough. But surely holding SpaceX "at scale" won't involve it being over 20% of total assets, though? If so, then I think there's a lot of concentration risk because SpaceX's valuation looks too high to me. At a market cap of $1.8trn, it's trading at around 47 times this year's forecast sales. No profits are expected until 2028 due to heavy AI capex. Speaking as a Scottish Mortgage shareholder, I would like to see SpaceX reduced to 4%-8% of the portfolio (in line with TSMC and Nvidia). At this type of weighting, it can still drive meaningful returns if successful, while the damage is limited if its valuation fails to live up to expectations. Beyond SpaceX While SpaceX hogs all the headlines, it's important to remember that the rest of the portfolio's progressing well. Holdings MercadoLibre, Nu, Revolut, and Stripe are growing rapidly as they build the infrastructure of digital finance. Anthropic's annualised revenue run rate has gone from $1bn at the start of 2025 to more than $47bn today. And TSMC, SK Hynix, Nvidia and ASML are all at the very epicentre of the AI infrastructure buildout. Meanwhile, Cloudflare is helping websites identify and charge AI agents for access to their content. In Q1, CEO Matthew Prince said that AI is "shaping up to be the biggest tailwind we've ever seen in Cloudflare's history". Scottish Mortgage is trading at a 7% discount to net asset value. If the stock keep falling, I think it's worth considering on the dip, then holding long term. Should you invest £5,000 in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc right now? When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets. And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Plc made the list? Ben McPoland owns shares in Cloudflare, MercadoLibre, Nu Holdings, Nvidia, Scottish Mortgage, and TSMC.
No SpaceX, No Tesla? No Problem for These 'Ex-Elon' ETFs
Concerned about an AI bubble? Sign up for The Daily Upside for smart and actionable market news, built for investors. Two new funds are borrowing from Mean Girls' Gretchen Wieners, telling Elon Musk: "You can't sit with us." Subversive ETFs filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week to launch a pair of "ex-Elon funds," including the Nasdaq-100 Ex-Elon Enterprises ETF (QQNE) and S&P 500 Ex-Elon Enterprises ETF (SPNE). The actively managed products offer exposure to the Nasdaq-100 and S&P 500, respectively, but ditch any securities in companies founded, controlled, led or primarily associated with Musk. In other words, mostly SpaceX and Tesla. There are plenty of reasons investors may want to kick the world's richest man out of their portfolios: his polarizing views and right-wing politics, including an on-again-off-again alliance with President Trump, his controversial labor practices, market-moving comments on crypto and, of course, his handling of chainsaws, just to name a few. But will that actually compel investors to move assets into these new funds? "In theory, the ETF is an interesting idea, since many investors may have strong opinions about Elon Musk," said Aniket Ullal, head of ETF research and analytics at CFRA. "In practice, however, it will have to overcome several challenges." Sign up for The Daily Upside at no cost for premium analysis on all your favorite stocks. READ ALSO: New Memory ETFs Look to Cache In on DRAM's Historic Success and What's Behind a Rare Week in the Red for ETF Flows X'ing Out Musk This isn't Subversive's first time hoping that excluding certain types of investments will curry favor with investors. Its Subversive Metaverse ETF (PUNK), which focused on metaverse companies but excluded Meta, launched in 2022 before being shut down the year after. But this time, it's betting that excluding Musk's companies will lure investors who view the "potential corporate governance concerns, political risks, and heightened share-price volatility" often tied to those firms as "less desirable," per the filing. It likely won't be an easy road for QQNE and SPNE, Ullal said:
Anthropic introduces India pricing for Claude as AI race heats up
Anthropic has introduced local pricing for its Claude AI chatbot in India, marking a significant step in its expansion strategy as global AI companies compete for users in one of the world's fastest-growing technology markets. The company has begun displaying Indian rupee pricing for Claude subscriptions on its website and mobile apps for some users. However, unlike OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic has yet to support India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Users need to pay using credit or debit cards or through Apple and Google's app store billing systems. The pricing update addresses a long-standing complaint from Indian users, who previously had to pay in US dollars, often incurring additional currency conversion charges. India has emerged as Anthropic's biggest market outside the United States, accounting for 5.8 per cent of global Claude usage, according to the company. Also Read | Anthropic extends Claude Fable 5 access to paid subscribers until July 19: Here's what changes later Under the new pricing structure, Claude Pro costs Rs 2,000 per month when billed annually. The premium Claude Max plan starts at Rs 11,999 per month, while Claude Team subscriptions begin at Rs 2,399 per user per month. Anthropic says the listed prices already include applicable local taxes, though pricing may vary slightly between the website and mobile apps. The move reflects Anthropic's increasing focus on India. Earlier this year, the company opened its Bengaluru office and appointed former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its operations in the country. It has also signed partnerships with Indian IT giants Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services to expand enterprise AI adoption. Also read: Anthropic expands Claude Cowork to mobile and web, letting AI agent work across devices India has become a key battleground for AI companies because of its massive developer community and technology workforce. While millions of users are experimenting with AI tools, converting that interest into paid subscriptions remains challenging due to the country's price-sensitive consumer market. Story continues below this ad OpenAI introduced Indian rupee pricing and UPI payments for ChatGPT last year, while Google, Microsoft, and other AI firms continue expanding their services and enterprise offerings across India.
NASA shifts SunRISE mission to SpaceX Falcon Heavy, drops Vulcan Centaur launch
New Delhi: NASA has switched the launch vehicle for its upcoming SunRISE (Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment) mission, which will use a trio of SpaceX Falcon Heavy rockets instead of a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur. This mission then will take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a rideshare with the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command. NASA has not yet released a new launch date and will announce revised timing at a later date. Sunrise will examine radio bursts generated from the Sun prior to powerful outbursts of charged particles reaching Earth. These observations may help scientists better predict space weather and could be used to shield satellites, astronauts and other vital space systems from damaging space storms of solar energetic particles. Six small satellites will work as one giant radio telescope Sunrise is a constellation of six toaster-sized SmallSats that will be part of a flying formation, just above geosynchronous orbit, about 35,000 kilometres above the Earth. As a combined giant radio telescope, they will be able to pick up weak radio signals from the outer layers of the Sun's atmosphere, the corona. According to NASA, these radio signals reach Earth before the energetic particles that produce them. As the radio bursts are tracked, researchers hope to start predicting solar storms at a much earlier stage in the development of these storms, which can affect satellites, communication systems, and astronauts on space missions. Spacecraft ready for launch The six SmallSats have been assembled and tested at Utah State University's Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) at Logan, Utah. Until it is confirmed by NASA, the spacecraft will be kept in storage. Sunrise is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Division's Mission of Opportunity programme. The University of Michigan leads the science investigation, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed by Caltech, responsible for project and mission operations. The mission is part of NASA's Explorers Program, which is managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Anthropic Launches India Pricing for Claude AI Plans
AI company Anthropic has introduced local pricing for its Claude AI subscription plans in India, allowing users to pay in Indian rupees instead of US dollars as it strengthens its presence in one of its fastest-growing markets. Under the revised pricing, Claude Pro is available at Rs 2,000 per month with annual billing or Rs 2,399 per month with monthly billing. The company has also launched two Claude Max plans priced at Rs 11,999 and Rs 23,999 per month, offering higher usage limits for developers, researchers and other power users. The updated pricing includes GST and removes the need for foreign currency transactions, making subscriptions easier for Indian users. However, payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) are not yet supported, with customers required to use credit or debit cards or Apple's and Google's app store billing systems. Anthropic said India accounts for 5.8 per cent of global Claude usage, making it the company's second-largest market after the United States. The free version of Claude will continue to be available. Claude Pro includes access to Sonnet 5, Opus and Fable 5 models, along with higher usage limits, Research mode, unlimited Projects, Memory, web search, file uploads, voice mode, Claude Code, Microsoft 365 integration, and support for Excel and PowerPoint. The Claude Max plans offer the same features with significantly higher usage limits, priority access during peak demand and early access to new models. Anthropic has been expanding its India operations after opening an office in Bengaluru earlier this year. It has appointed former Microsoft India Managing Director Irina Ghose to lead its India business and has partnered with Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services to boost enterprise AI adoption.
Sam Altman mocks Anthropic's 'hard questions' campaign -- 'I thought this was satire'
After an amusing exchange of words with SpaceXAI's Elon Musk, Sam Altman has now taken a fresh jab at another competitor - Anthropic. In his latest post on X, Altman dismissed a new promotional video from Anthropic, touting it as what he initially assumed to be satire, but it wasn't. The video, which asks Anthropic's users to pose the toughest of questions to AI, caught Altman's attention, leading him to call out Anthropic for silently downgrading its service and withholding access. In the post, Altman went on to say, "i thought this was satire, kept looking for the handle to be spelled c1audeai or something." In another follow-up post, he added, "hard questions are great but only if we deem you worthy enough to not silently downgrade you, or even get access at all". Altman's comment comes a day after his heated exchange of words with Elon Musk, who accused the OpenAI CEO of scamming people, with Altman calling out Musk for selling public market investors on "short-term data centres". What Anthropic's video says about AI The original Anthropic post promotes a cinematic advertising-style video and initiative inviting the public to submit their toughest, most uncomfortable questions about AI. Titled "There's hope in hard questions," the 90-second film features real voices from surveys and user conversations raising concerns such as: "Can AI be trusted?", "Will it benefit the majority of people?", impacts on jobs and society, misuse risks, and broader philosophical issues about humanity and technology. Anthropic positioned the campaign as a commitment to transparent AI. The video is based on extensive research, including a 52,000-person US survey and feedback from over 81,000 ClaudeClaude users, promising to publicly track progress on addressing these questions while admitting shortcomings. The company directs people to claude.com/hard-questions to participate. Altman accuses Anthropic of hypocrisy, gatekeeping Altman's response to Anthropic highlights the ongoing rivalry between the two AI safety-focused labs. Previously, Altman has criticised Anthropic for what he sees as an elitist approach, i.e., serving premium products to wealthier users while allegedly restricting broader access and controlling AI usage (such as blocking certain companies from their coding tools). This comes at a time when Anthropic is witnessing runaway success with its Claude Fable - an AI model that's considered among the most powerful ones available to humans today. OpenAI followed suit with its GPT-5.6 models, promising similar levels of AI processing performance. The timing of Altman's comments adds extra spice to Altman's slew of controversies, which reemerged after a while over a renewed public feud with Elon Musk. Over the weekend, Musk accused Altman of scamming, especially in light of an Apple lawsuit against OpenAI alleging trade secret theft. Musk posted jabs like "Scam Altman strikes again" and referenced alleged theft of "open source AI charity" and Apple's technology. Altman responded by highlighting benchmarks suggesting that OpenAI's latest model (5.6 Sol) as potentially the world's best, adding that "the most reliable way to tell is that elon is obsessed with me again." Musk retorted about upcoming orbital data centers and parole officer quips.
Anthropic 'clear leader in AI', says Musk. Here's what the SpaceX chief really means
Elon Musk does not often admit he was wrong. But he has. Responding on X to a user who noted that SpaceX controls the computing power Anthropic depends on, and could, in theory, cut it off, Musk said he never would. He went further, calling Anthropic the clear leader in AI and saying no rival had shipped a model as good as its Mythos and Fable systems. He expects a Mythos 2 before long. The turn is surprising, given that last September, he wrote that winning was never a possible outcome for Anthropic. In February, after it raised $30bn at a $380bn valuation, he called its models "misanthropic and evil" and told it to fix them. Five months on, the same company is his benchmark for the field. The praise is not free Take the compliment at face value and it reads as rare humility. Look at the plumbing and a second motive appears. In May, Anthropic agreed to lease the entire output of xAI's Colossus 1 data centre near Memphis, about 300 megawatts, paying roughly $1.25bn a month through 2029. That is close to $40bn flowing to Musk's side of the table. He is not just admiring Anthropic. He is billing it. A rival who pays you $40bn is a rival worth flattering. Musk's pledge not to weaponise that dependence costs him nothing and buys goodwill with a customer he needs. The admiration may be real. It is also good business. Playground politics? The sharper reading sits one company over. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit, left the board in 2018 after the others refused to hand him control, and has fought it since. He sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the founding mission for private gain. He sought more than $150bn in damages, Altman's removal and the unwinding of the for-profit structure. In May, a jury threw the case out, finding Musk had waited too long to file. He called the verdict a "calendar technicality" and vowed to appeal. By July, the feud was personal again. Musk branded Altman "Scam Altman" after Apple sued OpenAI, and Altman replied that the surest sign his new model led the field was that Musk was obsessed with him again. Against that backdrop, crowning Anthropic the leader does double duty. It is a real judgement about the models. It is also a way to tell the market that the AI company that matters is not the one he is suing. Both are racing to the same finish line Timing sharpens the point. Both firms filed confidentially for stock market listings in June, within days of each other. Anthropic, valued at about $965bn in private markets, is pushing for a Nasdaq debut as early as October. It could be the first company to list at close to $1tn, and it expects its first profitable quarter, with around $559m in operating income on $10.9bn of revenue.
Anthropic 'clear leader in AI', says Musk. Here's what the SpaceX chief really means
Elon Musk does not often admit he was wrong. But he has. Responding on X to a user who noted that SpaceX controls the computing power Anthropic depends on, and could, in theory, cut it off, Musk said he never would. He went further, calling Anthropic the clear leader in AI and saying no rival had shipped a model as good as its Mythos and Fable systems. He expects a Mythos 2 before long. The turn is surprising, given that last September, he wrote that winning was never a possible outcome for Anthropic. In February, after it raised $30bn at a $380bn valuation, he called its models "misanthropic and evil" and told it to fix them. Five months on, the same company is his benchmark for the field. The praise is not free Take the compliment at face value and it reads as rare humility. Look at the plumbing and a second motive appears. In May, Anthropic agreed to lease the entire output of xAI's Colossus 1 data centre near Memphis, about 300 megawatts, paying roughly $1.25bn a month through 2029. That is close to $40bn flowing to Musk's side of the table. He is not just admiring Anthropic. He is billing it. A rival who pays you $40bn is a rival worth flattering. Musk's pledge not to weaponise that dependence costs him nothing and buys goodwill with a customer he needs. The admiration may be real. It is also good business. Playground politics? The sharper reading sits one company over. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit, left the board in 2018 after the others refused to hand him control, and has fought it since. He sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the founding mission for private gain. He sought more than $150bn in damages, Altman's removal and the unwinding of the for-profit structure. In May, a jury threw the case out, finding Musk had waited too long to file. He called the verdict a "calendar technicality" and vowed to appeal. By July, the feud was personal again. Musk branded Altman "Scam Altman" after Apple sued OpenAI, and Altman replied that the surest sign his new model led the field was that Musk was obsessed with him again. Against that backdrop, crowning Anthropic the leader does double duty. It is a real judgement about the models. It is also a way to tell the market that the AI company that matters is not the one he is suing. Both are racing to the same finish line Timing sharpens the point. Both firms filed confidentially for stock market listings in June, within days of each other. Anthropic, valued at about $965bn in private markets, is pushing for a Nasdaq debut as early as October. It could be the first company to list at close to $1tn, and it expects its first profitable quarter, with around $559m in operating income on $10.9bn of revenue.
Share Market News: IT stocks hits upper circuit as company signs a 5-year AI deal with SpaceX International, check details here
Under this agreement, BCSSL-USA will be able to provide tailored services related to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud-based AI platforms, enterprise AI solutions, AI consulting, AI integration, and digital transformation. New Delhi: Shares of Blue Cloud Softech Solutions Ltd., a small-cap AI-based IT company with a market cap of Rs 1,712.51 crore, hit a 5 percent upper circuit in the opening trade even as the benchmark indices fell due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The stock opened at Rs 22 on the BSE today against the previous close of Rs 21.66 and gained to touch the high of Rs 22.74. The action comes as the company announced in its latest exchange filing that its US-based subsidiary, BCSSL-USA, has entered into a five-year Master Services Agreement (MSA) with SpaceX International Ltd. Under this agreement, BCSSL-USA will be able to provide tailored services related to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, cloud-based AI platforms, enterprise AI solutions, AI consulting, AI integration, and digital transformation. Tejesh Kumar Kodali, Chairman of Blue Cloud Softech Group, stated that this five-year agreement with SpaceX International Ltd. is a major step toward expanding the company's global AI business. According to him, this agreement will enable BCSSL-USA to provide enterprise AI solutions and AI infrastructure services at scale. He added that this partnership demonstrates customer confidence in the company's AI capabilities and will further strengthen the company's presence in international markets. Bhaskar Nallamilli, CEO of BCSSL-USA, said this agreement further strengthens the company's position as a trusted partner in the field of enterprise AI transformation. He added that the company will work with the customer to provide large-scale AI infrastructure, a cloud-based AI platform, and AI-enabled digital transformation services. All of these services will be provided under separate Statements of Work to be negotiated between the two parties. Markets tumble in early trade as rising oil prices dent sentiment Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Tuesday dragged by a sharp rally in crude oil prices due to the renewed flare-up in West Asia. Fresh foreign fund outflows and a weak trend in global peers also put pressure on the markets. The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 552.99 points to 77,063.41 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined 160.45 points to 24,050.55. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, quoted 1.63 per cent higher at USD 84.60 per barrel. "There are some headwinds blowing again which might impact the Indian market in the near-term. The escalation of US-Iran conflict has pushed Brent crude to USD 84. If this spike continues it will again start impacting India's macros," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, said. Disclaimer: India.com provides stock market news for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Anthropic 'clear leader in AI', says Musk. Here's what the SpaceX chief really means
Elon Musk does not often admit he was wrong. But he has. Responding on X to a user who noted that SpaceX controls the computing power Anthropic depends on, and could, in theory, cut it off, Musk said he never would. He went further, calling Anthropic the clear leader in AI and saying no rival had shipped a model as good as its Mythos and Fable systems. He expects a Mythos 2 before long. The turn is surprising, given that last September, he wrote that winning was never a possible outcome for Anthropic. In February, after it raised $30bn at a $380bn valuation, he called its models "misanthropic and evil" and told it to fix them. Five months on, the same company is his benchmark for the field. The praise is not free Take the compliment at face value and it reads as rare humility. Look at the plumbing and a second motive appears. In May, Anthropic agreed to lease the entire output of xAI's Colossus 1 data centre near Memphis, about 300 megawatts, paying roughly $1.25bn a month through 2029. That is close to $40bn flowing to Musk's side of the table. He is not just admiring Anthropic. He is billing it. A rival who pays you $40bn is a rival worth flattering. Musk's pledge not to weaponise that dependence costs him nothing and buys goodwill with a customer he needs. The admiration may be real. It is also good business. Playground politics? The sharper reading sits one company over. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit, left the board in 2018 after the others refused to hand him control, and has fought it since. He sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the founding mission for private gain. He sought more than $150bn in damages, Altman's removal and the unwinding of the for-profit structure. In May, a jury threw the case out, finding Musk had waited too long to file. He called the verdict a "calendar technicality" and vowed to appeal. By July, the feud was personal again. Musk branded Altman "Scam Altman" after Apple sued OpenAI, and Altman replied that the surest sign his new model led the field was that Musk was obsessed with him again. Against that backdrop, crowning Anthropic the leader does double duty. It is a real judgement about the models. It is also a way to tell the market that the AI company that matters is not the one he is suing. Both are racing to the same finish line Timing sharpens the point. Both firms filed confidentially for stock market listings in June, within days of each other. Anthropic, valued at about $965bn in private markets, is pushing for a Nasdaq debut as early as October. It could be the first company to list at close to $1tn, and it expects its first profitable quarter, with around $559m in operating income on $10.9bn of revenue. OpenAI, valued a little lower and still loss-making, is leaning toward 2027, wary after SpaceX's own listing spiked and then surrendered much of the gain. Altman is holding out for a $1tn price. Here the two threads meet. Whoever lists first sets the benchmark the second is priced against. Anthropic going out ahead, blessed by Musk as the field's leader, helps fix the multiple bankers who later apply to OpenAI. Musk talking up the rival he profits from, while running down the rival he is suing, shapes the terms on which his enemy will one day face public investors. None of this proves the praise is hollow. Musk may well think Anthropic makes the best models right now. But "wowed by the model" and "at war with OpenAI" were never competing explanations. They are the same move. The compliment serves his balance sheet and his grudge at once, and it lands in the narrow window before both labs ask the market to price them.
Anthropic 'clear leader in AI', says Musk. Here's what the SpaceX chief really means
Elon Musk does not often admit he was wrong. But he has. Responding on X to a user who noted that SpaceX controls the computing power Anthropic depends on, and could, in theory, cut it off, Musk said he never would. He went further, calling Anthropic the clear leader in AI and saying no rival had shipped a model as good as its Mythos and Fable systems. He expects a Mythos 2 before long. The turn is surprising, given that last September, he wrote that winning was never a possible outcome for Anthropic. In February, after it raised $30bn at a $380bn valuation, he called its models "misanthropic and evil" and told it to fix them. Five months on, the same company is his benchmark for the field. The praise is not free Take the compliment at face value and it reads as rare humility. Look at the plumbing and a second motive appears. In May, Anthropic agreed to lease the entire output of xAI's Colossus 1 data centre near Memphis, about 300 megawatts, paying roughly $1.25bn a month through 2029. That is close to $40bn flowing to Musk's side of the table. He is not just admiring Anthropic. He is billing it. A rival who pays you $40bn is a rival worth flattering. Musk's pledge not to weaponise that dependence costs him nothing and buys goodwill with a customer he needs. The admiration may be real. It is also good business. Playground politics? The sharper reading sits one company over. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit, left the board in 2018 after the others refused to hand him control, and has fought it since. He sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, accusing them of abandoning the founding mission for private gain. He sought more than $150bn in damages, Altman's removal and the unwinding of the for-profit structure. In May, a jury threw the case out, finding Musk had waited too long to file. He called the verdict a "calendar technicality" and vowed to appeal. By July, the feud was personal again. Musk branded Altman "Scam Altman" after Apple sued OpenAI, and Altman replied that the surest sign his new model led the field was that Musk was obsessed with him again. Against that backdrop, crowning Anthropic the leader does double duty. It is a real judgement about the models. It is also a way to tell the market that the AI company that matters is not the one he is suing. Both are racing to the same finish line Timing sharpens the point. Both firms filed confidentially for stock market listings in June, within days of each other. Anthropic, valued at about $965bn in private markets, is pushing for a Nasdaq debut as early as October. It could be the first company to list at close to $1tn, and it expects its first profitable quarter, with around $559m in operating income on $10.9bn of revenue. OpenAI, valued a little lower and still loss-making, is leaning toward 2027, wary after SpaceX's own listing spiked and then surrendered much of the gain. Altman is holding out for a $1tn price. Here the two threads meet. Whoever lists first sets the benchmark the second is priced against. Anthropic going out ahead, blessed by Musk as the field's leader, helps fix the multiple bankers who later apply to OpenAI. Musk talking up the rival he profits from, while running down the rival he is suing, shapes the terms on which his enemy will one day face public investors. None of this proves the praise is hollow. Musk may well think Anthropic makes the best models right now. But "wowed by the model" and "at war with OpenAI" were never competing explanations. They are the same move. The compliment serves his balance sheet and his grudge at once, and it lands in the narrow window before both labs ask the market to price them.
Ark Invest doubles down on SpaceX with $52m weekly buying spree
Cathie Wood's Ark Invest has increased its exposure to SpaceX with purchases worth about $52.1 million during the week ended July 10, while cutting positions in semiconductor, streaming and genomics companies as it continued adjusting its portfolios. According to Ark Invest's latest weekly trading disclosure, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX) received the firm's largest allocation by value across multiple exchange-traded funds. The investment manager also bought shares of Eli Lilly, Meta Platforms, X-Energy, Coinbase Global and Circle Internet Group, alongside several healthcare, artificial intelligence and defence-related companies. Across individual funds, Ark added SpaceX shares to ARKK, ARKQ, ARKW and ARKX. The latest filings also showed fresh purchases of X-Energy across three ETFs, while Block, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Oklo, Pony AI, Kodiak AI and WeRide were among other additions. In healthcare, the firm increased positions in companies including Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Beam Therapeutics, Prime Medicine, Alamar Biosciences, Compass Pathways, and Recursion Pharmaceuticals. Ark continues buying SpaceX after earlier dip purchases The latest trades extend Ark's recent buying activity in SpaceX after several purchases made during the stock's post-listing decline. Last month, the investment firm bought about $32.5 million worth of SpaceX shares after the stock dropped more than 16% from its post-IPO peak. The purchase followed an even larger investment of roughly $444.3 million made across four ETFs on the company's Nasdaq debut on June 12. Ark had also held exposure to SpaceX before its public listing through the ARK Venture Fund, where the aerospace company ranked as the fund's largest holding. Earlier this month, Cathie Wood told Fox Business that SpaceX held a "10-year lead" over competitors, while Ark's internal valuation models projected a base-case enterprise value of about $2.5 trillion by 2030 and a bull-case estimate of approximately $3.1 trillion. Meanwhile, the latest portfolio changes showed the firm reducing holdings in Advanced Micro Devices, Roku, Robinhood Markets, Deere, and Iridium Communications. The disclosures also listed sales of several genomics companies, including Natera, Illumina, Twist Bioscience, 10x Genomics and BioNTech, alongside smaller reductions in Personalis, Absci and Strata Critical Medical. The changes come ahead of the second-quarter earnings season, with the latest disclosures indicating continued portfolio rebalancing across Ark's actively managed funds. The recent buying activity also follows a pattern seen in previous weeks. On June 26, Ark increased its holdings in Coinbase, Circle, Bullish, and Robinhood after all four stocks declined during the trading session. Earlier in June, the firm also purchased about $18.4 million worth of Coinbase shares after the crypto exchange had fallen nearly 13% over the preceding month. Ark manages its exchange-traded funds under a policy that limits any single holding to no more than 10% of a portfolio. The firm periodically adjusts positions to keep those weightings within its target allocations as share prices change.
Anthropic launches India pricing for Claude AI Pro and Max plans
AI major Anthropic has started rolling out pricing in Indian currency for users in one of its key markets. Users of Claude are now seeing Indian pricing for Anthropic's AI chatbot across its Pro and Max variants. Anthropic's website now shows that Claude Pro costs ₹2,000 a month (~$21) on annual billing or ₹2,399 a month on monthly billing. Claude Max is available at ₹11,999 a month for Max 5x and ₹23,999 a month for Max 20x. The free tier still remains available. These prices include GST. In the US, the Pro plan is listed at $17, while the Max plan is listed at $100. This puts India's prices at a marginal premium, most likely due to currency conversion charges at Anthropic's end. With this, Anthropic is now priced the same as ChatGPT Plus in India, which is listed at ₹1,999/month. However, unlike its rival OpenAI, which allows UPI payments for its services, users can only pay for Anthropic via credit or debit cards and Play Store/Apple Store payment options. India emerges as a key growth market for Anthropic Anthropic's move follows the growing recognition of the Indian AI user base by global AI companies, which are now tailoring their products to offer convenient billing and payment options. While it is not special / lower pricing for Indian users, it addresses the friction caused by dollar pricing and currency conversion that Indian users faced earlier. India is Anthropic's second-largest market outside the US, accounting for 5.8% of total Claude.ai use, second only to the United States, as per Anthropic's disclosures in February, 2026. The company opened an office in Bengaluru earlier this year and appointed former Microsoft India executive Irina Ghose to lead its business here. Anthropic has been partnering with a slew of Indian IT firms, including Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, in recent months to scale enterprise AI use cases. The company did not respond to queries on India pricing. Claude's responses vary across languages, says Anthropic Separately, Anthropic released an analysis on Monday denoting how the values Claude expresses vary across languages. When Claude speaks in English, it emphasises different values than when it speaks in Portuguese, Indonesian, or Chinese, the AI company said. "The largest variation is in the Warmth vs. Rigor axis, with Claude leaning toward expressing warmth-related values most in Arabic and Hindi and rigor-related values most in English and Russian," it added. Published on July 14, 2026
Why OpenAI wants $1 million from Elon Musk's xAI amid Apple lawsuit
Apple accused OpenAI of stealing confidential hardware designs and manufacturing processes in lawsuit OpenAI has asked the court to award $1 million from Elon Musk's xAI company after the former was hit with a lawsuit filed by Apple over the allegations of trade secrets theft. In the midst of legal challenges, Sam Altman is now seeking such hefty legal costs from his long-standing rival Elon Musk over the dismissal of xAI's trade secret lawsuit. According to the CEO of OpenAI as reported by Bloomberg, xAI's trade secrets lawsuit should never have been filed in the first place. Under this lawsuit, the CEO of SpaceX accused the AI company of encouraging ex-employees to steal confidential data from the company, but offered no evidence to substantiate its claims. Later, the judges dismissed xAI's founder allegations and ruled that hiring practices were routine and not based on illicit activities. A federal judge in San Francisco tossed out the lawsuit earlier this year, stating that xAI lacked proof that OpenAI had encouraged any misconduct. "xAI sued OpenAI first and looked for evidence later, forcing OpenAI to spend substantial resources defeating a sprawling, aggressively litigated trade secret claim for which xAI had no evidentiary support," OpenAI's lawyers wrote. The OpenAI's announcement to seek legal costs came on Monday after the Grok chatbot maker revealed that it plans to appeal repeatedly dismissed claims regarding the role of OpenAI in alleged misconduct. The developments have proved dramatic for Sam Altman as he is also facing a lawsuit from Apple who alleged that the tech giant stole confidential hardware designs and manufacturing processes to build their own devices. Moreover, the iPhone maker also accused OpenAI of encouraging some of its employees to "share confidential information, product components, engineering drawings and other materials related to future Apple devices." With lawsuit filed by Apple, the public feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman has deepened as they exchanged barbs on X platform. In response to this alleged lawsuit, Musk criticized Altman calling him a "scammer" who took this alleged crime to another new level. Musk also claimed on his X post that OpenAI CEO "had graduated from stealing an open source AI charity to trying to steal all of Apple's phone technology."
Anthropic rolls out India pricing for Claude subscription plans The Mainstream
Anthropic has reportedly started displaying India-specific pricing for its Claude AI subscription plans, marking another step in the company's growing focus on the Indian market. According to a report by a technology publication, the updated pricing is visible to some users in India, although payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) are not yet available. Users can currently subscribe using bank cards or the billing systems of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. India has reportedly become Anthropic's largest market outside the US. The company opened its Bengaluru office in February and has partnered with Indian IT companies, including Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, to expand enterprise AI deployments. For individual users, Anthropic offers 2 subscription plans. The Pro plan is priced at ₹2,000 per month when billed annually, while the Max plan costs ₹11,999 per month with annual billing. The Team plan starts at ₹2,399. According to the report, all Indian prices include local taxes. For comparison, the Pro plan is priced at $17 per month in the US, the Max plan costs $100, and the Team plan starts at $20. The Free plan provides access to Claude on the web, iOS, Android, and desktop. It includes web search, desktop extensions, voice mode, incognito chats, user preferences, artifacts, file creation and editing with code execution, memory, connectors, and skills for reusable instructions. Free users can access only the Sonnet and Haiku models. The Pro plan includes everything in the Free plan, along with higher usage limits and access to advanced features such as Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Claude Design, projects for organising chats and documents, additional Claude models, and Claude for Microsoft 365. The Max plan offers all Pro features with significantly higher usage limits. Subscribers can choose between 5x or 20x the Pro usage per 5-hour session. It also provides higher output limits and priority access during peak usage periods. Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter About us: The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
"Stop the AI Race": Hundreds March Against OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind in San Francisco
On Saturday, July 11, around 400 people took to the streets of San Francisco to protest against the leading AI companies. The march, held under the banner "Stop the AI Race", led from OpenAI's headquarters on 3rd Street past Anthropic's offices on Howard Street to Google DeepMind's location at Rincon Park, with rallies and speeches at each stop. The organizers emphasize that this was a peaceful assembly of "concerned citizens, families, and researchers" - and that employees of the companies in question were explicitly invited to join. The Central Demand: A Conditional Pause on Development The movement has a single, clearly defined demand: every CEO of a major AI lab should publicly commit to pausing the development of frontier models - on the condition that every other major lab in the world credibly does the same. This is not a call for a unilateral stop, but for a conditional pledge along the lines of: "If the others pause, I will too." In practice, according to the organizers, such a pause would mean: no new training runs for larger or more general frontier models. Teams currently working on advancing the capabilities of these models would instead shift to narrow AI applications or alignment research. Existing models would remain available, and narrow AI applications would still be permitted. As a technical blueprint, the movement points to a paper by the MIRI Technical Governance Team that outlines an international agreement led by the US and China - including verification mechanisms such as AI chip tracking and compute thresholds (FLOP caps). The Warnings: "The Architects Know the Race Is Reckless" The protesters argue that the leaders of the AI companies themselves have repeatedly warned about the existential risks of their technology - for instance in public statements on AI risk signed by numerous industry figures. At the same time, they say, each lab justifies its pace by claiming it must beat the competition and geopolitical rivals. It is precisely this race that the activists want to break. Asked about China, they respond that any agreement would of course have to include all major AI labs worldwide - but public commitments from Western CEOs are the first step toward the kind of international coordination that would make this possible. The movement has a history: in September 2025, an 18-day hunger strike outside Google DeepMind's London offices made international headlines. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis responded at the time and signaled openness to a conditional pause, but named international coordination as the key bottleneck. In February 2026, from the activists' perspective, Anthropic removed the commitment to pause development if its own AI became too dangerous from the third version of its Responsible Scaling Policy - prompting a first march on Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI on March 21. Since then, Anthropic has written that it expects it "would slow down or temporarily pause" development if other labs verifiably did the same, and OpenAI stated in a strategy paper that coordination, including slowing frontier development, is expected to become more important. For the organizers, this is not enough: "expects" is not a commitment - what is needed, they say, are binding pledges along with a concrete verification regime. Background: Attacks on Sam Altman's Home The protests are taking place in an increasingly heated climate. In April 2026, the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was targeted twice within a matter of days: first, a 20-year-old from Texas threw a Molotov cocktail at the property and subsequently threatened to burn down OpenAI's headquarters. According to prosecutors, the man was driven by hatred of AI technology, traveled to San Francisco with the intent to kill, and was carrying a manifesto containing the names and addresses of other AI executives and investors. He was charged with, among other things, attempted murder. Just two days later, shots were fired at Altman's house from a car; two people were arrested, though it remains unclear whether the attack was deliberately aimed at the property. No one was injured in either incident. Altman himself responded with a blog post in which he shared a photo of his family and called for de-escalation: fear about AI is justified, he wrote, and criticism of the industry welcome - but rhetoric and tactics need to be dialed down. The "Stop the AI Race" organizers, for their part, clearly distance themselves from violence and are committed to peaceful protest. Background: Resistance to AI Data Centers Across the US In parallel, resistance to the massive buildout of AI data centers is growing across the United States. According to a report by Data Center Watch, projects worth around 130 billion US dollars were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026 alone - at least 75 projects, the highest figure since tracking began in 2023. In the first six weeks of the year, lawmakers from both parties introduced more than 300 data center bills, and 14 states proposed construction moratoriums. So far, opponents have had the greatest success at the local level: more than 100 municipalities across the US have imposed construction pauses - including Denver with a one-year moratorium, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, several communities in Illinois and Georgia, and around 20 municipalities in Michigan. At the state level, Maine narrowly missed becoming the first state in US history to enact a statewide moratorium in April, when Governor Janet Mills vetoed the bill. In New York, the legislature passed a one-year moratorium on AI data centers in June, which is currently awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul's signature. At the federal level, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act in March, which would halt the construction of new data centers of 20 megawatts or more until national safeguards are in place. According to a Gallup poll, roughly seven in ten Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers near their homes. The "Stop the AI Race" movement, meanwhile, is announcing further actions. As its website puts it: protest marches are "just the start".
