News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Agility Without Illusion: Why Zimbabwean Businesses Must Move From Structure to Value - The Zimbabwe Mail Agility Without Illusion: Why Zimbabwean Businesses Must Move From Structure to Value | Zimbabwe News - The Zimbabwe Mail
IN boardrooms across Zimbabwe, the language of "agility" has become almost ritualistic. Executives speak of transformation, digital migration, and innovation with increasing confidence. Yet, behind this vocabulary lies a more stubborn reality: many organisations remain structurally rigid, slow to respond, and disconnected from the actual engines of value creation. By Farai Chikoore This disconnect is not rooted in a lack of ambition. Rather, it reflects a deeper misunderstanding of what agility truly demands. The prevailing assumption is that agility can be achieved by rearranging teams or launching pilot initiatives. However, global insights, including those from McKinsey & Company, suggest something far more fundamental: agility is less about structure and more about aligning an organisation with how it creates value in real terms. For Zimbabwean businesses operating in an environment defined by volatility and uncertainty, that distinction is critical. The Illusion of Agility in Zimbabwe Across sectors, there has been visible movement. Financial institutions such as CBZ Holdings have embraced digital banking platforms, while fintech ecosystems around EcoCash continue to expand. High retailers like have attempted to adapt their supply chains in response to inflationary pressures. Yet, these changes often sit on the surface. Innovation units operate in isolation, digital teams exist without meaningful authority, and strategic direction remains heavily centralised. What emerges is a fragmented system where new initiatives struggle to influence the broader organisation. This pattern mirrors a global challenge: companies are capable of designing agile frameworks on paper, but falter when it comes to translating those designs into operational reality. The difficulty lies not in conceptualisation, but in confronting the implications, particularly around power, incentives, and control. Where Value Really Lies: A Zimbabwean Perspective The starting point for any meaningful transformation is an honest assessment of where value is actually created. In Zimbabwe's economic context, this is not an abstract exercise. It is shaped by immediate pressures, currency instability, constrained liquidity, and shifting consumer behaviour. For banks, value increasingly lies in the speed and reliability of transactions, as well as the trust they can sustain in a fragile financial system. Retailers derive value from their ability to maintain a consistent supply and adjust pricing dynamically in the face of inflation. Telecommunications firms depend on network resilience and the effective monetisation of data. A company like Econet Wireless Zimbabwe illustrates this dynamic well. Its strength has not simply been infrastructure, but the integration of services into a unified ecosystem that captures multiple layers of customer interaction. This is not a departmental advantage; it is a value stream. Internationally, firms such as Amazon and Alibaba Group have long structured themselves around these value streams rather than traditional functional silos. Closer to home, Safaricom built its dominance by centring its model on mobile financial services, effectively redefining how value is generated within its ecosystem. Zimbabwean firms, by contrast, often remain anchored in hierarchical structures that obscure rather than clarify where value truly resides. The P&L Problem: Power Without Accountability One of the most difficult, yet necessary, shifts in an agile transformation concerns the allocation of profit-and-loss responsibility. In many Zimbabwean organisations, financial control remains concentrated at the top, while operational teams function primarily as executors of centrally determined strategies. This creates a disconnect between decision-making and accountability. Without ownership of financial outcomes, teams lack both the authority and the incentive to respond quickly to changing conditions. Reimagining this structure would mean placing P&L responsibility closer to the points of value creation. In a retail context, this could involve granting category or store-level teams greater control over pricing, procurement, and inventory decisions. Such a shift would allow for faster, more context-sensitive responses to inflation and currency fluctuations. Regional examples offer a useful contrast. Shoprite Holdings has demonstrated how decentralised decision-making can enhance responsiveness in volatile environments, reinforcing the link between operational autonomy and financial accountability. Incentives: The Missing Link Even where organisations attempt structural change, incentives often remain misaligned. Support functions -- whether in technology, compliance, or logistics, tend to operate according to internal benchmarks that bear little relation to commercial outcomes. An agile model requires a different approach. Performance must be measured in terms of contribution to value creation rather than isolated functional efficiency. This is where frameworks such as Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) become particularly relevant, as they link strategic intent directly to measurable outcomes. In practice, this would mean redefining success for enabling teams. An IT department, for instance, would be evaluated not simply on system stability, but on its role in driving transaction volumes or customer adoption. Similarly, logistics functions would be assessed based on their impact on product availability and turnover, rather than cost containment alone. Global firms such as Google have embedded such approaches into their operating models, ensuring that every part of the organisation is aligned with overarching strategic objectives. Zimbabwean businesses, however, often continue to rely on legacy performance metrics that fail to capture real value. Coordination in a Volatile Economy The pace of change in Zimbabwe's economic environment renders traditional planning cycles increasingly ineffective. Annual strategies, while still necessary for direction-setting, are insufficient in a context where conditions can shift dramatically within weeks. Agile organisations address this challenge through continuous planning processes. Strategic objectives are revisited regularly, with quarterly and in some cases, monthly adjustments made in response to emerging trends. This approach is becoming standard in more dynamic markets. Fintech firms in East and West Africa, for example, routinely adjust pricing, product features, and customer engagement strategies based on real-time data. In Zimbabwe, however, many organisations remain tied to rigid planning frameworks that struggle to keep pace with economic realities. Culture: The Hardest Shift Beneath structural and strategic changes lies a more complex challenge: culture. Without a shift in mindset, even the most carefully designed operating models will fail to deliver meaningful results. Empowerment is often the first hurdle. Leaders may be reluctant to delegate decision-making authority, particularly in environments where mistakes carry significant consequences. Yet, without trust, agility cannot function. Equally important is the notion of end-to-end ownership. Teams must move beyond narrowly defined tasks and take responsibility for outcomes, even when those outcomes depend on coordination across multiple functions. This requires a departure from traditional boundaries and a willingness to engage more broadly in the value chain. At the same time, enabling teams must adopt a service-oriented mindset, recognising their role in supporting value creation rather than operating as independent centres of control. Achieving this balance is neither quick nor easy; it demands sustained effort and, often, a redefinition of organisational identity. What Zimbabwean Businesses Must Do Now For Zimbabwean firms, the path forward is not about adopting the language of agility, but about confronting its implications. This begins with a clear understanding of where value is created and a willingness to reorganise around those realities. It requires shifting financial accountability closer to the front lines, ensuring that those responsible for execution also bear responsibility for outcomes. Equally, it demands a rethinking of incentives so that every function within the organisation is aligned with value creation. Planning processes must become more fluid, capable of responding to rapid changes in the economic landscape. Above all, organisations must invest in building the capabilities and trust required to empower their teams effectively. The Strategic Imperative Zimbabwe's economic environment is unlikely to become less complex in the near term. Volatility, in many respects, has become the baseline condition rather than the exception. In such a context, agility is not a discretionary strategy. It is a structural necessity. The organisations that will endure are those that move beyond superficial transformation and embed agility into the core of how they operate, make decisions, and create value. Anything less risks leaving them well-organised, but fundamentally unprepared for the realities of the market.
Exclusive-SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said.
Exclusive: SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said. Starship is designed to loft far larger payloads than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, aiming to dramatically reduce launch costs for Starlink satellites, space‑based data centers and human missions to the moon. Reporting by Echo Wang; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Nick Zieminski Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Artificial Intelligence * Securities Enforcement * Corporate Counsel * Capital Markets Echo Wang Thomson Reuters Echo Wang is a correspondent at Reuters covering U.S. equity capital markets, and the intersection of Chinese business in the U.S, breaking news from U.S. crackdown on TikTok and Grindr, to restrictions Chinese companies face in listing in New York. She was the Reuters' Reporter of the Year in 2020.
Exclusive-SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said.
Polymarket Seeks Fundraising at $15B Valuation
The trading platform, which relaunched in the U.S. in late 2025 after a three-year hiatus, was valued at $9 billion in October. Popular online prediction platform Polymarket is engaged in talks that would value the company at up to $15 billion, according to Bloomberg. Polymarket is looking to raise $400 million from investors as part of the valuation process. If it succeeds, it would represent a two-thirds increase in the company's worth in just half a year. Prediction platforms have experienced extraordinary growth over the last year, spurred by the rise of sports event contracts and thanks to highly discussed markets in politics and global events. In a real-life test of "all press being good press," Polymarket in particular has found itself firmly in the headlines for various controversies. The outlet offered divisive markets, such as when the U.S. would attack Iran and if a ceasefire would be reached, both of which were followed by insider trading accusations. In the case of the Iran attack market, six users won close to $1 million by predicting that the U.S. would strike before the end of the month. A coordinated attack with Israel on the final day of the month confirmed the users' contracts were graded as "winners" despite President Donald Trump's previous promise that the country would not engage in a war with him in office. Polymarket reported it now processes more than $1 billion in trades on a weekly basis. The platform takes a percentage of trades based on the category and probability of trades. Fees are at their highest when contract outcomes are near a 50-50 probability and shrink as the probabilities approach extremes. Crypto has the highest rate (1.80%), followed by economics (1.50%), culture and weather (1.25%), politics (1%), and sports (0.75%). Polymarket was only valued at $1 billion in June 2025 after Peter Thiel's Founders Fund led a $200-million round of investment. Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), later pledged $2 billion - which was completed with a $600-million injection in March - at a valuation of $9 billion. In related prediction markets news, the NYSE said it will become a "global distributor" of Polymarket's data, aiming to provide investors with real-time market insights. A venture capital company owned by Donald Trump Jr. is another one of Polymarket's most notable investors. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair, Michael S. Selig, was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate. Prediction platforms' growing profile recently prompted Polymarket to increase its security measures. In March, it announced a crackdown on insider trading, including the creation of new Market Integrity pages, outlawing trading on illegal tips, and bannng individuals with the ability to strongly influence tradeable events from those markets. "Markets thrive on clarity," Neal Kumar, chief legal officer at Polymarket, said at the time of the reveal. "These rule enhancements make our expectations abundantly clear for every participant across both platforms and highlight the compliance infrastructure we have already built." Although prediction markets only recently reached mass consciousness, a recent survey revealed that 15% of Americans have purchased sports event contracts. The Siena Research Institute (SRI) and St. Bonaventure University's Jandoli School of Communication, in their annual American Sports Fanship Survey, found the figure isn't that far off of the 27% of Americans that said they owned an active sportsbook account. The 15% figure only represented individuals who purchased contracts in sports markets and not from other areas of prediction market sites. Popular political events, such as the 2024 Presidential election and the 2025 New York City mayoral election, have produced surges in trading activity.
Exclusive-SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows By Reuters
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said. Starship is designed to loft far larger payloads than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, aiming to dramatically reduce launch costs for Starlink satellites, space‑based data centers and human missions to the moon.
Exclusive-SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said.
SpaceX launches bumper £1.3 trillion IPO roadshow
SpaceX is ramping up plans for one of the most anticipated stock market floats in history as it hosts Wall Street analysts. Elon Musk's rocket company is holding three days of closed-door briefings with top aerospace and technology experts as it prepares for a potential blockbuster initial public offering as early as June. SpaceX is looking to raise £55billion from investors in a float that could value the company at £1.3 trillion. The presentations kicked off with an all-day meeting and an analyst tour yesterday at the firm's Starbase launch facilities in Texas, Reuters reported. Analysts representing institutional investors will be briefed at Starbase today. Tomorrow, the analysts have been invited to review SpaceX's 'Macrohard' project at its Colossus data centre in Tennessee. Musk plans to set aside 30 per cent of SpaceX shares for retail investors, with around 1,500 people invited on a tour of Starbase in June. Countdown: SpaceX is holding three days of closed-door briefings with top aerospace and technology experts as it prepares for a potential blockbuster IPO as early as June DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Freetrade Freetrade Investing Isa now free on basic plan Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free share dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you
Exclusive-SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 : SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said. Starship is designed to loft far larger payloads than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, aiming to dramatically reduce launch costs for Starlink satellites, space‑based data centers and human missions to the moon.
Trump Signals Possible Pentagon Deal With Anthropic After White House Talks on AI Use
In February, Trump directed the government to stop working with Anthropic, and the Pentagon later designated the company a supply-chain risk. President Donald Trump said thatartificial intelligence firm Anthropic is "shaping up" for a "possible" deal to allow the Pentagon to use the company's AI technology, signaling a potential reversal after the White House and the Defense Department moved earlier this year to cut the company off from federal work. Speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box, Trump said Anthropic officials had recently come to the White House for what he described as "very good talks." He added that the company was "very smart" and "can be of great use." When asked directly whether a Pentagon deal could be ahead, Trump answered, "It's possible. We want the smartest people." The remarks suggest a possible thaw in one of the most closely watched standoffs between Washington and a leading AI developer. In February, Trump directed the government to stop working with Anthropic, and the Pentagon later designated the company a supply-chain risk. That decision followed a dispute over guardrails Anthropic wanted around military use of its systems, particularly concerns that its models could be used in ways that clashed with the company's safety policies. Anthropic challenged the determination in court in March. The latest shift appears to have followed direct outreach from Anthropic's leadership. CEO Dario Amodei met with White House officials last week in an effort to repair the relationship, with the White House describing that meeting as "productive and constructive." Anthropic, for its part, said the conversation focused on shared priorities, including cybersecurity, maintaining America's lead in the global AI race, and AI safety. The renewed dialogue comes as Anthropic has been drawing fresh attention in Washington because of its newest high-end model, Claude Mythos, which has raised alarms and interest because of its potential ability to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and even devise ways to exploit them. Anthropic has said the model will not be made generally available. Instead, it launched Project Glasswing, allowing selected companies and organizations to privately evaluate the technology and prepare defenses against the kinds of risks it may expose. That backdrop helps explain why the administration may be reconsidering its posture. Even after the Pentagon blacklist, White House officials continued to engage with advanced AI labs about frontier models and software security. The Associated Press reported that any technology under consideration for federal use would still need to undergo a technical evaluation period, suggesting that even if political relations improve, a formal deal is not imminent. For Anthropic, the opening is significant as the company has become one of the world's most valuable private AI firms, and this week announced a major long-term expansion of its cloud partnership with Amazon Web Services. Anthropic committed more than $100 billion over 10 years to AWS infrastructure as it scales development of its Claude systems.
Anthropic plans to provide Mythos access to European banks soon, sources say
* Mythos AI raises cybersecurity concerns among regulators and policymakers * Rollout to European banks may take days or weeks, sources familiar with the matter say * German central bank chief Joachim Nagel urges equal access to prevent misuse (Adds analyst quotes in paragraph 3-4) NEW YORK/PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - Anthropic plans to provide access to its Mythos AI model to European banks soon, three people familiar with the matter said, as global banks scramble to test the technology after large U.S. banks were given initial access. Mythos is viewed by cybersecurity experts as posing significant challenges to the banking industry and its legacy technology systems, prompting a series of warnings from regulators and policymakers gathered at last week's International Monetary Fund spring meeting in Washington. A string of U.S. banks have so far been given access to Mythos - while the rest of the industry tries to catch up. "The challenge is that this technology is moving faster than most banks' governance, operating models and control frameworks were designed to handle, widening the gap between risk discovery and remediation," said Scott Keipper, EY Americas Financial Services Technology Consulting Leader. "To respond, banks need to move beyond point-in-time cybersecurity fixes and adopt an enterprise-wide approach that embeds AI into risk management across technology, operations, governance and oversight, not just cybersecurity." Anthropic aims to expand Mythos AI access to European and UK banks, among other organizations, one of the people familiar with the matter told Reuters. That process involves checks to ensure the rollout is done securely, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another person said the access could be provided to European banks within days, while the first person said the rollout might take days or weeks. Bloomberg previously reported that Anthropic would release Mythos to UK financial institutions soon. Anthropic did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Anthropic initially provided access to the model to partners in its Project Glasswing initiative and about 40 additional organisations that build or maintain critical software infrastructure. JPMorgan Chase, which is part of Glasswing, was the only bank Anthropic has publicly said has access, although Bank of America has been part of Glasswing since the start and has been testing the Mythos technology internally, according to a source familiar with the matter. Other U.S. banks have more recently said they have been given access to Mythos, as regulators rush to examine the cybersecurity risks the new artificial intelligence model raises. German central bank chief Joachim Nagel called on Tuesday for all institutions to have access to Anthropic's artificial intelligence model Mythos to keep the playing field even and to avoid it being misused. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Jeffrey Dastin and Mathieu Rosemain in Paris; editing by Megan Davies, Franklin Paul and Nick Zieminski)
SpaceX says unproven AI space data centers may not be commercially viable, filing shows
NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - SpaceX warned investors that its ambitions to build space-based artificial intelligence data centers, as well as human settlements on the moon and Mars, rely on unproven technologies and may not become commercially viable, according to a company filing. The business risks laid out in SpaceX's pre-IPO filing, which have not been previously reported, present a far more cautious assessment of the rocket maker's future than the vision laid out publicly by billionaire CEO Elon Musk in recent weeks, as the company gears up for what could be the largest initial public offering in history. Risk factors in a prospectus are required by U.S. securities law and are designed to inform investors of potential pitfalls while also shielding companies from future legal liability. "Our initiatives to develop orbital AI compute and in-orbit, lunar, and interplanetary industrialization are in early stages, involve significant technical complexity and unproven technologies, and may not achieve commercial viability," SpaceX said in an excerpt from the S-1 filing, which was seen by Reuters. Any future AI orbital data centers will operate "in the harsh and unpredictable environment of space, exposing them to a wide and unique range of space-related risks that could cause them to malfunction or fail," the document said. MUSK SAYS AI IN SPACE IS A 'NO-BRAINER' Companies use the S-1 registration document to disclose their finances and risks before going public. SpaceX is targeting a listing in the coming months at a valuation of roughly $1.75 trillion with a $75 billion raise, which would make it the largest initial public offering in history. Musk said at the World Economic Forum in January that building AI data centers in space was "a no-brainer" and that it would be the cheapest place to put AI within two to three years. In February, after announcing a merger between SpaceX and his social media and artificial intelligence firm xAI, he said "space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale". SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. SpaceX also highlighted its heavy dependence on Starship, its next-generation fully reusable rocket, which has suffered several delays and testing failures. "Any failure or delay in the development of Starship at scale or in achieving the required launch cadence, reusability and capabilities thereof would delay or limit our ability to execute our growth strategy," the filing said. Starship is designed to loft far larger payloads than SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, aiming to dramatically reduce launch costs for Starlink satellites, space-based data centers and human missions to the moon. (Reporting by Echo Wang; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Polymarket joins Kalshi in race to launch perpetual futures
Polymarket teased early access to perpetual futures with up to 10x leverage hours after reports said Kalshi is preparing its own crypto perps launch. Polymarket said Tuesday that perpetual futures are coming to its platform, making the prediction market giant the latest to push into leveraged derivatives after Kalshi's own perps plans surfaced earlier in the day. In a post on X, Polymarket said users can sign up for early access, while a teaser video showed positions with up to 10x leverage. The company has not yet shared launch timing, supported assets, or whether the product will be available to US users, international users, or both. The move came hours after reports that Kalshi is preparing to launch perpetual futures tied to crypto prices in the coming weeks, expanding beyond its core event contracts business. Bloomberg reported that Kalshi plans to start with crypto linked products, while another report said the company may later expand into other asset classes. The parallel announcements show how the two biggest names in prediction markets are moving toward one of crypto's most active trading segments. Perpetual futures have become a major venue for round the clock speculation because they do not expire and often allow traders to use leverage to amplify positions.
Anthropic to extend Mythos AI access to European banks, Reuters reports By Investing.com
Investing.com -- Anthropic plans to provide access to its Mythos AI model to European banks soon, Reuters News reported on Tuesday. Mythos is viewed by cybersecurity experts as posing significant challenges to the banking industry and its legacy technology systems, prompting warnings from regulators and policymakers at last week's International Monetary Fund spring meeting in Washington. A string of U.S. banks have been given access to Mythos while the rest of the industry tries to catch up. Anthropic aims to expand Mythos AI access to European and UK banks, among other organizations, Reuters reported citing people familiar with the matter. That process involves checks to ensure the rollout is done securely, the report said. The report added that the access could be provided to European banks within days, while another person said the rollout might take days or weeks. Bloomberg previously reported that Anthropic would release Mythos to UK financial institutions soon. JPMorgan Chase JPM.N, which is part of Glasswing, was the only bank Anthropic has publicly said has access, although Bank of America BAC.N has been part of Glasswing since the start and has been testing the Mythos technology internally, it added. This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.
SpaceX's Ambitious Pursuit: AI in Orbit and Interplanetary Settlements | Technology
SpaceX has cautioned investors about its ambitious plans to build artificial intelligence data centers in space and establish human settlements on the moon and Mars. These projects hinge on unverified technologies and may not be commercially feasible, according to the company's confidential filing. The risks associated with these initiatives were detailed in an S-1 registration document, which aims to inform investors while shielding SpaceX from future legal claims. This stands in contrast to CEO Elon Musk's recent public statements, in which he portrayed a more confident outlook. Despite the challenges, the filing emphasized SpaceX's reliance on Starship, a next-generation rocket. Its success is crucial for reducing launch costs and achieving growth through new ventures, including space-based data centers and lunar missions.
Anthropic and Status of AI Data Centers
This brings its total committed capital to as much as $33 billion. The announcement does not specify how much new equity/percentage this adds or the exact structure, but it will increase Amazon's stake further as part of a deepened cloud/AI hardware partnership (Anthropic committed to over $100B spend on AWS over 10 years). There is still a race to build AI Data Centers. There are announced deals but then there are delays and cancellations. Funding can be reduced or fall through. New deal (announced April 20) $5 billion immediately + up to $20 billion more tied to commercial milestones → total committed up to $33 billion. Valuation for the new $5 billion: $350 billion pre-money (not including the new funding), per Anthropic. (This is slightly below the $380 billion post-money valuation from Anthropic's February 2026 Series G round.) Analysts and prior SEC-based calculations put Amazon in the ~15-19% range before this deal (some earlier 2025 filings implied 7.8% at lower valuations, but later rounds and fair-value marks pushed estimates higher). The new $5 billion at $350-380 billion valuation adds roughly 1.3-1.4% of new equity. Post Amazon deal estimate is Amazon will have 16-20% of Anthropic. Google (Alphabet) still has about ~14%. This is based on court filings from the Google antitrust case and has been consistent for over a year. Google's total investment is roughly $3 billion.
SpaceX settles lawsuit with state Coastal Commission over Vandenberg flights
This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. SpaceX and the California Coastal Commission have settled a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's rocket company over the agency's attempt to regulate its flights from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The settlement was reached last week by the two sides, but the details won't be disclosed until it is approved by Los Angeles U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. The case would remain pending if the settlement is not accepted. SpaceX and the Coastal Commission did not respond to messages for comment. The lawsuit was filed in 2024 after the agency that oversees the state's coastal development denied a plan by the rocket company to sharply increase it launches from the Santa Barbara County facility. The rocket company has been launching its Starlink broadband satellites into space from the site, raising concerns about its affect on wildlife. Nearby residents also have complained of sonic booms created by the company's Falcon 9 rocket. However, SpaceX contends that the state doesn't have authority over its launches at the military base, and alleged political bias after several commissioners noted Musk's politics, including his support of President Trump, during a hearing on the matter in 2024. "Mr. Musk controls 'one of the most extensive communications networks on the planet,' and ... 'just last week' Mr. Musk was 'speaking about political retribution on a national stage,'" was one comment cited by SpaceX in court papers. Blumenfeld dismissed the lawsuit in March 2025 but allowed SpaceX to amend and refile its complaint. In August, he dismissed multiple causes of action in the second complaint, including claims for financial damages against individual commissioners, but allowed others to move forward. It's unclear what practical effect the settlement might have. Last August, the commission also turned down a plan to boost the number of flights to 95 per year. However, the Space Force has exercised its federal authority to launch more flights from the base despite the agency's disapproval. Seventy-one rockets blasted off last year, most of them by SpaceX. One hundred or more could take off this year, possibly making it the busiest space port in the world. SpaceX also plans to launch its much bigger Falcon Heavy rockets from another pad. The rocket straps three Falcon 9 rocket cores together and has 27 liftoff engines compared with nine for the smaller rocket. More concerning to critics is a decision by the Space Force in December to invite rocket companies to build and operate a "super heavy" launchpad on the base with an even more powerful rocket. The Space Force contends it follows federal environmental laws and has commissioned studies to lessen the flights impact on wildlife and reduce residents' exposure to sonic booms.
Astera Labs Stock Jumps on Major Amazon-Anthropic Deal. Should You Buy ALAB Here?
Astera Labs (ALAB) shares soared on Tuesday morning after AI research lab Anthropic said it will spend more than $100 billion on Amazon's (AMZN) Amazon Web Services (AWS) over the next 10 years. Following today's surge, ALAB's relative strength index (14-day) is hovering around 80, signaling extremely overbought conditions that often prompt a meaningful selloff. While Astera stock has nearly doubled in April already, it's reasonable for investors to expect more from it in the weeks ahead. Anthropic has committed to spending tens of billions on AWS compute power, specifically using the giant's in-house Trainium and Inferentia processors. As a critical provider of connectivity solutions for these Amazon chips, ALAB stock is positioned as a primary beneficiary of this decade-long infrastructure build-out. The firm's Aries PCIe retimers and Scorpio Smart Fabric Switches are essential for managing high-speed data traffic between these artificial intelligence chips. According to JPMorgan analysts, Amazon will integrate Astera's latest P-series switches to support its upcoming Trainium 2 and Trainium 3 silicon. In short, this multi-year visibility into Amazon's hardware roadmap offers a massive revenue floor for ALAB's connectivity platform. Beyond this Amazon headline, Astera shares remain attractive because the company is emerging as the undisputed leader in AI infrastructure. Its financials remain stellar, with gross margins hovering around 75%, signaling exceptional pricing power and a defensible tech moat. At about 118x forward earnings, ALAB looks expensive, but its premium valuation actually reflects a dominant market position as data centers shift toward open, interoperable standards like UALink. Plus, with recent strategic moves, including the aiXscale Photonics acquisition and a new R&D hub in Israel, Astera Labs is diversifying its portfolio into optical connectivity as well. All in all, in 2026, the tailwinds of hyperscale capex and the transition to PCIe 6.0/7.0 make ALAB a premier picks-and-shovels play for the generative AI era. Wall Street analysts also recommend sticking with Astera Labs for the remainder of 2026. The consensus rating on ALAB shares sits at a "Moderate Buy" currently, with the mean price target of about $225 indicating potential upside of another 13% from here.
SpaceX launches bumper £1.3 trillion IPO roadshow
SpaceX is ramping up plans for one of the most anticipated stock market floats in history as it hosts Wall Street analysts. Elon Musk's rocket company is holding three days of closed-door briefings with top aerospace and technology experts as it prepares for a potential blockbuster initial public offering as early as June. SpaceX is looking to raise £55billion from investors in a float that could value the company at £1.3 trillion. The presentations kicked off with an all-day meeting and an analyst tour yesterday at the firm's Starbase launch facilities in Texas, Reuters reported. Analysts representing institutional investors will be briefed at Starbase today. Tomorrow, the analysts have been invited to review SpaceX's 'Macrohard' project at its Colossus data centre in Tennessee. Musk plans to set aside 30 per cent of SpaceX shares for retail investors, with around 1,500 people invited on a tour of Starbase in June. Countdown: SpaceX is holding three days of closed-door briefings with top aerospace and technology experts as it prepares for a potential blockbuster IPO as early as June DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AJ Bell AJ Bell Easy investing and ready-made portfolios Learn More Learn More Hargreaves Lansdown Hargreaves Lansdown Free fund dealing and investment ideas Learn More Learn More interactive investor interactive investor Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month Learn More Learn More Freetrade Freetrade Investing Isa now free on basic plan Learn More Learn More Trading 212 Trading 212 Free share dealing and no account fee Learn More Learn More Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence. Compare the best investing account for you
AI startup Anthropic commits $100 billion to Amazon's AWS over next 10 years
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has agreed to commit more than $100 billion to Amazon's AWS cloud platform over the next 10 years to train and run its Claude chatbot. Amazon will invest $5 billion immediately as part of the new agreement announced this week by the companies, and up to another $20 billion in the future. Amazon previously invested $8 billion in Anthropic. The partnership will allow Anthropic to secure up to 5 gigawatts of Amazon's Trainium chips to train and power their artificial intelligence models. "Our custom AI silicon offers high performance at significantly lower cost for customers, which is why it's in such hot demand," said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Amazon said AWS customers will be able to access the full Anthropic-native Claude console from within the AWS cloud platform. Earlier this year, privately-held Anthropic said its valuation grew to $380 billion, positioning itself alongside rivals OpenAI and Elon Musk's rocket maker SpaceX, which recently merged with his AI startup xAI, maker of the chatbot Grok. Renaissance Capital, which researches the potential for initial public offerings, counts Anthropic as third among the most valuable private firms, behind SpaceX and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, valued at $500 billion. Anthropic and Amazon have partnered since 2023 to accelerate generative AI adoption for customers to build, deploy, and scale AI applications. Amazon says 100,000 customers run Anthropic Claude models on AWS. In February, the Trump administration ordered all U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic's artificial intelligence technology and imposed other major penalties for refusing to allow the U.S. military unrestricted use of its AI technology. In an unusually public clash between the government and the company, President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials took to social media to chastise Anthropic, accusing it of endangering national security. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to back down over concerns the company's products could be used in ways that would violate its safeguards. Anthropic said it would challenge what it called an unprecedented and legally unsound action "never before publicly applied to an American company." Earlier this month, a federal appeals court refused to block the Pentagon from blacklisting artificial intelligence laboratory Anthropic in a decision that differed from the conclusions reached in another judge's ruling on the same issues. Anthropic is not yet profitable but said in February that it's on track for sales of $14 billion over the next year. Anthropic was founded by ex-OpenAI employees in 2021 and released its first version of Claude in 2023, following OpenAI's ChatGPT debut in late 2022.
