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Elon Musk Leads $97.4 Billion Bid For OpenAI Control, Sparking Tensions With Sam Altman

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 11, 2025

Elon Musk is at the forefront of a $97.4 billion bid to acquire the assets of the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, further intensifying his ongoing clash with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The group backing Musk’s bid includes Vy Capital, Xai (Musk’s AI company), Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel, and other investors.

This move represents Musk’s latest attempt to take control of an organization he co-founded nearly a decade ago. However, the bid faces strong resistance, as OpenAI’s board is closely aligned with Altman, who swiftly dismissed Musk’s offer with a pointed remark: “No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” Musk responded with a sharp “Swindler.”

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Despite the tense exchange, Musk’s offer complicates OpenAI’s plans to complete a $40 billion fundraising round, which would nearly double the company’s valuation to $300 billion. Led by SoftBank, this deal would position OpenAI among the world’s most valuable private companies, alongside Musk’s SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

OpenAI’s board of directors, which remains loyal to Altman, may need to deal with the complex challenge of compensating the nonprofit that controls OpenAI if they move ahead with Musk’s bid. OpenAI, with over 2,000 employees, is structured with a nonprofit board that has legal control despite its limited resources, with only two employees and $22 million in assets.

Musk’s bid could force OpenAI to pay a high price for separating from the nonprofit board, which has led to legal scrutiny. In the eyes of many experts, Musk’s proposal is an effort to set the nonprofit’s assets at a very high value, which would create challenges for OpenAI’s move to full independence. The nonprofit’s board must ensure that the sale of assets is at fair market value, or they could face questions from charity regulators.

Musk’s aggressive approach signals his intent to reshape the AI industry, with his own AI company, Xai, directly competing with OpenAI. At the same time, Altman has garnered significant support in Washington, securing investments and backing from major players like SoftBank and Oracle.

The ongoing battle for control of OpenAI illustrates the high stakes involved in the race for artificial intelligence supremacy, with Musk and Altman at the center of a high-profile tech showdown.

The Decline Of Smartwatches: A Turning Point In The Wearable Tech Industry

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 13, 2025

For the first time in history, the smartwatch market is facing a significant downturn. Shipments are expected to drop by 7% in 2024, marking a major shift in a segment that has been growing steadily for over a decade. A report by Counterpoint reveals that while Apple still holds the top spot, its dominance is being challenged by a surge from Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and BBK. Even as the overall market struggles, some companies are thriving.

The Big Picture: Why Smartwatches Are Slowing Down

Apple’s flagship products have long been the driving force in the smartwatch market, but even the tech giant is feeling the pressure. The company’s shipments are projected to fall by 19% this year, though it will remain the market leader. Meanwhile, brands from China are capitalizing on the shift, with Huawei showing an impressive 35% growth in sales, driven by the booming domestic market and a broad range of offerings, including smartwatches for kids.

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Xiaomi, too, is experiencing remarkable success, with a staggering 135% increase in sales. In contrast, Samsung is seeing more modest growth, up 3%, thanks to its latest Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra series.

While some companies are succeeding, the broader market is facing headwinds. The biggest factor behind the overall decline is the slowdown in India, where consumer demand for smartwatches has stagnated. The segment is suffering from a lack of innovation and fresh updates, leaving many consumers with little incentive to upgrade their devices. Add to that market saturation, and it’s clear why many users are content with their current models. The Chinese market, however, is bucking the trend, showing 6% growth in 2024.

A Glimpse Into The Future

Looking ahead, the smartwatch market may begin to recover in 2025, driven by the increasing integration of AI and advanced health monitoring tools. As these technologies evolve, the industry could see a resurgence in demand.

Huawei’s Remarkable Comeback

Huawei’s impressive performance in the smartwatch space signals a broader recovery for the company, which has been hit hard by US sanctions. Once the world’s largest smartphone maker, Huawei’s business was decimated when it lost access to advanced chips and Google’s Android operating system in 2019. But in China, Huawei has maintained its dominance, with its market share growing to 17% in 2024.

This resurgence was partly driven by the launch of the Mate 60 Pro, a smartphone featuring a 7-nanometer chip developed in China. Despite US sanctions, the device surprised many with its capabilities, a testament to China’s rising investment in domestic semiconductor production.

In February, Huawei also unveiled its Mate XT foldable smartphone, the world’s first device to fold in three directions. Running on HarmonyOS 4.2, Huawei’s proprietary operating system, the phone further demonstrates the company’s resilience and ability to innovate despite international challenges.

Huawei’s smartwatch offerings are also catching attention, particularly the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro, which launched in September of last year. With a premium titanium alloy design, a high-resolution AMOLED display, and impressive health tracking features, the GT 5 Pro has become a standout in the market, available to both Android and iOS users.

A Brief History Of The Smartwatch Revolution

The smartwatch market has had its fair share of milestones, but the real breakthrough came in 2012 with the Pebble, a Kickstarter-funded project that raised over $10 million. Pebble introduced the world to smartphone integration, app downloads, and long battery life, becoming the first truly mass-market smartwatch.

In 2013, Samsung entered the game with the Galaxy Gear, marking its first attempt at wearable tech. But it was Apple’s entry in 2014 that truly set the industry on fire. The Apple Watch’s sleek design, integration with iOS, and emphasis on health and fitness catapulted it to the top of the market, establishing a standard that many other brands would try to follow.

By 2021, the smartwatch industry had grown to over $30 billion in revenue, with annual growth reaching 20%. Yet now, it finds itself at a crossroads, with innovation stagnating and market saturation taking a toll.