Forbes Topline

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is now the highest grossing film in history at the domestic box office after grossing around $936.8 million at theaters in North America since its release in July, finally beating a record set by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Buffett, the 10th-richest person in the world, stepped down from his role as the chair of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate announced, adding that his son Howard will take over as chair. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/18/billionaire-warren-buffett-steps-down-as-berkshire-hathaway-chair/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI is discussing raising money as part of a new funding round which would value the company at as much as $1.5 trillion, according to multiple reports early on Wednesday, days after the company’s CEO Sam Altman announced his company will not go public in 2026. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the Times’ Dealbook newsletterreported that investors had recently approached the ChatGPT-maker with an offer to invest in the company at a $1.2 trillion valuation. OpenAI, however, is seeking a much higher $1.5 trillion valuation which is more than double the $730 billion it was valued at during its last funding round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Bill Gates urged world leaders to act to ensure that artificial intelligence does not worsen global inequality, as his Gates Foundation published its annual Goalkeepers Report on Tuesday and pledged $1 billion to expand access to AI technologies, amid broader warnings from tech leaders about AI safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macklemore claimed Monday that billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pioneered his removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour after the rapper made “free Palestine” remarks at two shows in New York this month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Softbank’s shares fell more than 10% in Asia, leading a slump in major artificial intelligence-linked stocks across global markets on Monday amid growing calls for a development slowdown from leading labs like Anthropic and OpenAI amid warnings that rapid development of the technology may pose an existential threat to humans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Elon Musk repeatedly attacked Alex Gibney, the director of the forthcoming documentary “Musk,” in posts on X this week, slamming him as a “horrible human” and a “bitter old man” while also reportedly threatening legal action. Read the full story on Forbes: http://forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/09/10/elon-musk-rages-against-musk-director-alex-gibney-lacks-any-integrity-whatsoever/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With renewed fighting in Iran and oil prices on the rise, airline CEOs and analysts are warning of higher airfares through the holiday season and into 2027. Read more on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2026/09/10/cheap-airfare-fools-errand-holiday-season/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pair of thieves broke into a small museum in southern France and stole artwork worth millions made by the legendary painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, local authorities said on Tuesday, less than a year after the high-profile Louvre Museum heist in which thieves stole more than $100 million worth of French crown jewels. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/08/renoir-paintings-worth-millions-stolen-in-french-riviera-museum-heist/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An change.org petition calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s exclusion from the 9/11 remembrance ceremony later this week has crossed 100,000 signatures amid a similar push made by several prominent Republican leaders from the state, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Gov. George Pataki. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/08/petition-urging-mamdanis-exclusion-from-911-event-hits-100000-signs-amid-similar-push-by-giuliani-pataki/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla shares jumped around 7% on Thursday as investors awaited this afternoon’s Cybercab event in Austin, Texas, where Tesla is expected to unveil its two-seat autonomous vehicle as it expands its robotaxi business. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/fionariley/2026/09/03/tesla-stock-jumps-7-ahead-of-cybercab-debut-its-best-day-in-months/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk’s super PAC spent over $800,000 last month across several states with competitive Senate races as part of its first wave of spending for the upcoming midterm elections, filings made on Wednesday night showed. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/03/elon-musks-america-pac-discloses-first-tranche-of-spending-ahead-of-midterms/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The digital maps platform MapQuest has soared to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings after refusing to adhere to President Donald Trump’s order to change Lake Ontario’s name to Lake America, even as its larger rivals Google Maps and Apple Maps have chosen to do so. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/09/02/mapquest-tops-app-store-download-charts-after-defying-trump-on-lake-ontario/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A whistleblower at the U.S. Postal Service reported “grave concerns” with the agency’s new system for mail-in ballots as it’s come under fire in court, warning lawmakers that the “risky and haphazard” implementation of the rule could keep millions of voters from receiving a mail-in ballot in the November midterms. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2026/09/01/usps-whistleblower-warns-new-rule-could-keep-voters-from-getting-ballots-what-to-know/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lionel Messi, considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, announced Monday he would retire from competing internationally for Argentina’s national team, saying in a statement on Instagram the decision “hurts deep down,” but “the time has come.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/08/31/lionel-messi-soccer-legend-and-billionaire-retires-from-argentina-national-team/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nvidia has reportedly agreed to buy Hugging Face, the popular platform which hosts open-weight AI models, for $12.9 billion, The Information reported late on Wednesday, just a month after the chipmaker’s CEO Jensen Huang defended open models and urged against “premature restrictions.” Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/27/nvidia-has-reportedly-agreed-to-buy-ai-model-hosting-platform-hugging-face-for-13-billion/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Researchers at Southern Illinois University have engineered microbes that can break down discarded plastic bottles and crop waste and turn them into protein-rich cookies, a step-by-step biological transformation that could address problems with plastic pollution, a looming global food crisis and help sustain deep-space missions with humans aboard. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/24/cookies-made-from-plastic-bottles-could-ease-food-shortages-feed-nasa-crews-in-space/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Donald Trump defended the ongoing buildout of AI data centers across the country and said the communities opposing them were making a mistake, as he continued to embrace the controversial buildout of AI infrastructure despite growing public backlash and opposition from governors from both parties. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/08/24/trump-defends-ai-data-centers-says-opposing-them-is-a-mistake-and-smart-ones-want-them/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration has ordered all visa applications be placed on hold and canceled scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies around the world as it works to tighten restrictions on who is allowed into the country, a move that is likely to significantly reduce the number of visas issued to potential visitors, students and immigrants. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/08/26/global-visa-interviews-on-hold-history-shows-a-36-drop-may-follow/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Trump administration is preparing to launch a mass visa revocation impacting business and tourism visas owned by up to 200,000 foreigners, the Associated Press reported, a move that would mark the largest revocation in U.S. history. Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/08/24/trump-administration-preparing-for-largest-visa-revocation-in-us-history-report-says/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices