Elon Musk’s Breeding Spree Is So Much Wilder Than You Thought
The billionaire bureaucrat, who wants a “legion-level” of offspring, has reportedly solicited women on X to have his children and pays his kids’ mothers millions to keep quiet.
By Issie Lapowsky
Mark Zuckerberg Testifies That He’s So Over Facebook Friends
In a major antitrust court appearance, the Meta founder claimed that the company has moved into a “discovery-entertainment space”—a clear attempt to argue that Meta's ownership of WhatsApp and Instagram does not make it a monopoly.
By Issie Lapowsky
Mark Zuckerberg’s Words Are About to Come Back to Bite Him
As the FTC's lawsuit against Meta kicks off, its smoking gun may be Zuckerberg's own emails.
By Issie Lapowsky
A Former Facebook Executive Got a Gag Order After Her Tell-All Published. She’s Talking to Congress Anyway.
After Meta tried to enforce a non-disparagement agreement with Sarah Wynn-Williams, her memoir, Careless People, became a bestseller.
By Issie Lapowsky
Sports
Can ESPN and Major League Baseball Still Play Ball?
The two sides are at odds over a new deal for next season, with commissioner Rob Manfred feeling undervalued by the brass in Bristol. Peter Gammons, for one, hopes they reconcile, as rivals like NBC, Amazon, or Netflix could be on deck.
By Tom Kludt
Sports
“So Damn Depressing”: How the Luka Dončić Trade Left a Team and City Reeling
March Madness is here, but the biggest story in hoops remains the Mavericks’ astonishing decision to part with its brightest young star, leaving fans in an angry search for answers. “There’s no rectifying it,” says one sports columnist. “The fallout is going to be immense.”
By Tom Kludt
Tech
Inside Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s AI Grudge Match
There’s no shortage of bad blood between the once-allied tech titans as their bitter dispute over OpenAI’s for-profit future is expected to go to trial later this year. “You can only have one emperor,” says an insider.
By Nick Bilton
Tech
Ex-Facebook Whistleblower Accuses Meta's Global Affairs Chief of Sexual Harassment: Report
In a forthcoming memoir, Sarah Wynn-Williams also described a company culture of “lethal careless” that caused its platform to fuel global instability.
By Issie Lapowsky
Google Begs the Trump DOJ to Not Break It Up: Report
With a judge set to rule on a significant antitrust case, the search giant is seeking favor with the Trump administration.
By Issie Lapowsky
Inside the Hive
Zuck Around and Find Out: Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s MAGA-Masculinity Crisis
Vanity Fair editors trace the Meta founder’s transformation from a nerdy, hoodie-wearing whiz kid into a GOP power player, and divine whether the newly bro-ey billionaire will be able to swim with the sharks of Trump 2.0.
By Jon Skolnik
From the Magazine
Inside the Fight Over Guggenheim Partners CIO Scott Minerd’s $400 Million Estate
A brawny bodybuilder with a generous side: The late investor was an atypical Wall Street sage. But at Guggenheim, he oversaw billions for the firm and made millions for himself. His sudden death shocked even those closest to him and spurred infighting over his will.
By Dirk Smillie
Media
“We’re Not Hyperventilating”: Behind Axios’s Clinical Approach to Covering Donald Trump’s Second Term
Vanity Fair caught up with cofounders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen about the state of political media, including a postelection newsroom talent churn, and why “this might be the most electric moment in the history of Washington.”
By Natalie Korach
Sports
Tom Brady’s TV Chops Will Be Put to the Super Bowl Test
Amid persistent speculation about his future, the legendary QB is back as a broadcaster for the playoffs and will cover the big game next month. Despite any prior missteps in the booth, Richard Deitsch says that “what NFL fans will remember will be his call on that Sunday in New Orleans.”
By Tom Kludt
The first wealth is health
Luigi Mangione Isn’t Solely Responsible for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Death, Poll Respondents Claim
Participants in a non-partisan survey say insurance denials and company profits bear “a moderate amount” of responsibility for Bob Thompson’s brazen shooting in NYC.
By Eve Batey
'Tis the Season
Netflix Is Dialing Up Live Sports With an NFL Christmas Spectacular
The yuletide doubleheader, complete with a Beyoncé halftime show, comes on the heels of the Tyson-Paul juggernaut and megadeals with WWE and FIFA, signaling the streamer’s growing appetite for sports. The goal, says one Netflix exec, is “big audience and big conversation.”
By Tom Kludt
Sports
Is the NBA’s Three-Point Frenzy Sinking Ratings?
As teams hoist more shots than ever from downtown, TV viewership is also down. League execs don’t appear rattled, but some commentators are concerned: “I wouldn’t be opposed to a limit on the number of threes,” says one.
By Tom Kludt
AI Agita
AI-Driven Health Care Is Turning Us Into Numbers on a Spreadsheet
As the insurance industry reckons with the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, it should also reexamine its use of algorithmic coverage decisions, which further dehumanize people in need of lifesaving care.
By Nick Bilton
public health
Doctors Seethe Over Insurance Companies’ “Out of Control” Tactics
Nothing can justify the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, but providers agree that America’s insurance system is off the rails. “I am kind of surprised this hasn’t happened earlier,” says one health care consultant.
By Katherine Eban
Bad Business
The Onion's Infowars Bid Gets Blocked
A Texas bankruptcy judge shut down the satirical paper's buyout of Alex Jones' infamous conspiracy site, leaving its financial fate hanging in the balance.
By Caitlin Dewey
Critical Noise
The Famous Death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
The Iowa-born Fortune 500 executive had little public profile until his killing brought him instant notoriety.
By Dan Adler
Crime
UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing Suspect Has Been Arrested
Twenty-six-year-old Luigi Mangione, who currently faces firearms charges, was located at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, where he was found with a ghost gun, a silencer, and clothing that matched the gunman’s.
By Caitlin Dewey