Dan Primack

Axios Pro Rata

Today's newsletter:
The Dept of Whoa vs. Anthropic
www.axios.com/newsletters/...

Trump goes quiet on AI Washington D.C. is ignoring the revolution.

Trump spoke for 108 minutes on Tuesday night. Mentioned AI only twice. Less than 2% of his wordcount.

Elected officials are largely ignoring a revolution that will change all Americans' lives and jobs, well beyond electricity prices.

www.axios.com/2026/02/26/t...

Teachers unions push for investigation into Apollo's Epstein ties Two teachers unions sent a letter to the SEC, asking for an investigation into Apollo's past statements.

Teachers unions think Apollo may have misled folks back in 2021 about its Epstein ties.

Published this 2+ hours ago. Still no comment from Dechert, which did the investigation.
www.axios.com/2026/02/17/e...

IPOs are having their biggest week in years Pay more attention to the long-term performance than the short-term pop.

This could be the biggest week for IPOs in five years
www.axios.com/2026/02/04/i...

Elon Musk's grand vision comes into focus with SpaceX-xAI deal Elon Musk is making one of the most audacious moves in the history of business.

Elon Musk is making one of the most audacious moves in the history of business and tech, @danprimack.bsky.social writes.

Elon Musk's grand vision comes into focus with SpaceX-xAI deal Elon Musk is making one of the most audacious moves in the history of business.

Elon Musk's grand vision comes into focus with SpaceX-xAI deal

www.axios.com/2026/02/02/e...

Investors are betting on robots to replace blue collar workers Building AI brains for blue-collar jobs

It's impossible to know how many blue-collar jobs could be rendered irrelevant, or how soon, @danprimack.bsky.social writes.

Investors are betting on robots to replace blue collar workers Building AI brains for blue-collar jobs

So much talk about how AI could disrupt white-collar work.

Not nearly enough on how it also could take blue-collar jobs.

www.axios.com/2026/02/02/b...

California easily maintains its startup crown, despite naysayers California startups raised 62% of all U.S. venture capital dollars in 2025.

www.axios.com/2026/01/26/c...

Trump 2.0 stock market underperforms Trump 1.0 The S&P 500 also performed worse than during Biden or Obama's first years in office.

U.S. stocks performed worse during the first year of President Trump's second term than during the same period of his first term.

The S&P 500 also underperformed the first year of the Biden and Obama presidencies.

www.axios.com/2026/01/21/t...

Trump housing plan likely won't help the affordability crisis that much Brookings estimates that only around 3% of America's single-family homes are owned by "large institutional investors."

Trump takes on private equity with new housing plan
www.axios.com/2026/01/08/t...

How America is getting ahead of itself on Venezuela Maduro's Chavismo government remains in place, as do its ties to China, and is cracking down on dissent.

Subtracting Maduro doesn't automatically add American-style capitalism to Venezuela, let alone American capitalists.

www.axios.com/2026/01/07/a...

The political peril of California's billionaire tax Silicon Valley's congressman is facing a revolt from some of his richest constituents.

"This is ground zero for the thorny politics of income inequality, which will become more pervasive as the AI revolution mints more billionaires and costs "normies" their jobs."

www.axios.com/2026/01/05/c...

Scoop: Nvidia deal a big win for Groq employees and investors Social media has been full of questions about what the unusual arrangement means for Groq employees.

Been a bunch of chatter about how Groq employees make out in the Nvidia deal.

Made some calls to find out. In short, very very well. Even if not fully vested.

www.axios.com/2025/12/28/n...

Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount is telling WBD shareholders that it has a smoother path to regulatory approval than does Netflix.

NEW: Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount could go hostile for Warner Bros Discovery after losing to Netflix Hollywood's big deal might not be done just yet.

Cliffhanger...

www.axios.com/2025/12/05/p...

Chicago folks:
I've got a pair of front-row tickets to tonight's live taping of NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me." Want 'em?

They go to whoever pledges to donate the most to Chicago's Food Bank. Email your blind bid to dan@axios.com.

Google, the sleeping AI giant, awakens Google is proving that it hasn't lost its AI edge.

Thinking about this @inafried.bsky.social @danprimack.bsky.social piece as Gemini takes the top spot on the App Store…

Trump lets private equity exec out of prison early David Gentile served just 12 days of a 7-year sentence for fraud.

Private equity exec sentenced to 7 years in prison for fraud. Trump commutes sentence. He serves just 12 days.

surprise fact: PE exec's defense attny once was Florida prosecutor who helped cut the plea deal w/ Epstein.

www.axios.com/2025/12/03/t...

Exclusive: Roelof Botha bets on SpaceX over OpenAI as the most valuable tech company He said SpaceX's industry dominance sets it apart from competitors.

Exclusive: Elon Musk's SpaceX has a "bigger chance of being the most valuable company" than OpenAI, Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha told @danprimack.bsky.social at Axios' BFD event today.

Polymarket’s Shayne Coplan & Axios’ Dan Primack YouTube video by Axios

My @axios.com BFD conversation with @polymarket.bsky.social CEO Shayne Coplan

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3kJ...

Big Tech vanquishes Washington Meta this week won a landmark antitrust case that had been brought by the FTC.

Almost all efforts to stem the tide of Big Tech have failed, leaving politicians with few deliverables beyond viral videos of CEOs being berated during congressional hearings, writes @danprimack.bsky.social.

Harvard posts biggest operating loss in 14 years as Trump cuts bite The Trump administration's efforts to cut Harvard's funding took a toll, even though a judge has reinstated much of the money.

Harvard's financial are out. Donations up. Endowment performance up. Federal funding way down.

www.axios.com/2025/10/16/t...

Axios BFD Summit: New York 2025 Axios BFD is our annual summit spotlighting the power players behind the year’s biggest deals in tech, finance, private equity, M&A, and more led by Axios business editor Dan Primack.The people on stage aren’t just talking about market moves — they’re making them. Through sharp interviews and candid conversations, we get inside the strategies shaping valuations, exits, and the future of dealmaking. Join us November 18th in New York City to hear insights from real 'BFDs'.

💰 Axios BFD returns to NYC on November 18.

Guests include: Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha, Coinbase president/COO Emilie Choi, Coatue founder Philippe Laffont, Emma Grede, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue, and more!

Join us: axiosbfdsummitnewyork2025.splashthat.com

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund helping to take Electronic Arts private for $55 billion This might be just as much about geopolitics as it is about cashflow from the next iteration of Madden NFL.

Digging into the largest private equity deal ever

www.axios.com/2025/09/29/e...

Bob Kraft to sell minority stake in New England Patriots at $9B valuation This is the first time that Kraft has sold part of the team since he acquired it more than 30 years ago.

Private equity Patriots

www.axios.com/2025/09/25/b...

Today's Axios Pro Rata newsletter on the Kimmel situation

TikTok ban deadline is fast approaching, but Trump still not expected to enforce it Trump is likely to kick the can down the road again.

The TikTok ban hits this Wednesday.

Trump is likely to kick the can again, even if that's against both the spirit and letter of the law. Congress -- including GOP senators who yelled about national security -- could force the issue, but won't.

www.axios.com/2025/09/12/t...

TikTok ban deadline is fast approaching, but Trump still not expected to enforce it Trump is likely to kick the can down the road again.

The TikTok ban deadline is next Wednesday
www.axios.com/2025/09/12/t...

Giorgio Armani's will puts fashion brand on the block The Italian company could get a French owner.

There's something surprising in Giorgio Armani's will
www.axios.com/2025/09/12/g...