Billion

• POLITICOの2026年5月1日のワシントン発の報道によると、共和党は上院のフィリバスターを回避して移民・関税執行局（ICE）に数十億ドルを送り込むための立法上の策を講じている。 • この動きは、次期中間選挙での共和党の下院過半数維持に固執するトランプ大統領の意向を背景に、ICEの執行能力を強化することを目的としており、政権が国境および強制送還政策を巡る批判に直面する中で進められた。 • 批判派はこの手法が非常に制限的な移民取り締まりを長年にわたって固定化させる可能性があると警告している一方、共和党は、これにより安全保障が強化され、政権に選挙公約を守らせることができると主張している。

• Metaは、AIモデル開発を加速させるため、2026年第1四半期に向けたクラウドサービスにおいて1,070億ドルの契約上のコミットメントを報告しました。 • 積極的な投資には、データセンターの拡張やAIハードウェア部品に関するサプライチェーンの契約が含まれています。 • 同社は2026年後半にAIのブレイクスルーが起こると予想しており、最先端研究の収益化を推進しています。

• U.S. House of Representativesは2026年4月29日、Senateで承認された予算決議案を採択した。これにより、ICEおよびCBPへの数十億ドルの資金提供が可能となる。 • 共和党はfilibusterを回避する手続きを利用してこの計画を推進したが、Doris Matsui下院議員ら民主党員からは、他のニーズよりも法執行を優先しているとの批判が出ている。 • この動きは、現在進行中の国境警備に関する議論や中間選挙の圧力がかかる中で、Trump政権の移民政策を支持するものである。

• 報告書によりWPPがUSの競合他社の2倍の石油広告に関与していたことが判明し、自社のclimate policyに違反したとして非難されている。 • 報告書によると、あるBritishの広告コングロマリットが、気候危機に対処するための2015年のParis agreement以降、石油会社のExxonMobil、Chevron、Shell、BPがUSで推定$1.5bn（£1.1bn）を広告に費やすのを支援してきた。 • 気候調査プラットフォームDeSmogの分析によれば、Londonに拠点を置くWPPは、過去10年間にわたりUSの石油業界にサービスを提供する筆頭広告グループであった。

• Reform党のリーダーは、タイを拠点とする仮想通貨の大富豪クリストファー・ハーボーン氏からの贈与後、国会議員として立候補するかについての考えを変えた。 • ガーディアン紙の取材により、ナイジェル・ファラージ氏が2024年の英国総選挙への立候補を表明する直前、仮想通貨億万長者のクリストファー・ハーボーン氏から500万ポンドを受け取っていたことが明らかになった。 • ファラージ氏は、当初は立候補する意向はないと述べていたが、タイを拠点とするこの実業家から個人的な贈与を受けて数週間のうちに方針を転換した。

Anant Ambani氏が、コロンビアの麻薬王が飼っていたペットの子孫である動物80頭をインドへ移送するという提案を再提示しました。 パブロ・エスコバルのカバの子孫をどう扱うかという問題は、現代の動物学史上、最も奇妙な難問の一つであり続けています。 サハラ以南のアフリカ原産の草食動物であるこれらの動物は、もともと麻薬王が自身の娯楽のためにコロンビアに輸入したものでした。しかし、1993年に彼が死去した後、これらの動物とその子孫は野生のまま放し飼いとなりました。続きを読む...

• Medicare underpayments to hospitals totaled more than $100 billion in 2024, according to testimony provided to the House Ways and Means Committee by the American Hospital Association. • Hospitals are managing significant cost pressures while treating a sicker, more medically complex, and aging patient population, with persistent misalignments between care provision and reimbursement rates. • The financial strain reflects broader healthcare system challenges as providers struggle with inadequate government reimbursement alongside rising operational costs.

Anant Ambani, the son of tycoon Mukesh Ambani, said he had put in a formal request to the Colombian government to stay a decision to kill the animals.

Proposal for a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state is opposed by Silicon Valley tech titans and Gavin NewsomProponents of a proposal to levy a one-time tax on California billionaires say they’ve gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot in November.The campaign says it has collected more than 1.5m signatures, according to a statement. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Treasury successfully auctioned $42 billion in new 10-year notes on April 25, 2026, with the coupon rate settling at 4.38% amid continued demand from foreign central banks and domestic pension funds. • Bid-to-cover ratio reached 2.38x, slightly above the six-month average, indicating solid underlying demand despite elevated yields and concerns about federal deficit growth, which is projected to reach $1.8 trillion for fiscal year 2026. • The auction results suggest stabilization in long-term borrowing costs after weeks of volatility, potentially reducing pressure on the Federal Reserve to adjust its benchmark rate at the May 2 policy meeting.

• Berkshire Hathaway's cash and equivalents surged to $168 billion at the end of Q1 2026, its highest level in over a decade, as Warren Buffett continued to reduce equity holdings amid concerns over elevated asset valuations. • The conglomerate reduced its Apple stake by 8% during the quarter and trimmed Bank of America holdings further, citing a lack of compelling investment opportunities in current market conditions. • Investment income from fixed-income holdings generated $3.2 billion in the first quarter alone, demonstrating how Berkshire's massive cash reserve is now earning meaningful returns in a higher-rate environment.

• Pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Pfizer announced a strategic research collaboration focusing on oncology and immunology, with combined commitments totaling $4.8 billion over five years to accelerate drug development and clinical trial timelines. • The partnership will leverage Eli Lilly's metabolic disease expertise and Pfizer's vaccine platform capabilities to pursue combination therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, with initial clinical trials expected to commence in mid-2027. • Industry analysts view the deal as emblematic of Big Pharma consolidating R&D resources amid rising drug development costs exceeding $2.6 billion per approved medication, while also signaling confidence in oncology market growth.

• The Alabama Department of Corrections terminated its $1 billion health care contract with Tennessee-based YesCare for failure to adequately fulfill contractual duties. • The contract, awarded in 2023 as a 5-year agreement, was dissolved due to the company's inability to meet performance standards for prison health services. • The termination raises questions about oversight of private contractors providing essential health care services within the correctional system.

• The European Union announced a €2.1 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine on Friday, aimed at supporting reconstruction efforts and civilian needs amid Russia's intensified spring offensive across multiple fronts in eastern Ukraine. • EU officials stated the funds would prioritize healthcare infrastructure, food security, and electricity grid repairs, with disbursement beginning within two weeks pending parliamentary approval scheduled for April 30. • Ukraine's finance minister praised the commitment but warned that current assistance levels remain insufficient to offset projected $14 billion in war-related economic losses this year alone.

• Anthropic announced a $4 billion Series E funding round on April 25, 2026, with lead investments from Amazon and Google, valuing the AI safety firm at $61.5 billion post-money. • The capital will accelerate development of Claude 4 models and expand enterprise AI infrastructure across US data centers in California and Virginia. • This funding underscores intensifying competition in AI amid regulatory scrutiny, positioning Anthropic as a key challenger to OpenAI's dominance.

• Elon Musk's xAI closed a $6 billion Series C on April 25, 2026, backed by Sequoia and a16z, to build a 100,000-GPU supercluster in Memphis, Tennessee. • Funding supports Grok-3 development, targeting 5x faster inference than GPT-5, with first phase online by December 2026. • Initiative aims to repatriate AI compute to US soil, creating 1,200 high-tech jobs amid national security concerns over overseas data centers.

• SpaceX secured an option to purchase AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion USD, signaling aggressive expansion into artificial intelligence development tools. • The acquisition option reflects Cursor's prominence in AI-assisted software development, a rapidly consolidating market attracting major technology conglomerates. • The deal underscores SpaceX's strategic pivot toward internal AI capabilities to accelerate software development for space exploration and satellite internet infrastructure.

There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around worldThe number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate.There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915. Continue reading...

• Nvidia shares jumped 5% in extended trading after a strong AI forecast, positioning the company to gain $220 billion in market value amid easing bubble concerns. • The stock had dropped nearly 8% in November following a 1,200% surge over three years, but positive results calmed investor jitters. • This development underscores Nvidia's role as AI market bellwether and highlights sustained demand for its chips.

Annalouise Spence allegedly used credit card to make ‘unauthorised purchases of luxury and personal items, including clothing, artwork and jewellery’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former private secretary of billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson has been charged with dozens of counts of fraud after she allegedly used a business credit card to make more than $1m of purchases, including luxury clothing, artwork and jewellery.Annalouise Spence, 50, was due to appear at a bail court hearing on Thursday after being charged with 68 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception. Continue reading...

Justin Sun alleges World Liberty Financial installed tools to prevent sale of his tokens after they became tradeableBillionaire crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Tuesday sued World Liberty Financial, the digital currency venture co-founded by Donald Trump and his sons, alleging that World Liberty illegally froze his holdings of tokens issued by the company.Sun, the largest investor in World Liberty, alleged in the lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, that the company secretly installed tools to prevent the sale of his tokens after they became tradeable in September 2025. The lawsuit also alleges that World Liberty threatened to “burn” – or permanently delete – his holdings, even while they were in Sun’s digital wallet. Continue reading...

• Silicon Valley-based Resolve AI secured $40M in Series A extension funding, boosting its valuation to $1.5B to establish Resolve AI Labs focused on AI models optimized for production environments. • The funding supports development of reliable AI systems tailored for enterprise-scale deployment in US tech sectors. • This round highlights investor confidence in Resolve AI's infrastructure for bridging research-to-production AI gaps amid booming demand.

• Elon Musk's xAI announced a $6 billion Series C funding round on April 19, 2026, led by Sequoia Capital, valuing the startup at $24 billion post-money. • Funds will expand the Colossus supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, to 300,000 Nvidia GPUs for Grok AI training. • Investment accelerates US AI infrastructure race, countering China's advances and supporting domestic chip production.

• Amazon led a $4 billion investment in Agility Robotics on April 19, 2026, to deploy 10,000 Digit humanoid robots in US warehouses by 2027. • Digit robots handle picking and packing tasks, reducing labor costs by 30% per Amazon executives. • Deal bolsters Amazon's automation push amid labor shortages and union pressures in fulfillment centers.

• Scale AI raised $2.5 billion in fresh funding on April 19, 2026, at a $15 billion valuation, backed by Meta and Tiger Global. • Capital expands US data annotation workforce to 50,000, focusing on synthetic data for autonomous vehicles and LLMs. • Funding counters labor-intensive bottlenecks in AI training, vital for US competitiveness.

• Databricks announced a Series H funding round of $10 billion at a $43 billion valuation on April 18, led by existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, to accelerate development of its AI and data platform. • The funding will support expansion of Databricks' lakehouse architecture, which integrates data warehousing and data lakes, and fund aggressive hiring in engineering and sales across North America. • The round positions Databricks as one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies and signals strong investor confidence in the competitive data infrastructure market dominated by Snowflake and others.

• Microsoft announced the acquisition of Cerberus AI, a Boston-based cybersecurity startup, for $2.1 billion on April 19 to enhance real-time threat detection across Azure cloud infrastructure. • Cerberus AI's proprietary machine learning platform identified over 50,000 zero-day vulnerabilities in the past year and will integrate with Microsoft Defender to provide unified threat management across enterprise environments. • The acquisition marks Microsoft's continued investment in AI-driven security as cloud-based attacks have increased 35% year-over-year, according to recent industry reports.

• Stripe completed the acquisition of Wise Exchange, a fintech startup specializing in cross-border payment optimization, for $1.2 billion in stock on April 18, expanding its international payment capabilities. • The acquisition adds Wise Exchange's proprietary currency conversion algorithms and partnerships with 40+ financial institutions across Europe, Asia, and Americas to Stripe's existing platform. • Industry analysts view this acquisition as Stripe's strategic response to intensifying competition from Block, PayPal, and traditional payment networks in the global payments sector.