Good morning, friends!
Hope you are all having an amazing Halloween weekend. This week, I published three new articles about the people behind the headlines:
Meet Neil ‘Buddy’ Shah, the Most Powerful Man at Anthropic You’ve Never Heard Of: Buried deep in Anthropic’s IPO filing is the name of a man you’ve probably never heard of: Dr. Neil “Buddy” Shah. He chairs Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, which has the power to appoint and remove a majority of the AI giant’s board. He owns no company stock and has no financial incentive to prioritize profits over humanity’s interests. It’s an unusual arrangement designed to protect Anthropic from its own worst instincts. Is that possible?
Anthropic bought a one-man biotech startup: For six years, nearly 30,000 biotech enthusiasts followed an anonymous X account named after a Pokémon professor. Then the man behind it revealed his identity: Cody Tranbarger, founder of Mithril Medicine, a one-person biotech startup acquired by Anthropic. Armed with outside labs, part-time consultants, and “a bunch of Claude,” he developed experimental treatments for rare genetic diseases.
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin can’t quit NYC: Billionaire Ken Griffin moved Citadel’s headquarters to Miami in 2022 and publicly declared that New York was hostile to success. So why is he now building a $6 billion, 66-story skyscraper in Manhattan? Despite his clashes with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Griffin is doubling down on the city he supposedly left behind.
PROFILES.
— The CEO trying to save Xbox [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The king of Halloween
— The ex-Yahoo CEO building an AI company
— The actress beginning a new chapter
— China’s hottest club
THE PEOPLE.
The CEO trying to save Xbox: Can someone who has never been a gamer save Xbox? That’s the billion-dollar question facing Asha Sharma, the 38-year-old executive Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella tapped to revive its struggling $21 billion gaming business. Since taking over, Sharma has cut nearly 1,900 jobs, doubled down on blockbuster franchises like Halo and Minecraft, and begun overhauling Xbox’s hardware and subscription strategy. But with console sales lagging far behind PlayStation and Microsoft pouring billions into AI, some insiders wonder whether Xbox is being prepared for a sale or spinoff. Sharma’s ultimate ambition is turning Xbox into the world’s No. 1 entertainment company. (FORTUNE; reply to this email if you can’t access the article)
The king of Halloween (gift link): Hershey may be the king of Halloween, but CEO Kirk Tanner wants to conquer every holiday. Facing soaring cocoa costs, fierce competition from Mars, and changing appetites thanks to weight-loss drugs, Tanner is betting on innovation to revive the 132-year-old candy giant. He’s boosted R&D spending by 25%, launched premium chocolate bars, and is experimenting with protein-packed treats. The strategy is already showing promise: Reese’s Oreo Cups have generated $212 million in sales. As Tanner sees it, winning the candy aisle isn’t about offering the lowest price. It’s about inventing the next thing people can’t resist.
The ex-Yahoo CEO building an AI company (gift link): Marissa Mayer helped build Google, ran Yahoo, and became one of Silicon Valley’s most scrutinized female CEOs. Now she’s betting on AI to solve the mental load of everyday life. Her new assistant, Dazzle, mines your camera roll to learn your tastes, plan birthday parties, and buy gifts. Mayer hopes it will make AI more appealing to busy women. (Yes, this is also the article that she caught online flack for….)
The actress beginning a new chapter: At 45, Natalie Portman is entering a new chapter with a new baby, a new relationship, and a newfound commitment to joy. In Harper’s Bazaar, the Oscar-winning actress reflects on how being sexualized as a child star pushed her to become Hollywood’s serious, studious “good girl.” But after decades of defying expectations, she’s embracing her sillier side, taking on comedic roles, and prioritizing what matters most: “Just being kind and loving and being able to laugh. That’s all that matters.”
THE COMPANIES.
China’s hottest club: What if you combined nine nightclubs, a music festival, a dating app, and an amusement park under one roof? That’s the idea behind INS Land, Shanghai’s seven-story nightlife playground that attracts up to 20,000 visitors a day on weekends and is projected to generate $150 million in annual revenue. Founded by former investment banker Dino Ying, the complex offers access to nearly every club for just $43, challenging China’s traditionally exclusive, bottle-service-driven nightlife scene. With everything from world-famous DJs to bumper cars and noodle stands, INS has become a rare bright spot in China’s struggling nightlife industry. Its secret? Making partying feel less like a luxury and more like an experience everyone can afford.
👉 The Profile is the perfect gift for any occasion! Give a gift subscription to a loved one through the link below:
✨Order the paperback edition of HIDDEN GENIUS below:
39 Likes