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Elon Musk’s big week isn’t starting out too well. Firstly, the all-important test launch of Starship got delayed by a day. Meanwhile, news broke that a worker died on Friday at SpaceX’s Starbase complex in Texas, where the rocket will launch.
Separately, Musk on Monday lost the lawsuit against his fellow OpenAI founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The loss was sort of a technicality: The jury found that Musk didn’t file the claim in time. That means the jurors didn’t make a decision on the core of his arguments, as Musk pointed out, adding that he would appeal. So this battle may not be over. (For more details, see our story.)
Why is he wasting his time on this suit, even as he reaches for the stars with SpaceX and tries to remake Tesla into a robotaxi and robot company? Well, it probably doesn’t take much of his own time—aside from appearing in court or for depositions every now and then. Musk has the money to pay the lawyers and the desire for revenge, so he probably thinks, “Why not?” Also, some might say the less involved he is in SpaceX, the better, given his very capable No. 2, Gwynne Shotwell, and his not always helpful management style.
For OpenAI, this decision is good news. Even with the possibility of an appeal, the uncertainty of the case has now largely been removed. Of course, OpenAI is beset by so many dramas—lately it has been fighting with Apple—that the real impact of this win may not last long. Sam Altman and friends should savor the victory while they can.
Uber Orders More Delivery Hero
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi’s dealmaking side is getting some exercise. Uber disclosed on Monday that it had lifted its stake in Germany-based food-delivery firm Delivery Hero to 19.5%, a purchase that likely cost around $1.8 billion. Uber had bought a small stake in the firm in 2024 as part of another deal that went sideways.
Uber has options that would lift its stake to 25%. In a filing with German regulators, Uber said it “currently…has no intent to acquire 30% or more” of Delivery Hero, a statement that doesn’t tell us much about Uber’s long-term ambitions.
Both Uber and DoorDash have been expanding internationally, particularly in Europe, through acquisitions in recent years. (Here’s a rundown we published last year.) Delivery Hero is a decent-size business, generating $17.2 billion in revenue last year, which is about the same as Uber’s food-delivery revenue for 2025.
The German firm operates in Europe, Latin America, parts of Asia and the Middle East, so a full acquisition would be a good addition to Uber’s international operations. Watch this space!
Calling all San Franciscans!
The Information Editor-in-Chief Jessica Lessin will be interviewing former Wall Street Journal tech columnist, author and entrepreneur Joanna Stern this Wednesday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Come join them for a no-holds-barred conversation about the state of AI, Silicon Valley and media.
• Chinese personal computer and server maker Lenovo Group said in an internal memo to staff last week that there have been no new licenses or policies regarding Nvidia’s H200 chips since March, when Washington approved the sales of the chips to some Chinese companies.
• Everlane, a San Francisco–based startup that soared during the last decade’s e-commerce boom, will sell itself to Shein, a Chinese discount e-retail giant, according to Puck News. The deal values Everlane at $100 million, a far cry from the valuations it received at its height.
Today on The Information’s TITV
Check out today’s episode of TITV in which we unpack our exclusive reporting on Blackrock’s interest in the SpaceX IPO.
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