The Apple Never Falls Far From the Throne 🍎👑

Hey,

Spotted: Apple is having its moment, briefly dethroning Nvidia as the world’s most valuable company, landing Alibaba and Baidu as AI partners in China and sending half of Hong Kong’s stock market surging, all while quietly preparing to sue OpenAI and race Anthropic to the public markets.

And in the background, Google is so desperate for compute it is paying SpaceX a billion dollars a month while secretly cooking up a chip that could fix everything by 2028. The AI era has never been more chaotic or more expensive.

We have also released our newest podcast called the Haystack Huddle!! Check it out with the button below.

• Alphabet Shares Jump on Reports of New More Efficient AI Chip Development

Google is developing a chip called "Frozen v2" that could run Gemini six to ten times more efficiently than its current TPUs, as it races to ease a compute shortage so severe it is paying SpaceX nearly $1 billion a month to plug the gap.

• Apple and Nvidia Battle It Out for the Title of World's Most Valuable Company

Apple briefly reclaimed the title of world's most valuable company from Nvidia, surging 23% in 2026 as investors reward its AI agenda while Nvidia has gained just 9% as Wall Street shifts its attention to memory chips and infrastructure plays.

• Alibaba Shares Jump 4% as Qwen AI Lands a Spot in Apple Intelligence

Alibaba’s Qwen AI has been confirmed for integration into Apple Intelligence in China after years of waiting for Beijing’s approval, marking a rare moment of US-China tech collaboration amid intensifying AI rivalry.

• Anthropic's Landmark IPO Edges Closer as Bankers Begin Courting Investors

Valued at $965 billion and backed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, Anthropic is scheduling investor meetings ahead of a potential October IPO that would beat rival OpenAI to public markets and capitalise on the momentum from SpaceX's blockbuster June debut.

• Alibaba and Baidu Shares Surge in Hong Kong Following Apple AI Partnership

China's approval of Apple Intelligence sent Alibaba and Baidu shares surging up to 5% in Hong Kong, as both companies confirmed their AI models would be integrated into Apple's services for Chinese users.

🧠 Quick Brain Teaser!

I am heavier when empty than when full

What am I?

hint: Think less literally, more emotionally

🔥Trending Roles:

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✈️ Head on over to Haystack to browse more roles like these ones!

📚 What We’re Reading:

• Jim Cramer says it’s time to look beyond tech as AI uncertainty rattles the market

• Data Centers Are Quietly Taking Over Texas. The Pollution Could Be Catastrophic

And the answer is…… 🥁🥁🥁🥁

🫀 Heart

Goodbye, see you next week.

Haystack