Lionel Messi, who this week announced his retirement from Argentina's national team, has for years operated a venture capital fund called Play Time HoldCo, co-founded with Razmig Hovaghimian in October 2022 with an initial target of about $200 million. The fund holds stakes in AI startups including World Labs, Field AI, Fish Audio, Perceptron, Intangible and SuperAnnotate, and Messi separately holds equity in Sorare, KRÜ Esports, and Inter Miami, now valued at $1.45 billion.
A new NBER working paper examines how New York City's congestion relief zone, launched January 5, 2025, affected emergency medical service response near the toll boundary at 60th Street. Using half a million EMS dispatch records and traffic camera data, researchers found hospital transport times fell by 54-59 seconds and total EMS travel time dropped by roughly 63-70 seconds within a 5-kilometer band around the zone's edge.
John Ternus sent his first internal memo after officially becoming Apple's CEO, thanking outgoing chief Tim Ternus... rather Tim Cook for his guidance and years of leadership, and welcoming him into his new role as executive chairman. Ternus told staff a 'huge launch' is coming next week and hinted at further undisclosed products in development.
9to5Mac Daily's September 1, 2026 episode covers reports that Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus taking over the role. The daily podcast recap summarizes this leadership transition alongside other top Apple stories of the day.
Google is trialing a new Quick Settings panel inside Android Auto's beta version 17.6.663424, accessible from the notification shade at the top of the screen. So far only a single Do Not Disturb tile has appeared, letting drivers silence phone notifications without opening the full settings menu. The feature arrives alongside a new app icon and a raccoon-themed weather animation spotted in the same beta build.
A new essay traces how media mogul Steve Ross built his fortune not through glamorous entertainment deals but by acquiring a series of mundane businesses—limousine rentals, parking lots, cleaning services, and building trades—before rolling them into Kinney Services and eventually using that platform to acquire Warner Bros. The piece highlights the overlooked, unglamorous groundwork that preceded his transformation into one of America's best-paid executives, earning $78 million in 1990.
John Ternus formally took over as Apple's chief executive today, succeeding Tim Cook after his 15-year run atop the company. Cook now moves into the role of executive chairman, and Ternus is expected to make his first major public appearance as CEO at Apple's launch event next week, where new iPhones and Apple Watches are anticipated.
Tim Cook appeared in the Oval Office to praise President Trump and presented him with a glass-and-gold trophy in front of press cameras, an event the author calls the most embarrassing act ever done in Apple's name. The piece contrasts Cook's deferential display with Steve Jobs' history of defying authority and institutions, noting Jobs himself was the son of an immigrant on a student visa.
Bloomberg reported that Apple shares delivered a 2,736% total return during Tim Cook's tenure as CEO, growing the company from a $350 billion business to a $4.6 trillion one. Commentary responding to that data argues incoming CEO John Ternus shouldn't feel pressure to replicate those numbers, pointing to Steve Jobs' and Cook's own philosophy that financial results should follow great products rather than be pursued directly.
Apple's leadership page now lists John Ternus as CEO, with Tim Cook moving into a newly created Executive Chair role on the Board of Directors. The board section has also been redesigned to include headshots for all members, including Cook and Ternus, who joins as a director in his new capacity.
Over his 15 years as Apple CEO, Tim Cook navigated increasingly tense relations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, helping Apple avoid the worst fallout from a US-China trade war while keeping manufacturing operations in China intact. His approach included storing some Chinese user data on mainland servers starting in 2014, complying with Chinese app removal demands, and staging high-profile displays of goodwill with Trump, such as touring a Mac Pro plant together.
Apple has installed John Ternus, previously its senior vice president of hardware engineering, as chief executive, succeeding Tim Cook as of September 1st. Johny Srouji has been elevated to chief hardware officer as part of the leadership shuffle.
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